2 Samuel 24:2
in 2 Samuel 24So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.
KJV
For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 24
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
1Ch 21:2, supplies some missing words. This passage should run, as at 2Sa 24:4, “And the king said to Joab and to the princes of the host who were with him,” etc. (compare 1Ch 27:22). They were employed “with Joab” as his assistants in the numbering, exactly as in the previous numbering Num 1:4 when a prince was appointed from each tribe to be “with” Moses and Aaron.
This site's exposition
he moved David against them
on 2 Samuel 24:1-2
Two Scriptures name two different agents for the same act. Here the anger of the Lord was kindled and he moved David to number the people; 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to the census. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the adversary as the active mover while God's supporting grace was judicially withdrawn, and Matthew Henry says the same in his own words, that Satan tempted while God permitted. Both texts stand as written, and the readings are named rather than resolved.
This site's exposition
from Dan to Beersheba
Albert Barnes reads the order as given to Joab and the commanders together, as verse 4 shows, and compares Numbers 1:4, where a leader from each tribe helped Moses count. Matthew Henry reports a view that the census distrusted God's promise to Abraham of seed past counting. Dan to Beersheba spans the whole land.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
You say these were the disgraceful acts of a few men and what was not done by all could not injure all. Indeed, I have said above quite often that the crime of one man was the destruction of many among the people of God, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It was a needless trouble both to himself and to his people. (5.) Some think that it was an affront to the ancient promise which God made to Abraham, that his seed should be innumerable as the dust of the earth; it savoured of distrust of that promise, or a design to show that it was not fulfilled in the letter of it.
For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Satan was the active mover, while God only withdrew His supporting grace, and the great tempter prevailed against the king. The order was given to Joab, who, though not generally restrained by religious scruples, did not fail to present, in strong terms (see on 1Ch 21:3), the sin and danger of this measure.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Adonoy's anger was again kindled against Yisroel. I do not know what it was [they did].
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. 7 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
24 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 |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹאָ֣ב׀ | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַחַ֣יִל | hachayil | the army | H2428 → | 246 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּ֗וֹ | ʾito | [was] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| שֽׁוּט־ | shut- | go about | H7751 → | |
| נָ֞א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֤י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִדָּן֙ | midan | from Dan | H1835 → | 70 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| בְּאֵ֣ר | beer | Beer | H884 → | 68 times |
| שֶׁ֔בַע | sheva' | Sheba | H884 → | 68 times |
| וּפִקְד֖וּ | ufikdu | and enroll | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְיָ֣דַעְתִּ֔י | veyada'ti | and I will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִסְפַּ֥ר | mispar | [the] number of | H4557 → | 134 times |
| הָעָֽם׃ ס | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹאָ֣ב׀Joab
yoavH3097 →144 times
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
הַחַ֣יִלthe army
hachayilH2428 →246 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אִתּ֗וֹ[was] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
שֽׁוּט־go about
shut-H7751 →
נָ֞אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
שִׁבְטֵ֤י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִדָּן֙from Dan
midanH1835 →70 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
בְּאֵ֣רBeer
beerH884 →68 times
שֶׁ֔בַעSheba
sheva'H884 →68 times
וּפִקְד֖וּand enroll
ufikduH6485 →303 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְיָ֣דַעְתִּ֔יand I will know
veyada'tiH3045 →945 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
מִסְפַּ֥ר[the] number of
misparH4557 →134 times
הָעָֽם׃ סthe people
haamH5971 →1873 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
Jeremiah 17:5This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 118:8–9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Psalms 146:3–4
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
- Isaiah 2:22
Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
- 2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah…
- Isaiah 31:1–9
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy…
- Psalms 118:8–9
Through
2 Corinthians 12:7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
it leads to
- Numbers 33:55
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you…
- Judges 2:3
So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
- 2 Chronicles 32:25–26
But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
- Numbers 33:55
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- 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 Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Salvian the Presbyter, THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 7.19.