2 Samuel 24 · Verse 9

2 Samuel 24:9

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
2 Samuel 24:9, King James Version

2 Samuel 24:9 in other translations

BSBAnd Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.
WEBJoab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
ASVAnd Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
YLTand Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.
DARBYAnd Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
BBEAnd Joab gave the king the number of all the people: there were in Israel eight hundred thousand fighting men able to take up arms; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.
WebsterAnd Joab presented the sum of the number of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

What does 2 Samuel 24:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king--The amount here stated, compared with 1Ch 21:5, gives a difference of three hundred thousand. The discrepancy is only apparent, and admits of an easy reconciliation; thus (see 1Ch 27:1-15), there were twelve divisions of generals, who commanded monthly, and whose duty was to keep guard on the royal person, each having a body of troops consisting of twenty-four thousand men, which, together, formed an army of two hundred eighty-eight thousand; and as a separate detachment of twelve thousand was attendant on the twelve princes of the twelve tribes mentioned in the same chapter, so both are equal to three hundred thousand. These were not reckoned in this book, because they were in the actual service of the king as a regular militia. But 1Ch 21:5 joins them to the rest, saying, "all those of Israel were one million, one hundred thousand"; whereas the author of Samuel, who reckons only the eight hundred thousand, does not say, "all those of Israel," but barely "and Israel were," &c. It must also be observed that, exclusive of the troops before mentioned, there was an army of observation on the frontiers of the Philistines' country, composed of thirty thousand men, as appears from 2Sa 6:1; which, it seems, were included in the number of five hundred thousand of the people of Judah by the author of Samuel. But the author of Chronicles, who mentions only four hundred seventy thousand, gives the number of that tribe exclusive of those thirty thousand men, because they were not all of the tribe of Judah, and therefore he does not say, "all those of Judah," as he had said, "all those of Israel," but only, "and those of Judah." Thus both accounts may be reconciled [Davidson]. 2Sa 24:10-14. He, Having Three Plagues Propounded by GAD, Repents, and Chooses Three Days' Pestilence.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 In Israel eight hundred thousand - the men of Judah were five hundred thousand - In the parallel place, 1Chr 21:5, the sums are widely different: in Israel one million one hundred thousand, in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand. Neither of these sums is too great, but they cannot be both correct; and which is the true number is difficult to say. The former seems the most likely; but more corruptions have taken place in the numbers of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other part of the sacred records. To attempt to reconcile them in every part is lost labor; better at once acknowledge what cannot be successfully denied, that although the original writers of the Old Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we are not told that the same influence descended on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely to prevent them from making mistakes. They might mistake, and they did mistake; but a careful collation of the different historical books serves to correct all essential errors of the scribes. See the Dissertations of Dr. Kennicott mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding chapter.

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…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 24:1-9 →

2 Samuel 24:9 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.

וַיִּתֵּ֥ןvai.yi.Tenand he gaveH5414
יוֹאָ֛בyo.'AvJoabH3097
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מִסְפַּ֥רmis.Par[the] number ofH4557
מִפְקַד\־mif.kad-[the] muster ofH4662
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וַתְּהִ֣יva.te.Hiand it wasH1961
יִשְׂרָאֵ֡לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
שְׁמֹנֶה֩she.mo.NeheightH8083
מֵא֨וֹתme.'othundred<s>H3967
אֶ֤לֶף'E.lefthousandH505
אִֽישׁ\־'ish-man ofH376
חַ֙יִל֙cha.yilstrengthH2428
שֹׁ֣לֵֽףSho.lef[who] drewH8025
חֶ֔רֶבChe.reva swordH2719
וְאִ֣ישׁve.'Ishand [the] man ofH376
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
חֲמֵשׁ\־cha.mesh-[was] fiveH2568
מֵא֥וֹתme.'othundred<s>H3967
אֶ֖לֶף'E.lefthousandH505
אִֽישׁ\׃'IshmanH376

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 24:9

  • 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.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:5-6

    And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

  • Numbers 1:44-46

    These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers. So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
eight hundred thousand.
1Ch 21:5,6; 27:23,24

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

Context

  • 2 Samuel 24:8

    So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

  • 2 Samuel 24:9

    And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

  • 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.

Read all of 2 Samuel 24

2 Samuel 24:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Joab dió la cuenta del número del pueblo al rey; y fueron los de Israel ochocientos mil hombres fuertes que sacaban espada; y de los de Judá quinientos mil hombres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Joab donna au roi le chiffre du recensement du peuple; et il y avait d’Israël 800 000 hommes de guerre tirant l’épée, et des hommes de Juda, 500 000 hommes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Joab gab die Zahl des gemusterten Volkes dem König an; und es waren in Israel 800000 Kriegsmänner, die das Schwert zogen, und der Männer von Juda 500000 Mann.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dedit ergo Joab numerum descriptionis populi regi, et inventa sunt de Israël octingenta millia virorum fortium qui educerent gladium, et de Juda quingenta millia pugnatorum.