1 Chronicles 21 6

1 Chronicles 21:6 kjv

But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

1 Chronicles 21:6 nkjv

But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

1 Chronicles 21:6 niv

But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him.

1 Chronicles 21:6 esv

But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab.

1 Chronicles 21:6 nlt

But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 6 Meaning

First Chronicles 21:6 states that Joab, King David’s military commander, deliberately did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin when conducting the census. This omission was due to Joab's profound conviction that the king's command to number the people was detestable and deeply offensive, implying he recognized it as sinful in the eyes of God.

1 Chronicles 21 6 Context

1 Chronicles 21 opens with David, prompted by Satan, deciding to conduct a census of Israel and Judah. This act, unlike earlier censuses commanded by God (e.g., in Numbers), appears motivated by David's pride or a desire to rely on military strength rather than fully on God. Joab, David's experienced military commander, vehemently objected, recognizing the sinfulness and potential negative consequences of such a count, as expressed in 1 Chr 21:3. However, under David's firm command, Joab reluctantly proceeded.

Verse 6 specifically highlights Joab's partial resistance. Despite having to carry out the census, he consciously excluded two tribes: Levi and Benjamin. The historical context includes previous divine mandates for censuses (like in Exodus and Numbers) where the Levites were consistently exempted due to their dedicated priestly and tabernacle service. David's census deviated from established divine practice by its likely motivation and possibly the lack of a required atonement money, making it an offense in God's sight. The immediate consequence of this census, as seen in subsequent verses, was a devastating plague upon Israel, prompting David's repentance and leading to the site for the future temple.

1 Chronicles 21 6 Word Analysis

• "But" (אֲבָל, aval): A strong adversative conjunction, signifying a deliberate contrast and exception to the overall action previously described. It marks Joab's partial resistance.

• "Levi" (לֵוִי, Levi): This tribe was divinely consecrated for sacred duties relating to the tabernacle and later the temple, and therefore explicitly exempted from military counts by Mosaic Law (Num 1:47-49; Num 26:62). Their exclusion was a normative, God-ordained distinction, likely familiar to Joab.

• "and Benjamin" (וּבִנְיָמִן, u-vinyamin): The exclusion of Benjamin is unique to the Chronicler's account and not mentioned in the parallel passage in 2 Samuel 24. Scholars propose various reasons: Benjamin was one of the smallest tribes, particularly after the near annihilation in the civil war of Judges 20, making their military contribution less significant. Alternatively, Joab's decision could reflect his further partial resistance, choosing to omit a smaller tribe as an extension of his objection to David's census, sparing them from being counted in what he considered an "abominable" act.

• "he did not count" (לֹא מָנָה, lo manah): This indicates a deliberate act of omission, a conscious refusal to fully comply with the king's command. It suggests Joab's conscience prevented complete participation in what he perceived as wrong.

• "among them" (בְתוֹכָם, b'tocham): This refers to the other tribes of Israel that were counted for military purposes, highlighting that Levi and Benjamin stood apart from the numbered population.

• "for" (כִּי, ki): A causal conjunction, explicitly providing the reason or justification for Joab's selective execution of David's order.

• "the king’s word" (דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, devar ha-melekh): This phrase points directly to David's specific command for the census, identifying the immediate source of the act that Joab found so objectionable.

• "was abominable" (הִתְאָבָה, hit'avah): Derived from the Hebrew root תָּעַב (ta'av), meaning to abhor or detest. The Hithpael stem signifies an intensive, internal, or reflexive sense, suggesting that the command itself was profoundly disgusting or loathsome to Joab, morally offensive to his perception of what was right before God. It implies a deep moral revulsion.

• "to Joab" (לְיוֹאָב, l'Yo'av): Explicitly names Joab, David's army commander, as the one who held this strong moral aversion. This highlights his spiritual discernment, despite his often ruthless nature.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "But Levi and Benjamin he did not count among them": This segment clearly identifies the two exempted tribes and states Joab's direct non-compliance regarding them. It signifies a significant boundary Joab set to his obedience, recognizing certain limitations or exceptions even to the king's word.
  • "for the king’s word was abominable to Joab": This phrase directly articulates the profound moral and spiritual reason for Joab's actions. It indicates that his omission was not arbitrary, but driven by a strong, internal conviction that David's command was a detestable offense against divine principles.

1 Chronicles 21 6 Bonus section

• The chronicler's specific mention of Benjamin's exclusion, absent from 2 Samuel 24, might serve to underscore a greater detail of God's restraining hand on the census or Joab's more pronounced opposition than recorded elsewhere, possibly to emphasize God's mitigating grace even in judgment.
• Joab's partial disobedience, while perhaps driven by a mixed conscience or practical considerations, foreshadows the New Testament principle that obeying God takes precedence over human authority, particularly when commands are unrighteous (Acts 5:29).
• The profound term "abominable" (הִתְאָבָה) signifies more than mere distaste; it implies that Joab recognized the census as actively displeasing God and incurring divine wrath, showcasing his (albeit limited) spiritual discernment regarding the holiness of God and the nature of sin.

1 Chronicles 21 6 Commentary

First Chronicles 21:6 provides a crucial detail regarding David's census and Joab's reluctant execution of it. Joab's omission of Levi was entirely consistent with long-established Mosaic law, which separated this tribe for sacred duties and excluded them from military counts. This decision highlights Joab's knowledge and, to an extent, his adherence to God's directives. The inclusion of Benjamin's exclusion, uniquely found in the Chronicler's account, amplifies Joab's discomfort with David's census. It indicates either a broader attempt by Joab to limit the scope of what he considered a sin, or it signifies divine grace preserving a portion of the tribes from the full impact of David's sin, even through a partial disobedience of his flawed commander. The strong term "abominable" emphasizes that Joab understood David's motivation for the census (likely pride or misplaced trust) as gravely offensive to God. This moral aversion, despite his characteristic ruthlessness, marks a moment of ethical clarity in Joab, demonstrating that even those immersed in worldly affairs can possess a conscience responsive to divine principles. It implicitly argues against blind obedience to human authority when it contradicts God's will.