2 Samuel 24:2

2 Samuel 24:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”

Context of 2 Samuel 24:2

1Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He incited David against them to say, “Go, count [the people of] Israel and Judah.” So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], and conduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.” 3But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king want to do this thing?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So they went from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶל־יוֹאָ֣ב׀ שַׂר־הַחַ֣יִל אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֗וֹ שֽׁוּט־נָ֞א בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִדָּן֙ וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע וּפִקְד֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וְיָ֣דַעְתִּ֔י אֵ֖ת מִסְפַּ֥ר הָעָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• the captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the hostחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• with him, Go now throughשׁוּטshûţ · to roveH7751
• all the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• from Danדָּןdân · DanH1835
• even to Beer–shebaבְּאֵר שֶׁ֫בַעbe'êr sheba‛ · BeershebaH884
• and numberפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• ye the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that I may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:2

• 2 Samuel 2:13Joab [David’s nephew] the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, with one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool.
• 2 Samuel 8:16Joab the son of Zeruiah was [commander] over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder (secretary);
• 2 Samuel 20:23Now Joab was [commander] over the entire army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was [commander] over the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards];
• 2 Samuel 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
• 1 Chronicles 21:2So David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me their total, so that I may know it.”
• 2 Samuel 3:10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south].”
• 2 Samuel 17:11But I advise that all [the men of] Israel be summoned to you, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], like the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle.
• Judges 20:1Then all the sons of Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], including the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah.
• Deuteronomy 8:13and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have increases,
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah did nothing [for the Lord] in return for the benefit bestowed on him, because his heart had become proud; therefore God’s wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
• Proverbs 29:23A man’s pride and sense of self-importance will bring him down, But he who has a humble spirit will obtain honor.
• Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself!

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21 Chronicles 21:2, supplies some missing words. This passage should run, as at 2 Samuel 24:4, “And the king said to Joab and to the princes of the host who were with him,” etc. (compare 1 Chronicles 27:22). They were employed “with Joab” as his assistants in the numbering, exactly as in the previous numbering Numbers 1:4 when a prince was appointed from each tribe to be “with” Moses and Aaron.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Dan and Beersheba were the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israel. This phrase meant the entire land of Israel.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-92Sa 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 24:2

• Armies
• Census
• Israel
• Presumption
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Dan
• Israel
• Joab
• Sheba
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Advise
• Beersheba
• David
• Foolishly

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