1 Chronicles 27:23

23 But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said he would increase Yisra'el like the stars of the sky.

1 Chronicles 27:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 27:23

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old
and under
Only those that were twenty years and upwards; but, according to Cornelius Bertram ^F11, he numbered them that were under twenty, though but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age, provided they were of robust bodies, and of a tall stature, and able to bear arms; which he takes to be the sin of David, in numbering the people, being contrary to the law of God; yet though he had ordered them to be numbered, and they were, yet he would not take them and put them into the account of his chronicles, as in the next verse, that his sin might not be known, see ( 2 Samuel 24:9 )

because the Lord had said, he would increase Israel like to the stars
in the heavens;
which are not to be numbered, and therefore David sinned in attempting to number the people.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Lucubrat. Franktall, c. 2.

1 Chronicles 27:23 In-Context

21 of the half -[tribe] of Menashsheh in Gil`ad, `Iddo the son of Zekharyah: of Binyamin, Ya`asi'el the son of Aviner:

22 of Dan, `Azar'el the son of Yerocham. These were the captains of the tribes of Yisra'el.

23 But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said he would increase Yisra'el like the stars of the sky.

24 Yo'av the son of Tzeru'yah began to number, but didn't finish; and there came wrath for this on Yisra'el; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.

25 Over the king's treasures was `Azmavet the son of `Adi'el: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Yonatan the son of `Uzziyah: