1 Chronicles 21 2

1 Chronicles 21:2 kjv

And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

1 Chronicles 21:2 nkjv

So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it."

1 Chronicles 21:2 niv

So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."

1 Chronicles 21:2 esv

So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number."

1 Chronicles 21:2 nlt

So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Take a census of all the people of Israel ? from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north ? and bring me a report so I may know how many there are."

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 2 Meaning

David, as king of Israel, issues a direct command to his chief military officer, Joab, and the other army commanders. He instructs them to conduct a nationwide census, counting all eligible men in Israel from the southernmost point (Beersheba) to the northernmost point (Dan). David's stated motivation for this order is to obtain precise knowledge of the number of his people, indicating a desire to assess his military strength or potential resources. This command sets in motion a controversial event that incurs divine judgment.

1 Chronicles 21 2 Context

1 Chronicles chapter 21 immediately follows a period of significant military success and the consolidation of David's kingdom. David has been established on the throne, the ark of the covenant has been brought to Jerusalem, and God has given David rest from his enemies (1 Chr 18-20). The preceding chapters emphasize God's blessing on David and Israel.

Verse 2 directly follows verse 1, which states, "Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel." This establishes the immediate origin of David's command as stemming from temptation. While a census was not inherently wrong (God commanded some censuses in Exodus and Numbers for legitimate purposes like military readiness or land distribution), the issue here lies in the king's motivation and the absence of divine authorization. David's desire "to know their number" points to an impulse of self-reliance, perhaps pride in his accumulated strength, rather than humble dependence on the God who had granted him all his victories and made unconditional covenant promises (1 Chr 17). This census implicitly shifts reliance from God's power and faithfulness to human might and statistical strength. The historical context of kings boasting in their numbers adds to this potential interpretation, making it a form of vainglory.

1 Chronicles 21 2 Word analysis

• David (דָּוִיד - Dāwîḏ): The king of Israel. As the leader, his word carries immense authority and directly influences the nation. His actions here reflect a personal failing despite his otherwise exemplary devotion in other areas.
• said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyōʾmer): An emphatic form, literally "and he said." It marks David's initiative and decisive issuance of the command, setting the sinful chain of events into motion.
• Joab (יוֹאָב - Yôʾāb): David's commander of the army and nephew. Joab is presented as a capable but often ruthless military leader who, surprisingly, perceives the wrongness of David's command even before David himself does (as shown in subsequent verses, 1 Chr 21:3-6), highlighting the severity of the order.
• commanders of the army (שָׂרֵי הָעָם - śārê hāʿām): Literally, "princes of the people" or "officers of the nation." This specifies that David's instruction was directed at his top military leadership, confirming the purpose of the census was likely for military assessment, enlistment, or taxation, activities commonly associated with a census.
• Go (לְכוּ - ləḵû): An imperative verb, "Go ye!" It's a direct, forceful instruction for immediate action.
• number (סִפְרוּ - sifrû): From the verb סָפַר (sāphar), meaning "to count," "to enumerate," or "to number." The act of counting itself wasn't necessarily sinful (as seen in Exodus and Numbers), but its context and motive made it so here.
• Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yiśrāʾēl): Refers to the entire nation, not just a portion. This underscores the comprehensive nature of the census and the extensive scope of David's authority, or rather, his desire to ascertain the extent of his dominion and strength.
• from Beersheba even to Dan (מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וְעַד-דָּן - mibBəʾēr Ševaʿ wəʿaḏ-Dān): This is a well-established geographical idiom representing the full territorial extent of Israel from south to north. It signifies a comprehensive census of every household capable of supplying a man for military service, demonstrating David's intent to gather total numbers from all his domains.
• bring me word (וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלַי מִסְפָּר - wəhāḇîʾû ʾēlạy mišpār): Literally, "and bring to me a number." David desires the tangible results of the count.
• that I may know their number (וְאֵדְעָה אֶת-מִסְפָּרָם - wəʾēdʿâ ʾeṯ-mišpārām): This states David's explicit reason. The verb "know" (יָדַע - yādaʿ) here implies more than mere acquaintance; it suggests an desire for factual, strategic knowledge and personal possession of this information. This act of knowing the exact numbers became an act of reliance on human strength and a potential move of pride, moving away from simple trust in God's miraculous provision and covenant faithfulness.

1 Chronicles 21 2 Bonus section

The most significant aspect related to 1 Chronicles 21:2 (and implicitly contained within it, coming directly from verse 1) is the Chronicler's specific theological framing of why the census occurred. While 2 Samuel 24:1 attributes the incitement to "the anger of the LORD," 1 Chronicles 21:1 unequivocally states that "Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel." This difference is crucial for understanding the Chronicler's perspective. It clarifies that God does not tempt individuals to sin but rather that external malevolent forces (like Satan) are involved, respecting God's holy character. While God's permissive will may allow such temptation as a form of judgment for Israel's (unspecified) past sins (as in 2 Sam), David's direct command in verse 2 remains his own choice and responsibility in succumbing to this temptation. This distinction emphasizes human culpability while protecting divine purity from being associated with originating evil. The "knowing their number" represents the expression of this Satan-incited pride or fear, marking David's failure of faith in Yahweh.

1 Chronicles 21 2 Commentary

1 Chronicles 21:2 records David's fateful command to conduct a national census. This verse, though outwardly a simple administrative order, holds profound theological weight due to its context within chapter 21 and the parallel in 2 Samuel 24. David's instruction to "number Israel" from one end of the kingdom to the other reveals his intent to gain a precise count of his potential military strength or national resources.

The sin of this census is not in the act of counting itself, as censuses were sometimes commanded by God (Ex 30; Num 1, 26). Rather, the sin lies in David's motivation and the underlying lack of trust in God. The Chronicler explicitly states in verse 1 that "Satan incited David to number Israel." This divine authorial insight reveals that David's desire "to know their number" sprang from pride, a spirit of self-reliance, and a misguided trust in human strength and statistics over the boundless power and faithfulness of Yahweh, who had promised David a great kingdom and secure reign. Such a census, untethered from divine command and undertaken for a king's own glory or anxiety-driven security, undermined the covenant relationship and implied a forgotten lesson that victory came from God alone (e.g., Gideon's reduced army, Jdg 7:2).

The order given to Joab and the army commanders indicates the census's military implications. However, the subsequent judgment reveals that this military strength, amassed for human pride, provoked divine displeasure, serving as a solemn reminder that a true king of Israel ought to rely wholly on God, not the strength of his own army (Ps 20:7). This event serves as a warning against the temptation to trust in worldly metrics and power over spiritual dependence on God.