2 Samuel 24:1-14 – What’s Wrong With A Census?

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church of Manhattan KS, 12 Feb 2023

Omiteting greyed-out text should bring delivery time to about 40 minutes.

Introduction

vs.1-2 What Moved David To Number His People?

v.3 How Can Joab Talk A King Out Of An Obsession?

vs. 4-9 Joab Conducts The Military Draft

v. 10 David’s Conscience Troubles Him And He Confesses Sin

vs. 11-13 Prophet Gad Delivers God’s Multiple-Choice Chastisement

v.14 David Seeks God and His Mercy


APPENDIX: God’s Mercy Proclaimed by other Prophets

2 Samuel 24:1-14 Side-by side comparison of versionsA

Greek OT
Rahlfs Ed.

Brenton
(Vaticanus)

DRB
(Vulgate)

KJV

NAW
2Sam24

MT 2Sam24

NAW
1Chr21

MT
1Chr 21

1 Καὶ προσέθετο ὀργὴ κυρίου ἐκκαῆναι ἐν Ισραηλ, καὶ ἐπέσεισεν τὸν Δαυιδ ἐν αὐτοῖς λέγωνB Βάδιζε ἀρίθμησον τὸν Ισραηλ καὶ τὸν Ιουδα.

1 And the Lord caused his anger to burn forth again in Israel, and [SatanC] stirred up David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Juda.

1 And the anger of the Lord [was] again kindled against Israel, and stirred up David among them, saying: Go, number Israel and Juda.

1 And again the anger of the LORD [was] kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1 Now, the anger of Yahweh heated up again with Israel, and He incited David against them to say, “Go, conduct a draft of Israel and Judah.”

(א) וַיֹּסֶף אַף יְהוָה לַחֲרוֹתD בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּסֶת אֶת דָּוִד בָּהֶם לֵאמֹר לֵךְ מְנֵהE אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת יְהוּדָה.

1 Presently, Satan stood against Israel and incited David to conduct a draft of Israel.

(א) וַיַּעֲמֹד שָׂטָן X X עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּסֶת אֶת דָּוִיד X X X לִמְנוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל X X.

2 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ιωαβ ἄρχοντα τῆς ἰσχύος τὸν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ Δίελθε δὴ πάσας φυλὰς Ισραηλ ἀπὸ Δαν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεε καὶ ἐπίσκεψαι τὸν λαόν, καὶ γνώσομαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ λαοῦ.

2 And the king said to Joab commander of the host, who was with him, Go now through X all the tribes of Israel [and Juda], from Dan even to Bersabee, and number the people, and I will know the number of the people.

2 And the king said to Joab the general of his army X X: Go through X X all the tribes of Israel from Dan X to Bersabee, and number ye the people that I may know the number of them X.

2 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 Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

2 So the king said to Joab, the officer of the armed-forces, who was with him, “Please roam through­out all the tribes of Israel – from Dan all the way to Beersheba – and y’all make an account of the people so that I may know the number of the people.”

(ב) וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל יוֹאָב שַׂר הַחַיִל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ שׁוּט נָא בְּכָל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וּפִקְדוּF אֶת הָעָם וְיָדַעְתִּיG אֵת מִסְפַּר הָעָם.

2 So David said to Joab and to the officers of the people, “Y’all go, number Israel – from Beersheba all the way to Dan, then bring it to me so I can know their number.”

(ב) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל יוֹאָב וְאֶל שָׂרֵי הָעָם X לְכוּ סִפְרוּ אֶת X X יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וְעַד דָּן וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלַי X וְאֵדְעָה אֶת מִסְפָּרָם.

3 καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Καὶ προσθείη κύριος ὁ θεός σου πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ὥσπερ αὐτοὺς καὶ ὥσπερ αὐτοὺς ἑκατοντα­πλασίονα, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως ὁρῶντες· καὶ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἵνα τί βούλεται ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ;

3 And Joab said to the king, Now may the Lord X XH add to the people a hun­dred-fold as many X as they are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king desire this thing?

3 And Joab said to the king: XI The Lord thy God increase thy people, and [make them] as [many more as] they are [now], and again multiply them a hundredfold in the sightx of my lord the king X: but what meaneth my lord the king by this [kind of] thing?

3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hund­redfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

3 But Joab said to the king, “May Yahweh your God indeed add to the people as they are 100 times more than they are, and may the eyes of my master the king see it, but, why should my master the king be obsessed with this thing?”

(ג) וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיוֹסֵף יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָעָם כָּהֵם וְכָהֵם מֵאָה פְעָמִים וְעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ רֹאוֹת וַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה חָפֵץ בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה.

3 But Joab said, “May Yahweh cause to add unto His people as many as 100 times! Is not my master the king? All of them belong to my master as servants. Why should my master seek this? Why should it become guilt to Israel?”

(ג) וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב X X xיוֹסֵף יְהוָה X עַל עַמּוֹ כָּהֵם X מֵאָה פְעָמִים הֲלֹא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֻּלָּם לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים לָמָּה יְבַקֵּשׁ X זֹאת אֲדֹנִי לָמָּה יִהְיֶה לְאַשְׁמָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

4 καὶ ὑπερ­ίσχυσεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς Ιωαβ καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῆς δυνάμεως. καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ιωαβ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς ἰσχύος ἐνώπ­ιον τοῦ βασιλ­έως ἐπισκέψ­ασθαι τὸν λαὸν Ισραηλ.

4 Nevertheless the word of the king pre­vailed against Joab and X the captains of the host: And Joab and the captains of the host went out before the king to num­ber the people [of] Israel.

4 But the king's words prevailed over the words of Joab, and of the captains of the army: and Joab, and the captains of the soldiers went out from the presence of the king, to number the people [of] Israel.

4 Notwith­standing the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the cap­tains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people [of] Israel.

4 But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and over the officers of the army, so Joab went forth, along with the officers of the army, before the face of the king to make an account of the people Israel.

(ד) וַיֶּחֱזַק דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶלJ יוֹאָב וְעַל שָׂרֵי הֶחָיִל וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב וְשָׂרֵי הַחַיִל לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ Kלִפְקֹד אֶת הָעָם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

4 But the king’s word prevailed over Joab, so Joab went forth

(ד) וּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָזַק עַל יוֹאָב X X X וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב X X X X X X X X X

5 καὶ διέβησαν τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ παρενέβαλονL ἐν Αροηρ ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς φάραγγος Γαδ καὶ Ελιεζερ

5 And they went over Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right of the city which is in the midst of the valley of Gad and Eliezer.M

5 And when they had passed the Jordan, they came to Aroer to the right side of the city, which is in the vale of Gad.

6 And by Jazer

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

5 And when they had crossed the Jordan, they made a base by Aroer, to the right of the city which was in the middle of the valley of Gad, then at Jazer.

(ה) וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיַּחֲנוּN בַעֲרוֹעֵר יְמִין הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַנַּחַל הַגָּדO וְאֶל יַעְזֵר.



6 καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν Γαλα­αδ καὶ εἰς γῆν Θαβασων, [ἥ ἐστιν] Αδασαι, καὶ παρεγέν­οντο εἰς Δανι­δαν [καὶ Ουδαν] καὶ ἐκύκλω­σαν εἰς Σιδῶνα

6 And they came to Gala­ad, and into the land of Thaba­son, [which is] Ada­sai, and they came to Dani­dan [and Udan], and compas­sed XP Sidon.

X they passed into Galaad, and to the lower landQ of Hodsi, and they came into the wood­landsR of Dan. And going about by Sidon,

6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,

6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Takhtim­khodshi, then they came to Dan (as planned), then came around to Sidon,

(ו) וַיָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְעָדָה וְאֶל אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּיםS חָדְשִׁי וַיָּבֹאוּ דָּנָה יַּעַן וְסָבִיב אֶל צִידוֹן.



7 καὶ ἦλθαν εἰς Μαψαρ Τύρου καὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ευαίου καὶ τοῦ Χαναν­αίου καὶ ἦλθαν κατὰ νότον Ιουδα [εἰς] Βηρσαβεε

7 And they came to MapsarT of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Evite and the Chananite: and they came by the South of Juda [to] Bersabee.

7 They passed [near] the walls of Tyre, and all the landX of the Hevite, and the Chanaanite, and they came to the south of Juda [into] Bersabee:

7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and [to] all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaan­ites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

7 and came to the fortress of Tyre, then all the cities of the Hivvites and the Canaanites. Presently they came out through the Negev of Judah at Beersheba.

(ז) וַיָּבֹאוּ מִבְצַר צֹר וְכָל עָרֵי הַחִוִּי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל נֶגֶב יְהוּדָה בְּאֵר שָׁבַע.



8 καὶ περι­ώδευσαν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ καὶ παρεγένοντο ἀπὸ τέλους ἐννέα μηνῶν καὶ εἴκοσι ἡμερῶν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ.

8 And they compassed the whole land; and they arrived at Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

8 And having gone through the whole land, after X nine months and twenty days, X they came to Jerusalem.

8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

8 And when they had roamed through all the land, they arrived, after the end of nine months and twenty days, at Jerusalem.

(ח) וַיָּשֻׁטוּ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ וַיָּבֹאוּ מִקְצֵהU תִשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ִם.

And when he had travelled through all of Israel, he arrived at Jerusalem.

וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ
בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹא X
X X
X X
יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ִם.

9 καὶ ἔδωκεν Ιωαβ τὸν ἀριθ­μὸν τῆς ἐπι­σκέψεως τοῦ λαοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἐγένετο Ισραηλ ὀκτακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδ­ρῶν δυνάμεως σπωμένων ῥομφαίαν καὶ ἀνὴρ Ιουδα πεντακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδ­ρῶν [μαχητῶν].

9 And Joab gave in the number of the census of the people to the king: and Israel con­sisted of eight hundred thou­sand men of might that drew sword; and the men of Juda, five hun­dred thousand [fighting] men.

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king, and [there] were [found of] Israel eight hundred thou­sand valiant men that drew the sword: and X of Juda five hundred thousand [fighting] men.

9 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.

9 Then Joab gave the number of the accounting of the people to the king: that Israel had become 800,000 men of means to draw a sword, and the manpower of Judah was 500,000 men.

(ט) וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד הָעָם אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתְּהִיV יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ חַיִל שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ.

5 Then Joab gave the number of the account­ing of the people to David: that all Israel had be­come 1,100,000 men to draw the sword, and Judah 470,000 men to draw the sword.

6 But of Levi and Benjamin he did not make an accounting among them because the word of the king was abhorrent to Joab.

(ה) וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד הָעָם אֶל דָּוִיד וַיְהִי כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ X שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב וִXיהוּדָה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף חָרֶב.

(ו) וְלֵוִי וּבִנְיָמִן לֹא פָקַד בְּתוֹכָם כִּי נִתְעַב דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת יוֹאָב.

10 Καὶ ἐπάταξεν καρδία Δαυιδ αὐτὸν μετὰ τὸ ἀριθμῆ­σαιW τὸν λαόν, καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς κύριον Ἥμαρτον σφόδρα ὃ ἐποίησα·
νῦν, κύριε, παραβίβασον δὴ τὴν ἀνομίαν τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι ἐμωράνθην σφόδρα.

10 And the heart of David smote him after he had X num­bered the peo­ple; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned griev­ously, O Lord, in what I have now doneX:
remove, I pray [thee], the iniquity of thy servant, for I have been exceed­ingly foolish.

10 But David's heart struck him, after X the people were num­bered: and David said to the Lord: I have sinned very much in what I have done:
but
X I pray [thee], O Lord, to take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done exceeding foolishly.

10 And Dav­id's heart smote him after that he had X 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.

10 Then David’s conscience struck him after he had thus numbered the people, and David said to Yahweh, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done,
but now Yahweh, please pass over the iniquity of your servant, for I have been very foolish.”

(י) וַיַּךְ לֵב דָּוִד אֹתוֹ אַחֲרֵי כֵןY סָפַר אֶת הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל יְהוָה חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי
וְעַתָּה יְהוָה הַעֲבֶרZ נָא אֶת עֲו‍ֹן עַבְדְּךָ כִּי נִסְכַּלְתִּיAA מְאֹד
.

7 Concerning this word, it was also bad in the eyes of God, therefore He struck Israel.

8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in this thing which I have done,
but now please pass over the iniquity of your servant, for I have been very foolish.”

(ז) וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיַּךְX אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.(ח) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי
אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הַעֲבֶר נָא אֶת עֲווֹן עַבְדְּךָ כִּי נִסְכַּלְתִּי מְאֹד.

11 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ τὸ πρωί. καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς Γαδ τὸν προφήτην τὸν ὁρῶντα Δαυιδ λέγων

11 And David rose early in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, the seer XAB, saying,

11 And David arose in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet [and] the seer of David, saying:

11 For when David was up in the morn­ing, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

11 Later when David got up in the morning, the word of Yahweh had come to Gad the Prophet, David’s Seer, saying

(יא) וַיָּקָם דָּוִד בַּבֹּקֶר וּדְבַר יְהוָה הָיָה אֶל גָּד הַנָּבִיא חֹזֵה דָוִד לֵאמֹר.

9 Then Yahweh spoke to Gad, David’s Seer saying,

(ט) X
X X
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה X אֶל גָּד
X חֹזֵה
דָוִיד לֵאמֹר
.

12 Πορεύθητι καὶ λάλησον πρὸς Δαυιδ λέγων Τάδε λέγει κύριος Τρία ἐγώ εἰμι αἴρω ἐπὶ σέ, [καὶ] ἔκλεξαι σεαυτῷ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ ποιήσω σοι.

Go, and speak to David, saying,
12 Thus saith the Lord, I bring [one ofAC] three things upon thee: [now] choose thee one of them, and I will do it to thee.

12 Go, and say to David: Thus saith the Lord: I give X thee [thy choice of] three things, choose one of them which thou [wilt], that I may do it to thee.

12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer X thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

12 to go and say to David: “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Three things I am bringing to bear upon you. Choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.’”

(יב) הָלוֹךְ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶל דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שָׁלֹשׁ אָנֹכִי נוֹטֵלAD עָלֶיךָ בְּחַר לְךָ אַחַת מֵהֶם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה לָּךְ.

10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Three things I am laying out against you. Choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.”’”

(י) לֵךְ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶל דָּוִיד לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שָׁלוֹשׁ אֲנִי נֹטֶה עָלֶיךָ בְּחַר לְךָ אַחַת מֵהֵנָּהAE וְאֶעֱשֶׂה לָּךְ.

13 καὶ εἰσ­ῆλθεν Γαδ πρὸς Δαυιδ καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ [Ἔκλεξαι σεαυτῷ γενέσ­θαι,] εἰ ἔλθῃ σοι τρία ἔτη λιμὸς ἐν τῇ γῇ σου, ἢ τρεῖς μῆνας φεύγειν σε ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου καὶ ἔσον­ται διώκοντές σε, ἢ γενέσθαι τρεῖς ἡμέρας θάνατον ἐν τῇ γῇ σου· νῦν [οὖν] γνῶθι καὶ ἰδὲ τί ἀποκρι­θῶ τῷ ἀποσ­τείλαντί με ῥῆμα.

13 And Gad went in to David, and told him, and said to him, [Choose one of these things to befall thee,AF] whether there shall come upon thee for threeAG years famine in thy land; or that thou shouldest flee three months before thine enemies, and they should pursue thee; or that there should be for three days mortality in thy land. Now [then] decide, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

13 And when Gad was come to David, he told him, saying X X: Either seven years of famine shall come to thee in thy land: or thou shalt flee three months before thy adversaries, and they shall pursue thee: or for three days there shall be a pestilence in thy land. Now [therefore] deliberate, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

13 So Gad came to David and brought the response to him and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your country, or three months of you fleeing before your oppressor while he hunts you down, or shall it be three days of a plague in your country? {Therefore,} discern now, and perceive which thing I should bring back to the One who commissioned me.”

(יג) וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִד וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲתָבוֹא לְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים רָעָב בְּאַרְצֶךָ אִם שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים נֻסְךָ לִפְנֵי צָרֶיךָ וְהוּא רֹדְפֶךָ וְאִם הֱיוֹת שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים דֶּבֶר בְּאַרְצֶךָ AHעַתָּה דַּע וּרְאֵה מָה אָשִׁיב שֹׁלְחִי דָּבָר.

11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says Yah­weh, ‘Accept for yourself

12 either three years of famine, or three months of being swept away from the presence of your oppressors and overcome by the sword of your enemies, or three days of the sword of Yahweh and plague in the land that is, the messenger of Yahweh laying waste in every precinct of Israel.’ So now see, which thing shall I bring back to the one who commis­sioned me?”

(יא) וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה קַבֶּל לָךְ.

(יב) אִם שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים רָעָב X וְאִם שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים נִסְפֶּה מִפְּנֵי צָרֶיךָ וְחֶרֶב אוֹיְבֶךָ לְמַשֶּׂגֶת וְאִם X שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים חֶרֶב יְהוָה וְדֶבֶר בָּאָרֶץx וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה מַשְׁחִית בְּכָל גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַתָּה X רְאֵה מָה אָשִׁיב אֶת שֹׁלְחִי דָּבָר.

14 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Γαδ Στενά μοι [πάν­τοθεν] σφόδρα ἐστίν· ἐμπεσοῦ­μαι δὴ ἐν χειρὶ κυρίου, ὅτι πολ­λοὶ οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ αὐτοῦ [σφό­δρα], εἰς δὲ χεῖρ­ας ἀνθρώπου οὐ μὴ ἐμπέσω·[καὶ ἐξελέξατο ἑαυτῷ Δαυιδ τὸν θάνατον].

14 And David said to Gad, [On every side] I am much straitened: let me fall now into the hand[sAI] of the Lord, for his compassions are [veryAJ] many; and let me not fall into the hand[s] of manAK.

14 And David said to Gad: I am in a great strait: but it is better that I should fall into the hand[s] of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hand[s] of men.

14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

14 Then David said to Gad, “This is very distressing to me! Please let {me} fall into the control of Yahweh, for His mercies are great, and let me not fall in the direction of the control of man!”

(יד) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל גָּד צַר לִי מְאֹד ALנִפְּלָה נָּא בְיַד יְהוָה כִּי רַבִּים רַחֲמָוAM וּבְיַד אָדָם אַל אֶפֹּלָה.

13 Then David said to Gad, “This is very distressing to me! Please let me fall into the control of Yahweh, for His mercies are very great, and let me not fall into the control of man!”

(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל גָּד צַר לִי מְאֹד אֶפְּלָה נָּא בְיַד יְהוָה כִּי רַבִּים רַחֲמָיו מְאֹד וּבְיַד אָדָם אַל אֶפֹּלx.


1Although there was one incident where the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah for touching the ark in an unauthorized way – 2 Sam. 6:7. Keil & Delitzsch, Robert Jamieson, John Gill, and Goldman proposed, however, that the 3-year famine was the previous instance of God’s wrath. Kimchi and Abarbinel suggested other things.

2Andrew Willett agreed: “ it seemeth by the words of the text, that it was some generall sinne of the whole land”

3David Tsumura agreed: “The inf. Phrase le’mor here means ‘to say’ in a literal sense; it is not being used as a direct speech marker (‘saying’).” The imperative is addressed to a party who is singular and masculine.

4Willett agreed: “God is said to haue mooued Dauid, 1. in permitting and suffring Sathan to put it into Dauids heart, to number the people…” although his take on David’s sin was that this census was “a needelesse action, wherof there was no cause, but onely Dauids curiositie… not for that they were numbred without that leauie appointed by Moses... for Moses himselfe did not alwaies leauie that summe when he numbred the people, but... because this proceeded from pride and carnall confidence…”
So Matthew Henry: “This was the fault, that he had no orders from God to do it, nor was there any occasion for the doing of it…. Satan, as an enemy, suggested it for a sin... God, as righteous Judge, permitted it, with a design, from this sin of David, to take an occasion to punish Israel for other sins, for which he might justly have punished them without this.”
Keil & Delitzsch: “...presupposes guilt on the part of the nation; and as this is not expressly pointed out, we may seek for it generally in the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba… the numbering of the people could not be of any essential advantage to David's government…”
Robert Jamieson: “David acted not only independently of such order or sanction, but from... pride…”
John Gill: “the Lord left him to the corruption of his nature... which... moved him to say...”

51 Chron. 27:23 “But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.” (NKJV)

6cf. Josephus: “he forgot the commands of Moses, who told them that if the multitude were numbered, they should pay half a shekel to God for every head.”

7This word for “guilt” appears only four times in the Bible before 1 Chronicles, and all four times are in the book of Leviticus, twice regarding profaning holy things and twice regarding stealing and lying. This is where Joab got that word from: the holiness codes of Leviticus.

8My interpretation seems to be different from that of most commentators, so I am offering it tentatively. Keil & Delitzsch instead interpreted Joab’s reasoning in terms of the asham being “a trespass which must be atoned for [as opposed to a trespass] which one commits… ‘Why should Israel expiate thy sin, in seeking thy glory in the power and greatness of thy kingdom.’” Jamieson likewise attempted to divorce asham from the concept of guilt here by interpreting it as “an occasion of punishment,” reasoning that “In the course of Providence, the people frequently suffer for the misconduct of their rulers.” But I would urge caution against denying that asham comes upon the sinner for committing a sin. I am attempting to find another way to interpret this passage in which the people put to death were actually guilty, but David was in a position to exacerbate or bring grace to the situation. Matthew Henry seems to agree with me when he wrote, “Though it was David's sin that immediately opened the sluice, the sins of the people all contributed to the deluge.”

9Or, as Jamieson suggested (citing Davidson in support), by inclusion or avoidance of the 30k already mustered in 6:1.

10Including Andrew Willett (citing support from Borrhaius and Junius), Robert Jamieson, and John Gill.

11The only conjunctions of those two words in the Bible being:
Job 7:21 “Why do You not carry away my transgression or pass over my iniquity?”
Psalm 38:5 “For my iniquities have slipped over my head like a heavy burden; they have become too heavy for me.”
Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like You, carrying away iniquity and passing over transgression…”
Zech. 3:4 “...See, I have transferred from off of you your iniquity…” (NAW)

12Jamieson, Gill, Willett, and Junius attempted to reconcile the two numbers by suggesting that the three years of famine for the offense of Saul against the Gibeonites was part of a 7-year total, and since they were partway into year four, there would be 3 more years to go, but the scriptural account seems to indicate that after the 3-year drought, God was moved by prayer to end it.

132 Kings 8:1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the LORD has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years."

14Fleeing before enemies was a covenantal curse in Leviticus 26:37 & Deut. 28:25.

15In the Bible, however, the three day theme seems to be most-frequently associated with renewal/resurrection.

16Several commentators also suggested that David chose plague because his wealth and power might protect him from the effects of a famine or a war, but a plague could affect him the same as anyone else.

AMy original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. NAW is my translation. When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics or greyed-out text, I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular. I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scrolls containing 2 Samuel 24 are 4Q51 Samuela containing parts of verses 16-22 and dated between 50-25 BC. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX or Vulgate with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.
In the parallel MT Hebrew readings from 1 Chron. 21, I have colored orange the words which are spelled differently and colored grey the words which are not in the 2 Sam. text. In most cases, the orange words are synonyms for the words in the 2 Sam. text. It is clear that the differences between them are not the result of accidental copy errors, but rather are a result of a purposeful editing process. Tsumura commented that in almost every case the Psalms edition uses standardized Hebrew spelling with full spellings of long vowel consonants, so it was written to be read, whereas the 2 Samuel edition would sound practically the same but was written to be heard. The 2 Sam. text seems to be the earlier edition, and 1 Chron. the later edition.

BThe Hebrew is infinitive (“to say”), but the LXX verb is a participle (“saying”). While Hebrew infinitives are sometimes best translated into an English participle, in this case, the infinitive implies that Yahweh’s anger incited “David to say, ‘Go conduct a census,’” whereas changing the infinitive to a participle implies that Yahweh Himself commanded “David, saying, ‘Go conduct a census.’” The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles elaborates that this wasn’t a direct command from Yahweh, but rather an indirect influence which involved Satan.

CNeither the Vaticanus nor Rahlfs’ edition of the Septuagint mention “Satan.” This must have been an editorial insertion in Brenton’s English version based on the parallel passage in 1 Chron.

DThe only previous instances in the books of Samuel of Gods “anger” “burning” to which the “again” might refer are 2 Sam. 6:7 & 22:8.

Ecf. Genesis 13:16 "And I will make your [Abraham’s] descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.” (NKJV)
1 Kings 20:25 "and you shall muster [number] an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain…” (NKJV)

Fv. 4 as well as the parallel passage in 1 Chron. here explain the plural verb: David is talking not only to Joab but also to his army officers.

GSyriac reads “bring to me” (following the 1 Chron. parallel in part) instead of “that I may know.”

HLXX reads “your God” (along with the MT), but the Vaticanus reads “God,” and Brenton omitted even that.

ISyriac and Lucian Rescription support the Vulgate here in omitting the conjunction, but it doesn’t change the meaning.

JSyriac, Targums, and Greek Lucian Rescription read the synonym על along with 1 Chronicles.

KThe Syriac (מן), Latin (a), and Lucian Rescription (ek) read “from,” but the MT preposition is “before” – perhaps a “passing in review.”

LLucian Rescription instead reads erxanto apo arohr (came from Aroer”).

MThe MT puts a space between “el” (“toward”) and “iazer” (“Jazer”) so it reads “toward Jazer,” but it is easy to see how the whole prepositional phrase could be seen by the LXX as a proper name without the space. The Syriac reads as though the “el” were repeated “el eliazer.”

NInstead of the MT “camped,” the Lucian Rescription, Syriac, and Vulgate read “came.”

OThe cantillation markings at https://hb.openscriptures.org/structure/OshbVerse/index.html?b=2Sam&c=24&v=5 indicate that the phrase “to the right side of the city which is in the midst of the valley of Gad” all goes together with “Aroer.” (K&D also affirmed this.)

PVaticanus omits the preposition “into,” which is in the majority text of the LXX as well as in the MT, Vulgate, & Syriac.

QThe Hebrew Tattimhodschi means “lowlands of the moon.”

RThe Hebrew is ya’an (“purpose”) but the Vulgate translated it “forest” as though it were the Hebrew word ya’ar.

SESV may have followed the Syriac with “Hittites,” but it didn’t follow the rest of the Syriac, which reads hoschi as “Canaanites,” and “they went” as “Jebusites.” The Syriac mixes up phrases in this verse and the next with each other. Symmachus has τὴν κατωτέραν ὁδόν (“the low road”); Jonathan Targums לְחָדְשִׁי דָרֹומָא לְאַרְעָא (“into the southland Chodshi”).

TThis is just a transliteration of the Hebrew word instead of a translation of it.

UThis is one of only 10 temporal uses of this word (the others being Gen. 8:3; Deut. 14:28; Josh. 3:2; 9:16; 1 Ki. 9:10; 2 Ki. 8:3; 18:10; and Ezek. 3:16 & 39:14); all the rest are locative.

VThis verb is feminine and singular, so “800,000 men” cannot be the subject; Israel is the subject.

WLXX (including Vaticanus) makes this verb “number” an infinitive, but it is a regular Qal (active contra the Latin Vulgate) perfect verb in the MT, and Brenton’s English translation of the LXX reflects the MT rather than the LXX at this point.

XBrenton mixed up the order of the words in his English translation. The LXX (including Vaticanus) actually follows the word order of the MT, putting “O LORD” and “Now” after “I have sinned greatly in what I have done.”

Y“Thus” is not in the Syriac, LXX, or Vulgate (or in any standard English version), but it is in the Targums and the Lucian Rescription, and the word “this” (describing “thing”) might be correlated to it from the 1 Chron. parallel account.

Zcf. the same words used in David’s previous confession regarding Bathsheba and Uriah: 2 Samuel 12:13 So David said to Nathan, "I sinned against Yahweh!" Then Nathan said to David, "Yahweh Himself has also passed over your sin; you will not die. There are only four other places in the Bible where this verb AVR (“pass over”) is used in conjunction with the noun AVN (“iniquity”): Job 7:21; Ps. 38:5; Mic. 7:18; and Zech. 3:4.

AAThe Hebrew word translated “foolish” denotes making a faulty plan which exposes people to unnecessary risk, not the silliness of a jester. It is found in 6 other places in scripture, notably in Eli’s admonition to Saul for impatiently officiating sacrifices before the appointed time (1 Samuel 13:13), in Saul’s confession of wrongdoing to David in the wilderness of Ziph (1 Sam. 26:21), in Ahithophel’s siding with Absalom in his rebellion against David (2 Sam 15:31), and in Hananai the Seer’s admonition to King Asa for trusting in Syria instead of in God (2 Chron. 16:9). Other instances are Laban’s criticism of Jacob for his hasty departure (Gen. 31:28), and Isa. 44:25 (in the context of political counsel).

ABVaticanus omits “of David,” the Syriac omits “the Seer of David,” and 1 Chron. omits “the prophet,” but it is all in the majority LXX and Vulgate, as it is in the MT.

ACThese extra words are not in the LXX or Vaticanus; they are just Brenton editing for precise meaning in English.

ADRare word found only 3 other places: Isaiah 40:15 & 63:9, and Lam. 3:28, denoting “carry.” The 1 Chron. parallel changes the last letter to make it into a more-common verb denoting “extend.”

AE1 Chron. uses a feminine form of “them,” since the words “three” and “one” are feminine, but 2 Samuel uses the generic masculine form for “them.”

AFThese extra words are in the parallel passage in 1 Chron.

AGMT, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, Targums, and Josephuys all read “seven,” but the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles is “three.” A comparison of the two parallel accounts makes clear that more was said than either passage recorded, so there is no way to prove it wasn’t said both ways.

AH1 Chronicles adds a conjunction before this word, as do the LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac of the 2 Sam. edition.

AIThe Vaticanus reads plural here, while the majority LXX reads singular. In the next instance in this verse, the LXX and Vaticanus agree in the plural, but in both cases, the MT is singular.

AJLXX follows the reading of the 1 Chron. parallel here with the addition of the word “very.” It doesn’t make a practical difference in meaning beyond emphasis.

AKLXX adds “Thus David chose for himself death.”

ALLXX, Syriac, and Vulgate all read “let me fall” instead of the MT “let us fall.” The MT in 1 Chron. is also “let me fall.” It doesn’t make a practical difference in meaning, though.

AMQere adds a yod before the end to make the plural more obvious רַחֲמָיו, which is also the way it is spelled in the parallel passage in 1 Chron., but the meaning is the same either way.

6