2 Samuel 24:5

5 They went across the Jordan River. They camped south of the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley near Aroer. Then they went through Gad and continued on to Jazer.

2 Samuel 24:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 24:5

And they passed over Jordan
To take the number of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh first:

and pitched in Aroer;
for it seems that Joab and the captains had the army with them, and the several captains under their command, partly to assist in numbering the people, and partly to keep them in awe, lest they should oppose them, not knowing what was the design of all this Aroer was a city given to the tribe of Gad, and rebuilt by them, ( Numbers 32:34 ) ;

on the right side of the city;
that is, of Aroer, the south side of it, as the Targum, did Joab and his army pitch:

that [lieth] in the midst of the river of Gad;
which was the river Arnon, so called now from the tribe of Gad, which possessed it, and so the Targum, in the midst of the river of the tribe of Gad; for in the midst of the river Arnon Aroer lay, see ( Joshua 13:9 ) ;

and toward Jazer;
another city given to the Gadites, ( Numbers 32:3 Numbers 32:35 ) ; and, according to Bunting ^F21, was sixteen miles from Aroer.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Travels p. 147.

2 Samuel 24:5 In-Context

3 Joab replied to the king. He said, "King David, you are my master. May the LORD your God multiply the troops 100 times. And may you live to see it. But why would you want me to count the fighting men?"

4 In spite of what Joab said, the king's word had more authority than the word of Joab and the army commanders did. So they left the king and went out to count the fighting men of Israel.

5 They went across the Jordan River. They camped south of the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley near Aroer. Then they went through Gad and continued on to Jazer.

6 They went to Gilead and the area of Tahtim Hodshi. They continued to Dan Jaan and on around toward Sidon.

7 Then they went toward the fort of Tyre. They went to all of the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba. It was in the Negev Desert of Judah.