2 Samuel 24:1-9

David’s Military Census

1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” ¹

2 So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, ^[a] “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”

3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to register the troops of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.

6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi, ^[b] and on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.

7 They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, ^[c] to Beersheba.

8 At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.

2 Samuel 24:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 24

In this chapter an account is given of David's numbering of the people, 2Sa 24:1-9; of the sense he had of his sin, and of his acknowledgment of it; and of the Lord's displeasure at it, who sent the prophet Gad to him, to propose three things to him, one of which he was to choose as a punishment for it, 2Sa 24:10-13; when he chose the pestilence, which carried off a great number of the people, 2Sa 24:14-17; and David was directed to build an altar to the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite, with whom he agreed for it, and built one on it, and offered upon it, and so the plague was stayed, 2Sa 24:18-25.

Cross References

• 1. (Exodus 30:11–16; 1 Chronicles 21:1–6)

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX to Joab and the army commanders with him
• [b]. Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites
• [c]. Or to the south of Judah