The Patriarch of Benjamin and Ancestor of Saul
The first individual named Mikloth was a ruler from the tribe of Benjamin who settled in the strategic city of Gibeon.
Mikloth was a son of Jehiel (the father of Gibeon) and his wife Maachah. His historical importance lies in his direct genealogical link to the family line that produced Israel’s first monarch, King Saul.
His lineage is documented twice in the architectural records of 1 Chronicles to establish the ancestral framework of the Benjamite territory. 1 Chronicles 8:32 records: “And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.” This account is repeated precisely in 1 Chronicles 9:37-38. Through his son Shimeah (also called Shimeam), Mikloth’s household expanded and established a prominent presence within the city of Jerusalem, anchoring the tribal boundaries of Benjamin before the royal transition.
The Military Officer of the Second Course
The second individual named Mikloth was an elite military administrator who served under King David’s reorganized national defense system.
When David structured his standing army, he created twelve monthly military courses (or divisions), each consisting of twenty-four thousand highly trained warriors. Each course was commanded by a chief captain who assumed national defense duties for a specific month of the year.
This Mikloth was appointed as the chief staff officer and second-in-command for the second military course, which served during the second month of the year. The supreme commander of this specific division was Dodai the Ahohite (an elite warrior from David’s inner circle). 1 Chronicles 27:4 records the command structure: “And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.” Mikloth was responsible for the physical logistics, training, and mobilization of this massive force, keeping the kingdom’s borders secure during his assigned rotation.