2 Samuel 24:3

2 Samuel 24:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
• New International Version (NIV)But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Joab said to the king, “Now may the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?”

Context of 2 Samuel 24:3

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.” 2So 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.” But 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. 5They crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the south side of the city which is in the middle of the river valley [of the Arnon] toward Gad, and on toward Jazer.

2 Samuel 24:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיוֹסֵ֣ף יְהוָה֩ אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ אֶל־הָעָ֜ם כָּהֵ֤ם׀ וְכָהֵם֙ מֵאָ֣ה פְעָמִ֔ים וְעֵינֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ רֹא֑וֹת וַאדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לָ֥מָּה חָפֵ֖ץ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Now the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• addיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
• unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• how many soeverהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• they be, an hundredfoldפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• they be, an hundredfoldמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• and that the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• may seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• delightחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• in this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:3

• 2 Chronicles 10:12So on the third day Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam just as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
• 1 Chronicles 21:3Joab said, “May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this? Why will he bring guilt on Israel?”
• Psalms 115:14May the Lord give you [great] increase, You and your children.
• Proverbs 14:28In a multitude of people is a king’s glory, But in a lack of people is a [pretentious] prince’s ruin.
• Isaiah 60:5Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice Because the abundant wealth of the seas will be brought to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Joab said unto the king - This very bad man saw that the measure now recommended by the king was a wrong one, and might be ruinous to the people, and therefore he remonstrates against it in a very sensible speech; but the king was infatuated, and would hear no reason.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3why does my lord … want to do such a thing?: Joab either realized that such a move would be unpopular among the people, or he believed that it was wrong before God.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 24:3

• Armies
• Census
• Israel
• Joab
• Presumption
• Reproof
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• Joab
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Advise
• David
• Foolishly
• Offer
• Temptation
• Wickedly
• Guilt

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