Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of king David.
Parallel Translations
-
Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of king David.
-
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.
-
Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but finished not; and there came wrath for this upon Israel; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.
Cross-references (2)
Passages linked to 1 Chronicles 27:24 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Samuel 24:1-15 Again Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.” The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, “Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the sum of the people.” Joab said to the king, “Now may Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel. They passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer; then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan, and around to Sidon, and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba. So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. Joab 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. David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to Yahweh, “I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.” When David rose up in the morning, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, “Go and speak to David, ‘Yahweh says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.” ’ ” So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let us fall now into Yahweh’s hand; for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into man’s hand.” So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba.
- 1 Chronicles 21:1-17 Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel. David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.” Joab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, then came to Jerusalem. Joab gave up the sum of the census of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew a sword; and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword. But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king’s word was abominable to Joab. God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel. David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.” Yahweh spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.” ’ ” So Gad came to David, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Take your choice: either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and Yahweh’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’ ” David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into Yahweh’s hand; for his mercies are very great. Don’t let me fall into man’s hand.” So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” Yahweh’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. David said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain And the commandment of the King was abominable to…
And the commandment of the King was abominable to Joab, 1 Chron. 21:6.
The Hebrews make both these books of Chronicles but one, and at this verse make the midst of the book as touching the number of verses.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ch 27:24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to…
1Ch 27:24 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.
Ver. 24. Neither was the number of the account put into the chronicles of king David.] Utpote qui ipse iam factum suum abominabatur, because he detested his own act, as well he might; especially if he had commanded the people to be numbered below the age appointed by the Lord, as some hold he had.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Began to number, to wit, all from twenty years…
Began to number, to wit, all from twenty years old and upward, as David commanded him.
He finished not; for Levi and Benjamin he counted not, 1Ch 21:6. Because there fell wrath for it against Israel, whilst he was doing the work; which was one reason which made him to cease. Heb. And there fell, &c. Though David numbered them with caution and limitation, as was noted before, yet this did not hinder God’s wrath from falling upon Israel for this sin.
Read full note →
Neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David: the sense is either,
1. That the full number was not registered, because Levi and Benjamin were not counted by Joab. Or rather,
2. That David being sensible of and smarting for his sin, would not have the number brought in by Joab to him put into the public register, though God would have it recorded in Scripture for the instruction of succeeding ages. For he speaks not here of the account given in to the king, which was done, and was Joab’s act; but of the putting of the account into the public records, which was not done, and which could not be done but by David’s command or permission.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number,.... By…
Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number,.... By the order of David, but entirely against his own will, see Ch1 21:2,
but he finished not; the two tribes of Benjamin and Levi not being counted by him, Ch1 21:6.
Read full note →
because there fell wrath for it against Israel; the plague being broke forth before he had done numbering, which put a stop to it, Ch1 21:14.
neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of David; that which was brought in by Joab, though imperfect, was not entered into the diary, journal, or annals which David ordered to be written of all memorable events and transactions in his reign; and which were afterwards carried on by the kings of Judah, often referred to in the preceding books; and this was done, not because of the imperfection of the account, but because David did not choose this sin of his should be transmitted to posterity, though it has been, notwithstanding this precaution of his.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 24. Neither was the number put in the…
Verse 24. Neither was the number put in the account] Joab did not return the whole number; probably the plague began before he had finished: or, he did not choose to give it in, as he had entered on this work with extreme reluctance; and he did not choose to tell the king how numerous they were.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ch 27:24. Joab began to number — Namely, all…
1Ch 27:24. Joab began to number — Namely, all from twenty years old and upward, as David commanded him. But he finished not — For Levi and Benjamin he counted not, 1Ch 21:6. Because there fell wrath for it against Israel — While he was doing the work, which was one reason that made him desist. The Hebrew however is, And there fell, &c. Though David numbered them with caution and limitation, as was observed before, yet this did not hinder God’s wrath from falling upon Israel for this sin. Neither was the number put in the chronicles of King David — An account of the number, as far as he went, was given by Joab to the king; but the king, being sensible of his error, would not have it recorded in the public registers of the kingdom, as other things of daily occurrence were. Yet the memory of it is preserved in these books, to teach all posterity not to put their trust in the arm of flesh.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Because there fell wrath - literally, “And there fell…
Because there fell wrath - literally, “And there fell wrath.” The falling of God’s wrath was not the cause of Joab’s ceasing. His motive is clearly stated in 1Ch 21:6. See also the marginal references.
Neither was the number ... - The meaning is, that in the portion of the chronicles of King David which treated of numbers - the number of the standing army, of the Levitical and priestly courses, the singers, etc. - the return of the number of the people made by Joab was not entered. The disastrous circumstances which followed on the taking of the census perhaps produced a feeling that God might he further provoked by its being put on record in the state archives. The numbers which have come down to us must therefore have been derived from private sources.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Number, those above 20; but he acted with reluctance,…
Number, those above 20; but he acted with reluctance, (Tirinus) and the wrath of heaven prevented the entire completion of the king’s order, chap. xxi. 6., and 2 Kings xxiv. 9. --- David. It would hence appear that the list was perfected, but not delivered to the king. The commissioners retained some of the lists; and, perhaps from these, Esdras has inserted what relates to Benjamin, (chap. vii. 6.) as the account was not given in chap. xxi. 6. (Calmet) --- This list may, however, have been made at another time; as we are informed that Benjamin and Levi were not numbered. (Haydock) --- The Book of Kings, where we find it, is therefore a different work. (Du Hamel)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain neither was the number put in the account of…
neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of King David--either because the undertaking was not completed, Levi and Benjamin not having been numbered (Ch1 21:6), or the full details in the hands of the enumerating officers were not reported to David, and, consequently, not registered in the public archives.
the chronicles--were the daily records or annals of the king's reign. No notice was taken of this census in the historical register, as from the public calamity with which it was associated it would have stood as a painful record of the divine judgment against the king and the nation.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 24. Began to number, but he finished not —…
24. Began to number, but he finished not — Here we find that the census was interrupted by the pestilence. Comp. note on chap. 1Ch_21:6.
Neither was the number put in the account of the Chronicles of king David — “We can easily understand that the disastrous circumstances which followed on the taking of the census produced a feeling that God might be further provoked by its being put on record in the state archives. It was consequently omitted; and the accounts of the numbers which have come down to us must have been derived from some comparatively private sources.” — Rawlinson.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 24. he finished not] Cp. 1Ch_21:6.
24. he finished not] Cp. 1Ch_21:6.
because there fell wrath for it against Israel] R.V. and there came wrath for this upon Israel.
Read full note →
in the account of] R.V. into the account in. A summary of the numbers of David’s census is given in 1Ch_21:5 and also (with divergences) in 2Sa_24:9. The Chronicler probably means in the present passage that the details of the census were not entered in the official records.
the chronicles] Lit. the acts of the days; cp. Introduction, § 1.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (24) Joab the son of Zeruiah began.—Or, had begun.…
(24) Joab the son of Zeruiah began.—Or, had begun. This clearly refers to 1Ch_21:6. Joab omitted to number Levi and Benjamin.
Because there fell wrath for it.—The same phrase recurs in 2Ch_19:10; 2Ch_24:18. (Comp. for the fact, 1Ch_21:7, seq.) The sense of the Hebrew may be brought out better thus: “Joab son of Zeruiah had begun to number, without finishing; and there fell,” &c.
Read full note →
Neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.—Literally, and the number came not up (‘âlâh), was not entered. (Comp. 1Ki_9:21; 2Ch_20:34.) The number which Joab ascertained was not recorded, as might have been expected, in the official annals of the reign, here designated as “the account of the chronicles of king David” (mispar dibrê ha-yâmîm). It is implied that the chronicler had these annals before him in some form or other, probably as a section of the “History of the Kings of Judah and Israel,” and that he found the lists of this chapter in that source. Those of 1 Chronicles 23-26 may have been derived from the same authority. In 2Ki_12:20; 2Ki_13:8; 2Ki_13:12, and all similar instances, the phrase for “book of the Chronicles” is not mispar, but sçpher dibrê ha-yâmîm. Some suppose that the text here should be altered accordingly; others would render mispar dibrê ha-yâmîm, “the statistical section of the annals.” But mispar in Jdg_7:15 means the telling or relation of a dream, and the transition from such a sense to that of written relation is easy. The phrase rendered “Chronicles” is the same as the Hebrew title of these books.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain It seems a little surprising to read of Joab,…
It seems a little surprising to read of Joab, fixed on the page of history as the person who began to number, but finished not, when we have been already particularly told that it was he to whom King David"s command to number was "abominable". (1Ch_21:6) However differently enough from the method of either nature or mankind, the antidote has here preceded the evil. For because there fell wrath for it, read the Hebrew, and there was for this wrath upon Israel. The last sentence of the verse purports to say that such numbering as had been done before the point at which Joab stopped was not honoured by a place, where other numbers were found, in the register of the chronicles of King David.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.