2 Samuel 24 · Verse 17

2 Samuel 24:17

And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
2 Samuel 24:17, King James Version

2 Samuel 24:17 in other translations

BSBWhen David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”
WEBDavid spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”
ASVAnd David spake unto Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
YLTAnd David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, ‘Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these--the flock--what have they done? Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.'
DARBYAnd David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Behold, it is I that have sinned, and it is I that have committed iniquity; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be on me, and on my father's house!
BBEAnd when David saw the angel who was causing the destruction of the people, he said to the Lord, Truly, the sin is mine; I have done wrong: but these are only sheep; what have they done? let your hand be against me and against my family.
WebsterAnd David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

What does 2 Samuel 24:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. David ... said--or, "had said," I have sinned ... but these sheep, what have they done?--The guilt of numbering the people lay exclusively with David. But in the body politic as well as natural, when the head suffers, all the members suffer along with it; and, besides, although David's sin was the immediate cause, the great increase of national offenses at this time had (2Sa 24:1) kindled the anger of the Lord.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 But these sheep, what have they done? - It seems that in the order of Providence there is no way of punishing kings in their regal capacity, but by afflictions on their land, in which the people must necessarily suffer. If the king, therefore, by his own personal offenses, in which the people can have no part, bring down God's judgments upon his people, (though they suffer innocently), grievous will be the account that he must give to God. The people generally suffer for the miscarriages of their governors: this has been observed in every age. Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. - "When doting monarchs urge Unsound resolves, their subjects feel the scourge." Hor. Ep. lib. i., ep. 2, ver. 14. Against my father's house - That is, against his own family; even to cut it off from the face of the earth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 24:16-17

Perhaps there was more wickedness, especially more pride, and that was the sin now chastised, in Jerusalem than elsewhere, therefore the hand of the destroyer is stretched out upon that city; but the Lord repented him of the evil, changed not his mind, but his way. In the very place where Abraham was stayed from slaying his son, this angel, by a like countermand, was stayed from destroying Jerusalem. It is for the…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 24:16-17 →

2 Samuel 24:17 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.

וַיֹּאמֶר֩vai.yo.Merand he saidH559
דָּוִ֨דda.VidDavidH1732
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בִּרְאֹת֣וֹ\׀bir.'o.Towhen saw heH7200
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַמַּלְאָ֣ךְ\׀ha.mal.'Akhthe angelH4397
הַמַּכֶּ֣הha.ma.Kehwho was striking downH5221
בָעָ֗םva.'Am<on> the peopleH5971
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!H2009
אָנֹכִ֤י'a.no.KhiIH595
הָֽרֹעֶהha.ro.'Ehthe shepherdH7462
חָטָ֙אתִי֙cha.Ta.tiI have sinnedH2398
וְאָנֹכִ֣יve.'a.no.Khiand IH595
הֶעֱוֵ֔יתִיhe.'e.Vei.tiI have done wrongH5753
וְאֵ֥לֶּהve.'E.lehand theseH428
הַצֹּ֖אןha.Tzonthe sheepH6629
מֶ֣הmehwhat?H4100
עָשׂ֑וּ'a.Suhave they doneH6213
תְּהִ֨יte.Hilet it beH1961
נָ֥אna'pleaseH4994
יָדְךָ֛ya.de.Khahand yourH3027
בִּ֖יbion me
וּבְבֵ֥יתu.ve.Veitand on [the] house ofH1004
אָבִֽי\׃\ \פ'a.Vifather myH1

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 24:17

  • 1 Chronicles 21:16-17

    And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

  • Psalms 74:1

    Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

  • 2 Samuel 24:10

    And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

  • Job 42:6

    Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

  • Ezekiel 34:23-24

    And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

  • Isaiah 6:5

    Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

  • 1 Kings 22:17

    And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

  • 1 Peter 2:24-25

    Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

  • Psalms 51:2-5

    Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

  • Ezekiel 34:2-6

    Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. …

  • John 10:11-12

    I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

  • Zechariah 13:7

    Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
spake.
1Ch 21:16,17
Lo, I have sinned.
10; Job 7:20; 42:6; Ps 51:2-5; Isa 6:5
these sheep.
1Ki 22:17; Ps 44:11; 74:1; Eze 34:2-6,23,24; Zec 13:7
let thine.
Ge 44:33; Joh 10:11,12; 1Pe 2:24,25

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

Context

  • 2 Samuel 24:16

    And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

  • 2 Samuel 24:17

    And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.

  • 2 Samuel 24:18

    And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Read all of 2 Samuel 24

2 Samuel 24:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y David dijo á Jehová, cuando vió al ángel que hería al pueblo: Yo pequé, yo hice la maldad: ¿qué hicieron estas ovejas? Ruégote que tu mano se torne contra mí, y contra la casa de mi padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David, quand il vit l’ange qui frappait parmi le peuple, parla à l’ Éternel, et dit: Voici, moi j’ai péché, et moi j’ai commis l’iniquité; mais ces brebis, qu’ont-elles fait? Que ta main, je te prie, soit sur moi et sur la maison de mon père.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und als David den Engel sah, der unter dem Volke schlug, sprach er zu Jehova und sagte: Siehe, ich habe gesündigt, und ich habe verkehrt gehandelt; aber diese Schafe, was haben sie getan? Es sei doch deine Hand wider mich, und wider das Haus meines Vaters!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixitque David ad Dominum cum vidisset angelum cædentem populum: Ego sum qui peccavi, ego inique egi: isti qui oves sunt, quid fecerunt? vertatur, obsecro, manus tua contra me, et contra domum patris mei.