2 Samuel 24:10
in 2 Samuel 24After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, O Jehovah, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
KJV
And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 24
Commentary
5 notes on this verseDavid said - I have sinned greatly - We know not exactly in what this sin consisted. I have already hinted, 2Sa 24:1, that probably David now began to covet an extension of empire, and purposed to unite some of the neighboring states with his own; and having, through the suggestions of Satan or some other adversary, (for so the word implies), given way to this covetous disposition, he could not well look to God for help, and therefore wished to know whether the thousands of Israel and Judah might be deemed equal to the conquests which he meditated.
This site's exposition
David’s heart smote him
The confession comes only after the tally is complete and laid before him, not during the nine months the counting took. David's own words name the census foolish and the guilt his own, I have sinned greatly, take away the iniquity of thy servant. Matthew Henry observes that conscience often wakes only after the pleasure a sin promised has already been collected in full.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book 25.35 · Written before 604.
proposed
The characters, then, of rulers are so assigned according to the deserts of their subjects, that frequently they who seem to be good are soon changed by the acceptance of power. As holy Scripture observed of the same Saul that he changed his heart with his dignity. Whence it is written, "When thou wast little in thine own eyes, I made thee the head among the tribes of Israel."
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And David's heart smote him, after that had numbered the people,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned--The act of numbering the people was not in itself sinful; for Moses did it by the express authority of God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:21w-of-42
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֤ךְ | vaiyakh | and it struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| לֵב־ | lev- | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחֲרֵי־ | ʾacharei- | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| כֵ֖ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| סָפַ֣ר | safar | he had counted | H5608 → | 159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֑ם ס | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| חָטָ֤אתִי | chatati | I have sinned | H2398 → | 238 times |
| מְאֹד֙ | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֔יתִי | ʾasiti | I have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְעַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הַֽעֲבֶר־ | haaver- | take away | H5674 → | 556 times |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲוֹ֣ן | ʾavon | [the] iniquity of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֔ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי | niskalti | I have acted foolishly | H5528 → | |
| מְאֹֽד׃ | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
וַיַּ֤ךְand it struck
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
לֵב־[the] heart of
lev-H3820 →595 times
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
אֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אַחֲרֵי־after
ʾacharei-H310 →715 times
כֵ֖ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
סָפַ֣רhe had counted
safarH5608 →159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֑ם סthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
חָטָ֤אתִיI have sinned
chatatiH2398 →238 times
מְאֹד֙exceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר[that] which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֔יתִיI have done
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
וְעַתָּ֣הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
יְהוָ֔הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הַֽעֲבֶר־take away
haaver-H5674 →556 times
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲוֹ֣ן[the] iniquity of
ʾavonH5771 →233 times
עַבְדְּךָ֔servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּיI have acted foolishly
niskaltiH5528 →
מְאֹֽד׃exceedingly
meodH3966 →300 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
2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- 1 Peter 3:12
Through
Proverbs 28:13He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
it leads to
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Psalms 32:3–5
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
- Job 31:33
if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
- 1 John 1:8–10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 25.35; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.