English Standard Version
1 Chronicles 21:3
3But Joab said, "May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?"
1 Chronicles 21:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
- New International Version (NIV)But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”
Context of 1 Chronicles 21:3
1Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. 2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number." But Joab said, "May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?" 4But the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. 5And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 211 Chronicles 21:3 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יוֹאָ֗ב יוֹסֵף֩ יְהוָ֨ה עַל־עַמּ֤וֹ׀ כָּהֵם֙ מֵאָ֣ה פְעָמִ֔ים הֲלֹא֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כֻּלָּ֥ם לַאדֹנִ֖י לַעֲבָדִ֑ים לָ֣מָּה יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ זֹאת֙ אֲדֹנִ֔י לָ֛מָּה יִהְיֶ֥ה לְאַשְׁמָ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
- answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- make his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- an hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
- so many moreיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
- as theyהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
- but, my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- requireבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- this thing? why will he be a cause of trespassאַשְׁמָה'ashmâh · guiltinessH819
- to Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 21:3
- 1 Chronicles 19:13Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him."
- Psalms 115:14May the Lord give you increase, you and your children!
- Proverbs 14:28In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.
- Isaiah 26:15But you have increased the nation, O Lord, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.
- Isaiah 48:19your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me."
- Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done."
- Exodus 32:21And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"
- Numbers 32:9For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them.
- 1 Samuel 2:24No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad.
- 1 Kings 14:16And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin."
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21:3
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-30This account of the census is similar to 2 Samuel 24:1–25 but focuses on different aspects. The Chronicler’s version sets the stage for dedicating the altar and preparing to build the temple (1 Chronicles 22).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?--or bring an occasion of punishment on Israel. In Hebrew, the word "sin" is often used synonymously with the punishment of sin. In the course of Providence, the people frequently suffer for the misconduct of their rulers.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Chronicles 21:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21
- 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
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Commentaries