Comentario sobre I Samuel 11:8

He counted them in Bezek. Our Rabbis said that he counted them using earthenware shards.⁴ See Maseches Yoma 22b. According to this rendering, Bezek is not a name of a place, but rather a description of the means used by which to count the people. Another explanation is that בְּבָזֶק means 'with pebbles,' i.e., he took a pebble from each one, and counted them, similar to, "And he counted them with lambs,"⁵Below 15:4. i.e., he took a lamb from each one, and counted them with the lambs, just as they would count them with half shekels.⁶ See Rashi Ibid. Targum reders, in the verse, "as one who loads a pebble [אֶבֶן] for throwing in a slingshot,"⁷ Mishlei 26:8. as one who loads a בִּזְקָא into a slingshot. And in [Midrash] Yelam'denu, "And he counted them with lambs," [is explained as,] "when they were poor, [they were counted] with pebbles and when they became rich, [they were counted] with lambs. Another explanation is that בָזֶק is the name of a place, mentioned in Shoftim, "they found Adoni Bezek in Bezek."⁸Shoftim 1:5.