2 Samuel 24:17

2 Samuel 24:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, "Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”

Context of 2 Samuel 24:17

15So the Lord sent a pestilence (plague) [lasting three days] upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the [avenging] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the disaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he spoke to the Lord and said, “Behold, I [alone] am the one who has sinned and done wrong; but these sheep (people of Israel), what have they done [to deserve this]? Please let Your hand be [only] against me and my father’s house (family).” 18Then Gad [the prophet] came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite [where you saw the angel].” 19So David went up according to Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded.

2 Samuel 24:17 word by word

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ דָּוִ֨ד אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה בִּרְאֹת֣וֹ׀ אֶֽת־הַמַּלְאָ֣ךְ׀ הַמַּכֶּ֣ה בָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֤י הָֽרֹעֶה חָטָ֙אתִי֙ וְאָנֹכִ֣י הֶעֱוֵ֔יתִי וְאֵ֥לֶּה הַצֹּ֖אן מֶ֣ה עָשׂ֑וּ תְּהִ֨י נָ֥א יָדְךָ֛ בִּ֖י וּבְבֵ֥ית אָבִֽי׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• when he sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
• that smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• Lo, I have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• and I have done wickedlyעָוָה‛âvâh · to pervertH5753
• but these sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• what have they doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• let thine handיָדyâd · handH3027
• I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:17

• 1 Chronicles 21:16Then David raised his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
• 2 Samuel 24:10But David’s heart (conscience) troubled him after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
• Job 7:20If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You, O Watcher of mankind? Why have You set me as a target for You, So that I am a burden to myself?
• Job 42:6Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself] And I repent in dust and ashes.”
• Psalms 51:2Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt And cleanse me from my sin.
• Isaiah 6:5Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am ruined, Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
• 1 Kings 22:17And he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered upon the mountains, Like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’ ”
• Psalms 44:11You have made us like sheep to be eaten [as mutton] And have scattered us [in exile] among the nations.
• Psalms 74:1O God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
• Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, the [spiritual] shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
• Zechariah 13:7“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the Man, My Associate,” Declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd so that the sheep [of the flock] may be scattered; And I will turn My hand and stretch it out against the little ones [of the flock].
• Genesis 44:33Now, therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain here instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his brothers.
• John 10:11I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep.
• 1 Peter 2:24He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Compare the passage in Chronicles. The account here is abridged; and 2 Samuel 24:18 has the appearance of being the original statement.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-17Verses 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 sake of the great Sacrifice…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17I, the shepherd, have sinned: Earlier, David confessed his sin only about his situation ("take away the iniquity of Your servant," 2 Samuel 24:10). Now, he prayed for those he thought were innocent (but see 2 Samuel 24:1) and offered to die for them. these sheep: David was the shepherd (a leader who guided, protected, and cared for the people) of Israel (see study note on 2 Samuel 7:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. 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.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 24:17

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Araunah
• Intercession
• Jerusalem
• Nation
• Ornan
• Plague
• Presumption
• Repentance
• Self-Condemnation
• Sin
• Threshing

In the dictionaries

• David
• Advise
• Angel
• Foolishly
• Gad
• Jebusites
• Jerusalem
• Offer
• Temptation
• Wickedly

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings