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2 Samuel 24:9

in 2 Samuel 24

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

KJV

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 24

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
1Ch 27:23 indicates sufficiently why the numbering was sinful. It is also stated in 1Ch 21:6, that Joab purposely omitted Levi and Benjamin from the reckoning. Eight hundred thousand ... five hundred thousand - In Chronicles the numbers are differently given. It is probable therefore that the Chronicler has included in his statement of the sum total some numbers which are not included here.

This site's exposition

They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer

on 2 Samuel 24:5-9

They return after “nine months and twenty days”, and Joab reports 800,000 men of valor in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. Albert Barnes notes that Chronicles gives other totals and says Joab left Levi and Benjamin out of the count.

This site's exposition

800,000 men of valor

Clarke sets these totals beside 1 Chronicles 21:5, which gives 1,100,000 for Israel and 470,000 for Judah, and holds that numbers suffered most in copying. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown count a frontier force of thirty thousand into Judah's figure here. Matthew Henry notes that David's conscience woke at the sum.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

While the thing was in doing, during all those nine months, we do not find that David was sensible of his sin, for had he been so he would have countermanded the orders he had given; but, when the account was finished and laid before him, that very night his conscience was awakened, and he felt the pain of it just then when he promised himself the pleasure of it.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

It must also be observed that, exclusive of the troops before mentioned, there was an army of observation on the frontiers of the Philistines' country, composed of thirty thousand men, as appears from 2Sa 6:1; which, it seems, were included in the number of five hundred thousand of the people of Judah by the author of Samuel.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

In Israel eight hundred thousand - the men of Judah were five hundred thousand - In the parallel place, 1Ch 21:5, the sums are widely different: in Israel one million one hundred thousand, in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand. Neither of these sums is too great, but they cannot be both correct; and which is the true number is difficult to say. The former seems the most likely; but more corruptions have taken place in the numbers of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other part of the sacred records. To attempt to reconcile them in every part is lost labor; better at once acknowledge what cannot be successfully denied, that although the original writers of the Old Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we are not told that the same influence descended on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely to prevent them from making mistakes. They might mistake, and they did mistake; but a careful collation of the different historical books serves to correct all essential errors of the scribes. See the Dissertations of Dr. Kennicott mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding chapter.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיִּתֵּ֥ןand he gave

    vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times

  • יוֹאָ֛בJoab

    yoavH3097 →144 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • מִסְפַּ֥ר[the] number of

    misparH4557 →134 times

  • מִפְקַד־[the] muster of

    mifkad-H4662 →

  • הָעָ֖םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • וַתְּהִ֣יand it was

    vatehiH1961 →3559 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֡לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • שְׁמֹנֶה֩eight

    shemonehH8083 →109 times

  • מֵא֨וֹתhundred<s>

    meotH3967 →581 times

  • אֶ֤לֶףthousand

    ʾelefH505 →505 times

  • אִֽישׁ־man of

    ʾish-H376 →1663 times

  • חַ֙יִל֙strength

    chayilH2428 →246 times

  • שֹׁ֣לֵֽף[who] drew

    sholefH8025 →

  • חֶ֔רֶבa sword

    cherevH2719 →413 times

  • וְאִ֣ישׁand [the] man of

    veishH376 →1663 times

  • יְהוּדָ֔הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • חֲמֵשׁ־[was] five

    chamesh-H2568 →343 times

  • מֵא֥וֹתhundred<s>

    meotH3967 →581 times

  • אֶ֖לֶףthousand

    ʾelefH505 →505 times

  • אִֽישׁ׃man

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Chronicles 21:5And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.7 works1 Chronicles 27:23–24David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.4 worksNumbers 1:44–46These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family.3 works1 Samuel 11:8And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.3 worksNumbers 1:26From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,3 worksNumbers 1:27those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.3 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 49:8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.2 worksNumbers 1:46And all those counted totaled 603,550.2 worksNumbers 1:3You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.2 worksJudges 20:2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.2 works

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Samuel

The Plague of Jerusalem — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Plague of Jerusalem — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 24 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 24 →