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 the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say, “Go, count Israel and Judah.” So the king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “Roam about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, 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 they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s order prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the presence of the king to conduct 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

• So the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• the commanderשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the armyחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• was with him, “Roamשׁוּטshûţ · to roveH7751
• nowנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• through allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• from Danדָּןdân · DanH1835
• to Beershebaבְּאֵר שֶׁ֫בַעbe'êr sheba‛ · BeershebaH884
• and conductפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• so that I may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:2

• 2 Samuel 2:13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, Abner’s men on the one side of the pool and Joab’s men on the other side of the pool.
• 2 Samuel 8:16Joab the son of Zeruiah was commander over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary.
• 2 Samuel 20:23Now Joab was in command of the entire army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
• 2 Samuel 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
• 1 Chronicles 21:2So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.”
• 2 Samuel 3:10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba!”
• 2 Samuel 17:11But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, 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 to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one person to the Lord at Mizpah.
• Deuteronomy 8:13and when your herds and your flocks increase, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have increases,
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
• Proverbs 29:23A person’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.
• Jeremiah 17:5This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment 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