2 Samuel 24:1

2 Samuel 24:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
• New International Version (NIV)Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

Context of 2 Samuel 24:1

The Lord again became angry with the Israelites. So he caused David to bring trouble to them. He said to David, ‘Send men to count the people in Israel and Judah.’ 2So the king said to Joab, the leader of his army, ‘Go from Dan to Beersheba, through all the tribes of Israel. Count all the men who can fight. I want to know how many men there are.’ 3But Joab said to the king, ‘I pray that the Lord your God will make your army bigger and bigger. May it grow 100 times while you are alive to see it! But, my lord the king, why do you want to do this?’

2 Samuel 24:1 word by word

וַיֹּ֙סֶף֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה לַחֲר֖וֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֨סֶת אֶת־דָּוִ֤ד בָּהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֵ֛ךְ מְנֵ֥ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And againיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
• the angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• was kindledחָרָהchârâh · to be incensedH2734
• against Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and he movedסוּתsûth · to inciteH5496
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• against them to sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• numberמָנָהmânâh · to countH4487
• and Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:1

• 2 Samuel 21:1While David was king, there was a famine in Israel for three years. So David asked the Lord what had caused this trouble. The Lord said, ‘Saul's family is guilty of murder, because Saul killed many of the Gibeonites.’
• 1 Chronicles 21:1Then Satan caused David to bring trouble to Israel. He caused David to count all the men in Israel.
• James 1:13When troubles happen to you, you may want to do something bad. But do not say, ‘God is causing me to do wrong things.’ Nothing can make God do anything bad. And God does not try to make anyone do a wrong thing.
• 2 Samuel 12:11This is what the Lord says, “I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble to you. You yourself will see it happen! I will take your wives from you and I will give them to someone else. He will have sex with them in the daytime, for everyone to see.
• 2 Samuel 16:10The king said, ‘No! You sons of Zeruiah should not tell me what to do! Perhaps he is cursing me because the Lord has said to him, “Curse David.” Then we cannot say that he is wrong to curse me.’
• Genesis 45:5But do not be upset. Do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me like that. No! It was God who sent me here! He sent me here before you came. He did that so that I could save people's lives.
• Genesis 50:20You decided to hurt me. But God caused a good thing to happen because of that. God brought me here to save the lives of many people. You can see how that has really happened!
• Exodus 7:3But I will make Pharaoh's mind become hard. I will do many miracles in Egypt that show my power.
• 1 Samuel 26:19My master and my king, please listen to me. Has the Lord made you angry with me? If that is true, a sacrifice to him may change his thoughts. But if men have made you turn against me, I ask the Lord to curse them. They have chased me out of the land that belongs to the Lord's people. They have said to me, “Go away and worship other gods!”
• 1 Kings 22:20The Lord asked, “Who will go and deceive King Ahab so that he attacks Ramoth Gilead and he dies there?” Many of the angels suggested different things.
• Ezekiel 14:9I will also punish the prophet himself if he gives a false message. I, the Lord, have deceived him to show that he is a fool. And I will punish him. I will remove him from among my people, Israel's people.
• Ezekiel 20:25So I let them obey rules that were not good. They were laws that would not help them to enjoy a good life.
• Acts 4:28But you are powerful. These men did only what you said would happen. You had already decided on these events.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11For this reason, God causes their minds to accept something that is wrong. They believe a false message.
• 1 Chronicles 27:23The Lord had promised to make Israel a nation with as many people as there are stars in the sky. So King David did not count the men who were less than 20 years old.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place ( 1 Chronicles 21:1;) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel - This sentence is the heading of the whole chapter, which goes on to describe the sin which kindled this anger, namely, the numbering of the people 1 Chronicles 21:7-8; 1 Chronicles 27:24. There is no note of time, except that the word “again” shows that these events happened “after” those of 2 Samuel 24:25; 2 Samuel 21:14.) And he moved David - In 1 Chronicles 21:1 the statement is, “and an…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1David numbers the people. (1-9) He chooses the pestilence. (10-15) The staying the pestilence. (16-17) David's sacrifice, The plague removed. (18-25) Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The reason for God's anger against Israel is unclear (but see Deuteronomy 4:25; 6:14–15; 29:22–28; 31:16–18). The phrase stirred up refers to a Hebrew verb (suth) that means enticing or inciting someone to do wrong (1 Samuel 26:19, stirred you up against me). People usually disliked census-taking because they saw it as an invasion of privacy. They thought it led to taxes or forced military service (see study note on 2 Samuel 24:9). If David acted out of…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 24:1

• Armies
• Census
• Israel
• Presumption
• Rulers
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Judah
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Advise
• Foolishly
• Offer

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