THOUSAND
Division of the Israelite tribe, consisting of a thousand men capable of carrying weapons (Num. 31:5; Josh. 22:14).
This name obviously varied depending on the circumstances: births, deaths, etc. Men grouped in this way are assigned to the army or other functions, including judicial ones (Ex. 18:21, 25; Num. 31:14; 1 Sam. 8:12; 22:7; 2 Sam. 18:1).
These thousands perhaps corresponded to the patriarchal houses and their princes (cf. Num. 1:2, 4, 16; Judges 6:15; 1 Sam. 10:19, 21).