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

1The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.” 3Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?” 4But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• the captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the hostחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
• with him, Go now throughשׁוּטshûţ · to roveH7751
• all the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• from Danדָּןdân · DanH1835
• even to Beer–shebaבְּאֵר שֶׁ֫בַעbe'êr sheba‛ · BeershebaH884
• and numberפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• ye the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that I may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 24:2

• 2 Samuel 2:13Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.
• 2 Samuel 8:16Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary;
• 2 Samuel 20:23Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites.
• 2 Samuel 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah),
• 1 Chronicles 21:2David told Joab and the leaders of the army, “Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have.”
• 2 Samuel 3:10namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!”
• 2 Samuel 17:11My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba – in number like the sand by the sea! – be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle.
• Judges 20:1All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah.
• Deuteronomy 8:13when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything,
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem.
• Proverbs 29:23A person’s pride will bring him low, but one who has a lowly spirit will gain honor.
• Jeremiah 17:5The Lord says, “I will put a curse on people who trust in mere human beings, who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength, and whose hearts have turned away from the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me – so that I would not become arrogant.

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