1 Chronicles 21 · Verse 1

1 Chronicles 21:1

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:1, King James Version

1 Chronicles 21:1 in other translations

BSBThen Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
WEBSatan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.
ASVAnd Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
YLTAnd there standeth up an adversary against Israel, and persuadeth David to number Israel,
DARBYAnd Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
BBENow Satan, designing evil against Israel, put into David's mind the impulse to take the number of Israel.
WebsterAnd Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.

What does 1 Chronicles 21:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
1Ch 21:1-13. David Sins in Numbering the People. 1. Satan stood up against Israel--God, by withdrawing His grace at this time from David (see on 2Sa 24:1), permitted the tempter to prevail over him. As the result of this successful temptation was the entail of a heavy calamity as a punishment from God upon the people, it might be said that "Satan stood up against Israel." number Israel--In the act of taking the census of a people, there is not only no evil, but much utility. But numbering Israel--that people who were to become as the stars for multitude, implying a distrust of the divine promise, was a sin; and though it had been done with impunity in the time of Moses, at that enumeration each of the people had contributed "half a shekel towards the building of the tabernacle," that there might be no plague among them when he numbered them (Ex 30:12). Hence the numbering of that people was in itself regarded as an undertaking by which the anger of God could be easily aroused; but when the arrangements were made by Moses for the taking of the census, God was not angry because the people were numbered for the express purpose of the tax for the sanctuary, and the money which was thus collected ("the atonement money," Ex 30:16) appeased Him. Everything depended, therefore, upon the design of the census [Bertheau]. The sin of David numbering the people consisted in its being either to gratify his pride to ascertain the number of warriors he could muster for some meditated plan of conquest; or, perhaps, more likely still, to institute a regular and permanent system of taxation, which he deemed necessary to provide an adequate establishment for the monarchy, but which was regarded as a tyrannical and oppressive exaction--an innovation on the liberty of the people--a departure from ancient usage unbecoming a king of Israel.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

David is tempted by Satan to take the numbers of the people of Israel and Judah, 1Chr 21:1, 1Chr 21:2. Joab remonstrates, but the king is determined, and Joab pleads in vain, 1Chr 21:3, 1Chr 21:4. He returns, and delivers in the number to the king, but reckons not Levi and Benjamin, 1Chr 21:5. The Lord is displeased, and sends Gad to offer David his choice of three great national calamities; famine, war, or pestilence, 1Chr 21:6-12. David submits himself to God, and a pestilence is sent, which destroys seventy thousand, 1Chr 21:13, 1Chr 21:14. At David's intercession the destroying angel is restrained at the threshing-floor of Ornan, 1Chr 21:15-17. He buys the piece of ground, builds an altar to the Lord and offers sacrifices, and the plague is stayed, 1Chr 21:18-30. Verse 1 And Satan stood up against Israel - See the notes on the parallel place, 2Sam 24:1 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
David's numbering the people. --No mention is made in this book of David's sin in the matter of Uriah, neither of the troubles that followed it: they had no needful connexion with the subjects here noted. But David's sin, in numbering the people, is related: in the atonement made for that sin, there was notice of the place on which the temple should be built. The command to David to build an altar, was a blessed token of reconciliation. God testified his acceptance of David's offerings on this altar. Thus Christ was made sin, and a curse for us; it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him, God might be to us, not a consuming Fire, but a reconciled God. It is good to continue attendance on those ordinances in which we have experienced the tokens of God's presence, and have found that he is with us of a truth. Here God graciously met me, therefore I will still expect to meet him.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Chronicles 21:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֥דvai.ya.'a.Modand he rose upH5975
שָׂטָ֖ןsa.Tanan adversaryH7854
עַל\־'al-onH5921
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַיָּ֙סֶת֙vai.Ya.setand he incitedH5496
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּוִ֔ידda.VidDavidH1732
לִמְנ֖וֹתlim.Notto countH4487
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 21:1

  • 2 Samuel 24:1-25

    And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 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 Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 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? 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. …

  • Zechariah 3:1

    And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

  • Revelation 12:10

    And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

  • Job 2:4-6

    And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

  • Job 2:1

    Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 22:20-22

    And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth–gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

  • Matthew 4:3

    And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

  • Job 1:6-12

    Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? …

  • Acts 5:3

    But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

  • Hebrews 10:24

    And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

  • Luke 22:31

    And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

  • Luke 11:53

    And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people.
5 The number of the people being brought, David repents of it.
9 David having three plagues propounded by God, chooses the pestilence.
14 After the death of seventy thousand, David by repentance prevents the destruction of Jerusalem.
18 David, by Gad's direction, purchases Ornan's threshing- floor; where having built an altar, God gives a sign of his favour by fire, and stays the plague.
28 David sacrifices there, being restrained from Gibeon by fear of the angel.

A.M. 2987. B.C. 1017. An. Ex. Is. 474. Satan.
2Sa 24:1; 1Ki 22:20-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1,4-6; Zec 3:1; Mt 4:3
Lu 22:31; Joh 13:2; Ac 5:3; Jas 1:13; Re 12:10
provoked David.
Lu 11:53; Heb 10:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 21:1

    And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:2

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

Read all of 1 Chronicles 21

1 Chronicles 21:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		MAS Satanás se levantó contra Israel, é incitó á David á que contase á Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et Satan se leva contre Israël, et incita David à dénombrer Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Satan stand auf wider Israel und reizte David an, Israel zu zählen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Consurrexit autem Satan contra Israël, et concitavit David ut numeraret Israël.