1 Chronicles 21:2
in 1 Chronicles 21So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.
KJV
And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer–sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 21
Commentary
2 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Satan rose up against Israel
on 1 Chronicles 21:1-2
Chronicles says Satan “rose up against Israel and incited David”, where 2 Samuel 24:1 says the anger of the LORD burned against Israel. This is the first occurrence of Satan as a proper name in the canon's order. David sends Joab to count the tribes “from Beersheba to Dan”.
This site's exposition
from Beersheba to Dan
David gives the order to Joab and the army commanders. Beersheba in the south and Dan in the north mark the land from end to end, so the order covers every tribe. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, on verse 6, allow that the count may have been made to raise taxes.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Now Satan arose upon Israel Although this chapter is not complimentary to David, it was written here because it says at the end of the chapter that he built an altar and the Lord answered him from heaven. This is complimentary to David.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֤יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹאָב֙ | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לְכ֗וּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| סִפְרוּ֙ | sifru | count | H5608 → | 159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִבְּאֵ֥ר | mibeer | from Beer | H884 → | 68 times |
| שֶׁ֖בַע | sheva' | Sheba | H884 → | 68 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| דָּ֑ן | dan | Dan | H1835 → | 70 times |
| וְהָבִ֣יאוּ | vehaviu | and bring [it] | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְאֵדְעָ֖ה | veedeah | so let me know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִסְפָּרָֽם׃ | misparam | number their | H4557 → | 134 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֤ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹאָב֙Joab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] leaders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לְכ֗וּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
סִפְרוּ֙count
sifruH5608 →159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִבְּאֵ֥רfrom Beer
mibeerH884 →68 times
שֶׁ֖בַעSheba
sheva'H884 →68 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
דָּ֑ןDan
danH1835 →70 times
וְהָבִ֣יאוּand bring [it]
vehaviuH935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
וְאֵדְעָ֖הso let me know
veedeahH3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִסְפָּרָֽם׃number their
misparamH4557 →134 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 3:20So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
it leads to
- Judges 20:1
Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 3:10
to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
- 1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.
- Judges 20:1
Through
1 Kings 4:25Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
it leads to
- Micah 4:4
And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.
- Zechariah 3:10
On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, you will each invite your neighbor to sit under your own vine and fig tree.’”
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Jeremiah 33:15–16
In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout for David a righteous Branch, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- 2 Kings 18:31
Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine…
- Micah 4:4
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Chronicles

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PlaceThe NegevBeershebaThe well of the oath at the south of the land, where Abraham made his covenant with Abimelech and planted a tamarisk, where Isaac…
- PlaceNorthern border, at the foot of HermonDanThe northern limit of the land, where the tribe of Dan settled after taking Laish and where Jeroboam set up one of his two golden…
This page draws on Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
