2 Samuel 24:4 kjv
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.
2 Samuel 24:4 nkjv
Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:4 niv
The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:4 esv
But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:4 nlt
But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Chr 21:1 | Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. | Parallel account: incitement to the census. |
| 1 Chr 21:6 | But Levi and Benjamin he did not count among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. | Joab's deep moral/spiritual aversion. |
| 2 Sam 24:10 | But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done.” | David's post-census confession of sin. |
| 2 Sam 24:13-15 | So Gad came to David... there will come three days of pestilence in your land... | Consequences: God's severe judgment. |
| Exod 30:12 | When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life... | Legal provision for census with atonement. |
| Num 1:2-3 | Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel... every male head by head. | God-commanded census, specific purpose. |
| Deut 17:16-17 | The king must not acquire many horses... nor shall he acquire much silver and gold. | Kingly restraint: trusting God over military/wealth. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Principle of pride leading to downfall. |
| Ps 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. | Trust in God over human might. |
| Jer 17:5 | Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man..." | Cursing of reliance on human strength. |
| 1 Sam 8:11-18 | These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you... | Warning against oppressive, self-serving kingship. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption as iniquity and idolatry. | Rebellious disobedience is grave sin. |
| Ps 33:16-17 | The king is not saved by his great army... The war horse is a false hope for salvation. | Human military power is ineffective. |
| Ps 106:15 | He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. | God granting desires, but with consequence. |
| Hos 1:10 | The number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea... | God's blessing of innumerable descendants. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Universal truth: sin leads to death/judgment. |
| Heb 12:6 | For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. | Divine discipline as evidence of love. |
| 2 Sam 11 | David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. | Previous example of David's moral failing. |
| 2 Sam 18:9-15 | Joab kills Absalom against David's command. | Joab's complex obedience and ruthless pragmatism. |
| 1 Kgs 2:5-6 | David’s dying charge to Solomon concerning Joab. | Joab's contentious nature till the end. |
| Judg 7:2 | The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand..." | God preferring small numbers for victory. |
2 Samuel 24 verses
2 Samuel 24 4 Meaning
Second Samuel 24:4 conveys that King David's personal command for a census was unyielding, overriding the strong opposition from Joab, his chief general, and the other military commanders. Consequently, despite their misgivings, Joab and the army leaders complied with the royal decree and departed to initiate the counting of the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24 4 Context
This verse is situated in the latter part of David's reign, a period marked by both divine favor and significant personal and national turmoil, including David's affair with Bathsheba, Absalom's rebellion, and widespread famine. Chapter 24 serves as a theological conclusion to 2 Samuel, recounting an inexplicable act of sin—David's census—and its severe consequences, illustrating divine justice and the establishment of the future temple site through atonement. The census, which Joab and the commanders found "abominable" (1 Chr 21:6), deviates from instances where censuses were divinely commanded (e.g., Num 1) and hints at David's pride, his trust in sheer numbers, or a desire for expanded conscription/taxation, rather than sole reliance on God for national security. It immediately precedes a devastating plague that killed 70,000 Israelites.
2 Samuel 24 4 Word analysis
- וַיֶּחֱזַק (vayyechezaq): "And it prevailed/was strong." This is a Qal imperfect consecutive form of the verb חזק (ḥazaq), meaning "to be strong, seize, strengthen." It emphasizes David's unyielding resolve and determination, indicating his command overpowered or surmounted the initial resistance. It signifies the absolute authority he exercised as king in this instance.
- דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ (d'var hammelech): "The word of the king." דבר (davar) means "word," "matter," or "command." Coupled with המלך (hammelech), "the king," it highlights that this was an authoritative decree, not a suggestion. It signifies the power inherent in the monarch's command.
- אֶל־יוֹאָב וְאֶל־שָׂרֵי הַחַיִל (ʾel-yoʾav wəʾel-sarê hachayil): "Against Joab and against the commanders of the army." Joab, David's loyal but often brutal general, along with the high-ranking officers, represented the kingdom's military elite. Their unanimous opposition signals the grave nature of David's command, as even pragmatic men of war questioned its wisdom or spiritual implications. It underscores David's insistence despite deep-seated objections from those closest to him and most experienced in such matters.
- וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב וְשָׂרֵי הַחַיִל מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ: "So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king." This phrase describes their immediate, though likely reluctant, compliance. "From the presence of the king" (מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ) is an idiom signifying departing from the royal court or direct audience. Their going out signals the execution of the order and the unfolding of the events that follow.
- לִפְקֹד אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל: "To number Israel." The verb לִפְקֹד (liphqoḏ) comes from פקד (paqad), meaning "to visit, inspect, count, or muster." In this context, it refers specifically to taking a military census. This was the precise action Joab had warned against. The motivation behind this census, likely human pride and self-reliance rather than divine command, made it an act of disobedience against God, contrasting with legitimate, divinely ordained censuses (e.g., in Numbers).
2 Samuel 24 4 Bonus section
Joab's strong opposition (also detailed in 1 Chr 21:6, where it states "the king's word was abominable to Joab") offers a rare instance of this loyal but often ruthless general acting on principles rather than immediate strategic gain or pure obedience. It highlights the deeply problematic nature of David's command even to a hardened military man. The tension within the narrative's opening (2 Sam 24:1 stating God incited David, while 1 Chr 21:1 attributes it to Satan) further emphasizes that while an external force or even God's permissive will may set the stage, the ultimate choice and moral culpability rest with David, whose unyielding pride, despite internal and external counsel, leads to a devastating outcome for his people. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that even great leaders can fall into folly, and the ultimate measure of true strength is not in numbers but in unwavering trust in God.
2 Samuel 24 4 Commentary
Second Samuel 24:4 depicts a crucial turning point, revealing King David's decisive yet ultimately flawed leadership. His "word prevailed," signifying an unwavering personal decree that trumped the collective wisdom and opposition of his most trusted military leaders, Joab and the army commanders. Their resistance was significant, indicative of an awareness—whether moral, spiritual, or pragmatic—that this census was dangerous or improper. By yielding to David's absolute authority, they became agents in the initiation of an act that God later punished severely. This verse starkly contrasts a king's unbridled will against the need for spiritual discernment and sets the stage for God's impending judgment upon Israel as a consequence of this self-reliant decision.