New English Translation
1 Chronicles 27:23
23David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.
1 Chronicles 27:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
- New International Version (NIV)David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.
- English Standard Version (ESV)David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the Lord had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.
Context of 1 Chronicles 27:23
21Iddo son of Zechariah led the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Jaasiel son of Abner led Benjamin, 22Azarel son of Jeroham led Dan. These were the commanders of the Israelite tribes. David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. 24Joab son of Zeruiah started to count the men but did not finish. God was angry with Israel because of this, so the number was not recorded in the scroll called The Annals of King David. 25Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storehouses; Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the field, in the cities, in the towns, and in the towers.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 271 Chronicles 27:23 word by word
וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֤א דָוִיד֙ מִסְפָּרָ֔ם לְמִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּלְמָ֑טָּה כִּ֚י אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה לְהַרְבּ֥וֹת אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- tookנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: countH5375
- not the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
- of them from twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
- and underמַ֫טָּהmaţţâh · beneathH4295
- because the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- he would increaseרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- like to the starsכּוֹכָבkôkâb · starH3556
- of the heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 27:23
- Numbers 1:18and they assembled the entire community together on the first day of the second month. Then the people recorded their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men who were twenty years old or older were listed by name individually,
- Genesis 15:5The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
- Hebrews 11:12So in fact children were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore.
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 27:23
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23David‘s numbering of the people was therefore a military arrangement in order to fix the amount of his standing army. To the general Oriental prejudice against numbering possessions, etc., there was added in the case of the Jews a special objection - a feeling that it would be irreverent to attempt to count what God had promised should be countless.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-34Verses 16-34 The officers of the court, or the rulers of the king's substance, had the oversight and charge of the king's tillage, his vineyards, his herds, his flocks, which formed the wealth of eastern kings. Much of the wisdom of princes is seen in the choice of their ministry, and common persons show it in the choice of their advisers. David, though he had all these about him, preferred the word of God before them all. Thy testimonies are my delight…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under--The census which David ordered did not extend to all the Israelites; for to contemplate such an enumeration would have been to attempt an impossibility (Ge 28:14), and besides would have been a daring offense to God. The limitation to a certain age was what had probably quieted David's conscience as to the lawfulness of the measure, while its expediency was strongly pressed upon…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Chronicles 27:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 27
- 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries