2 Samuel 24 · Verse 1

2 Samuel 24:1

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 Samuel 24:1, King James Version

2 Samuel 24:1 in other translations

BSBAgain the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
WEBAgain the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”
ASVAnd again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
YLTAnd the anger of Jehovah addeth to burn against Israel, and an adversary moveth David about them, saying, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.'
DARBYAnd again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
BBEAgain the wrath of the Lord was burning against Israel, and moving David against them, he said, Go, take the number of Israel and Judah.
WebsterAnd again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah.

What does 2 Samuel 24:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 24:1-4
2Sa 24:1-9. David Numbers the People. 1-4. again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah--"Again" carries us back to the former tokens of His wrath in the three years' famine [2Sa 21:1]. God, though He cannot tempt any man (Jas 1:13), is frequently described in Scripture as doing what He merely permits to be done; and so, in this case, He permitted Satan to tempt David. Satan was the active mover, while God only withdrew His supporting grace, and the great tempter prevailed against the king. (See Ex 7:13; 1Sa 26:19; 2Sa 16:10; Psa 105:25; Is 7:17, &c.). The order was given to Joab, who, though not generally restrained by religious scruples, did not fail to present, in strong terms (see on 1Ch 21:3), the sin and danger of this measure. He used every argument to dissuade the king from his purpose. The sacred history has not mentioned the objections which he and other distinguished officers urged against it in the council of David. But it expressly states that they were all overruled by the inflexible resolution of the king.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

David is tempted by Satan to number Israel and Judah, 2Sam 24:1. Joab remonstrates against it, but the king determines that it shall be done; and Joab and the captains accomplish the work, and bring the sum total to the king: viz.: eight hundred thousand warriors in Israel, and five hundred thousand in Judah, 2Sam 24:2-9. David is convinced that he has done wrong; and the prophet Gad is sent to him, to give him his choice of three judgments, one of which God is determined to inflict upon the nation, 2Sam 24:10-13. David humbles himself before God; and a pestilence is sent, which destroys seventy thousand men, 2Sam 24:14, 2Sam 24:15. The angel of the Lord being about to destroy Jerusalem, David makes intercession, and the plague is stayed, 2Sam 24:16, 2Sam 24:17. Gad directs him to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah, where the plague was stayed, 2Sam 24:18. He purchases this place for the purpose, and offers burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, 2Sam 24:19-25. Verse 1 He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place (1Chr 21:1) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire was sufficient for the work which he had projected. See more on 2Sam 24:10 (note). He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war, or pestilence.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 24:1-9
For the people's sin David was left to act wrong, and in his chastisement they received punishment. This example throws light upon God's government of the world, and furnishes a useful lesson. The pride of David's heart, was his sin in numbering of the people. He thought thereby to appear the more formidable, trusting in an arm of flesh more than he should have done, and though he had written so much of trusting in God only. God judges not of sin as we do. What appears to us harmless, or, at least, but a small offence, may be a great sin in the eye of God, who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. Even ungodly men can discern evil tempers and wrong conduct in believers, of which they themselves often remain unconscious. But God seldom allows those whom he loves the pleasures they sinfully covet.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Samuel 24:1 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.

וַיֹּ֙סֶף֙vai.Yo.sefand it repeatedH3254
אַף\־'af-[the] anger ofH639
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לַחֲר֖וֹתla.cha.Rotto burnH2734
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbe.Yis.ra.'Elon IsraelH3478
וַיָּ֨סֶתvai.Ya.setand he incitedH5496
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּוִ֤דda.VidDavidH1732
בָּהֶם֙ba.Hemagainst <the> them
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
לֵ֛ךְlekhgoH1980
מְנֵ֥הme.NehcountH4487
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
יְהוּדָֽה\׃ye.hu.DahJudahH3063

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 24:1

  • 1 Chronicles 21:1

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

  • 1 Chronicles 27:23-24

    But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

  • James 1:13-14

    Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

  • 1 Kings 22:20-23

    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. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

  • Genesis 50:20

    But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

  • Ezekiel 14:9

    And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

  • Ezekiel 20:25

    Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

  • Acts 4:28

    For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

  • 2 Samuel 12:11

    Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

  • Genesis 45:5

    Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

  • 1 Samuel 26:19

    Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.

  • Exodus 7:3

    And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

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 captains, in nine months and twenty days, bring the muster of thirteen hundred thousand fighting men.
10 David repents, and having three plagues propounded by God, chooses the three days' pestilence.
15 After the death of three score and ten thousand, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem.
18 David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor; where having sacrificed, the plague stays.

A.M. 2987. B.C. 1017. An. Ex. Is. 474. again.
21:1-14
he.This verse, when read without reference to any other part of the word of God, is very difficult to understand, and has been used by those who desire to undermine the justice of God, to shew that he sought occasion to punish--that he incited David to sin; and when he had so incited him, gave to him the dreadful alternative of choosing one of three scourges by which his people were to be cut off. On the face of the passage these thoughts naturally arise, because "the Lord" is the antecedent to the pronoun "he,"--He moved David. But to those who "search the Scriptures," this exceedingly difficult passage receives a wonderful elucidation, By referring to 1 Ch 21:1, the reader will there find that Satan was the mover, and that the Lord most righteously punished David for the display of pride he had manifested. Oh! that Christians, who sometimes have their minds harassed with doubts, would remember the promise, that what they know not now they shall know hereafter; and if no other instance of elucidation than this passage occurred to them to remove their doubts, let this be a means of stirring them up to dig deeper than ever into the inexhaustible mines of the Inspired Word.
Jas 1:13,14
moved.
12:11; 16:10; Ge 45:5; 50:20; Ex 7:3; 1Sa 26:19; 1Ki 22:20-23
Eze 14:9; 20:25; Ac 4:28; 2Th 2:11
Go, number.
1Ch 27:23,24

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

Context

  • 2 Samuel 24:1

    And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

  • 2 Samuel 24:2

    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.

Read all of 2 Samuel 24

2 Samuel 24:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y VOLVIÓ el furor de Jehová á encenderse contra Israel, é incitó á David contra ellos á que dijese: Ve, cuenta á Israel y á Judá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et la colère de l’ Éternel s’embrasa de nouveau contre Israël; et il incita David contre eux, disant: Va, dénombre Israël et Juda.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Zorn Jehovas entbrannte abermals wider Israel; und er reizte David wider sie, indem er sprach: Gehe hin, zähle Israel und Juda!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et addidit furor Domini irasci contra Israël, commovitque David in eis dicentem: Vade, numera Israël et Judam.