2 Samuel 24 3

2 Samuel 24:3 kjv

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?

2 Samuel 24:3 nkjv

And Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?"

2 Samuel 24:3 niv

But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"

2 Samuel 24:3 esv

But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

2 Samuel 24:3 nlt

But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?"

2 Samuel 24 verses

2 Samuel 24 3 Meaning

In 2 Samuel 24:3, Joab, King David's general, responds to David's command to conduct a census of Israel and Judah. He protests David's instruction, expressing a desire for God to continue multiplying the people exponentially, so that David himself may witness this divine blessing. Joab directly questions David's underlying motive, asking why the king "delights in this thing," implying the census is not only unnecessary but also problematic or displeasing in God's sight.

2 Samuel 24 3 Context

The passage is set within a period of divine anger against Israel (2 Sam 24:1), though the specific cause for God's anger at Israel leading to David's census is not explicitly stated in 2 Samuel. Some scholars suggest it could be residual consequences from Saul's sin or the rebellions under David (Absalom, Sheba). In 2 Samuel 24:1, the Lord "incites" David to number Israel and Judah, while the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21:1 attributes the incitement to "Satan." This often discussed theological point highlights God's sovereign permission even over evil for His purposes, while still holding human beings accountable.

Against this backdrop, David issues a command to Joab and the army commanders to go throughout the tribes and count the people. 2 Samuel 24:3 records Joab's direct, unexpected challenge to David's authority on this particular command. Joab, normally pragmatic and a loyal—though at times brutal—military leader, recognizes a spiritual impropriety in David's desire for the census. His protest reveals a rare moment of spiritual discernment and ethical courage from Joab. David, however, disregards Joab's wise counsel, insisting on the census, which subsequently leads to divine judgment through a pestilence that kills seventy thousand people (2 Sam 24:15).

2 Samuel 24 3 Word analysis

• "But Joab replied to the king": Joab's response marks a pivotal moment. Despite his role as David's loyal and effective military commander, he uncharacteristically objects to the king's order. This objection is significant because Joab, though ruthless, possessed keen practical and strategic insight, sometimes aligning with divine principles even when David strayed.
• "May the Lord your God": Joab explicitly invokes Yahweh (יהוה - YHWH), the covenant God of Israel. This immediately frames his protest in a theological light, reminding David of the source of Israel's true strength and blessings. By saying "your God," Joab also personalizes the responsibility David holds before Him.
• "multiply (יָסַף - yasaph) the number of the people": The Hebrew verb yasaph means to add, increase, or do again. Joab wishes for continued, divinely bestowed growth, which God had already promised to Abraham and fulfilled for Israel. Joab's argument implicitly contrasts human accounting with divine multiplication. True strength comes from God's hand, not from mere numbers.
• "a hundredfold (מֵאָה פְּעָמִים - me'ah pe'amim)": This is a powerful expression of hyperbole, indicating an exceedingly great increase. It suggests an abundance far beyond anything David's census could ever capture or generate, emphasizing the surpassing generosity and capability of God's blessing. Joab desires for David to see God's overwhelming faithfulness firsthand, perhaps suggesting that David no longer trusted implicitly in it.
• "and may the eyes of my lord the king see it": Joab hopes David will witness this profound growth directly through God's power, without the need for an unreliable or faithless human inventory. It reflects a respectful plea, deferring to David while simultaneously critiquing his proposed action.
• "But why (לָמָּה - lammah) does my lord the king delight (חָפֵץ - khafetz) in this thing?": This rhetorical question goes to the heart of David's sin.
  • "why" (lammah): This probes the motive behind David's decision. It's a challenge to David's spiritual discernment and leadership.
  • "delight" (khafetz): This word denotes pleasure, desire, or purpose. It is a strong term often used in biblical texts to describe God's own "delight" in righteousness or specific actions. Here, Joab implies that David's pleasure or interest in conducting the census is misplaced. The core issue of David's census was likely pride, self-reliance on national strength rather than God, or a desire for glory derived from human achievement. His "delight" was in statistics, potentially signaling a lack of full trust in God's sufficiency.
  • "this thing" (הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה - ha-davar hazzeh): Refers to the census itself. Joab identifies the act as questionable, perhaps even intrinsically wrong or foolish in its execution and intent, perceiving the negative spiritual implications before David did.

2 Samuel 24 3 Bonus section

• Joab's unusual position as the one to offer spiritual caution highlights David's momentary spiritual blindness. This stands in stark contrast to other narratives where Joab exhibits cruelty or disobedience (e.g., the murder of Abner or Amasa). This suggests even pragmatists can recognize divine principles when kings fail to.
• The nature of David's sin is precisely pinpointed by Joab's query regarding "delight." David's motivation in the census, rather than the act of counting itself, was offensive to God. This underscores that God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7). The sin was a temptation to pride (counting one's military might) or an implicit trust in numbers rather than relying solely on God for future victory and prosperity.
• The consequence of David's sin (pestilence resulting in 70,000 deaths) reveals God's extreme displeasure with leadership that promotes self-reliance over divine trust. However, it also paves the way for the establishment of the threshing floor of Araunah as the site for the future Temple, indicating how God uses human failures to advance His ultimate redemptive purposes.

2 Samuel 24 3 Commentary

Joab's strong objection in 2 Samuel 24:3 stands out in the narrative, revealing a moment of profound spiritual insight from an unlikely figure. While David, "a man after God's own heart," falls prey to an impulse born of pride or distrust, Joab perceives the spiritual danger. His protest redirects David to God, the true source of Israel's strength and increase. Joab's counsel is rooted in a correct understanding of divine providence: God's blessings—including population growth—are not to be measured or trusted in by human efforts or prideful accounting but are to be received as ongoing, miraculous expressions of His faithfulness. The phrase "why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" exposes the census not just as a pragmatic exercise, but as an action stemming from a potentially errant heart motive on David's part, implying a dangerous reliance on human numbers instead of unwavering faith in God. This sets the stage for God's severe judgment, demonstrating the gravity of David's unrepentant insistence despite clear warning.