The number of battle-ready men from the tribe of Judah who joined David in Hebron
The number 6800 appears in 1 Chronicles 12:25, where it indicates the number of Judah's sons who were armed for battle with shield and spear, and who joined David in Hebron to transfer Saul's kingdom to him. The context is a listing of the military forces from various tribes that recognized David as Israel's rightful king. Judah was David's own tribe, and the relatively low number compared to other tribes can be explained by the fact that many of Judah's men were already serving under David. The number can also be seen as a combination of 68 × 100, where 100 often symbolizes completeness and fullness in a biblical context. The number 68 corresponds in gematria to the Hebrew word 'chaim' (חיים), which means 'life'. Although this connection is not directly linked to the use of 6800 in 1 Chronicles, rabbinic commentators have often viewed numerical relationships as meaningful. In 1 Chronicles 12:24–38, the military forces from all the tribes of Israel who came to David in Hebron are listed. The fact that Judah contributed only 6,800 men, while for example Zebulun contributed 50,000, likely reflects that Judah's warriors were already integrated into David's existing army.*