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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.”

Context of 2 Samuel 24:2

1Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 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.” 3But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men 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

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 David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
• 2 Samuel 8:16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
• 2 Samuel 20:23Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;
• 2 Samuel 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
• 1 Chronicles 21:2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
• 2 Samuel 3:10and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”
• 2 Samuel 17:11“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle.
• Judges 20:1Then all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came together as one and assembled before the Lord in Mizpah.
• Deuteronomy 8:13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
• Proverbs 29:23Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.
• Jeremiah 17:5This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

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