2 Samuel 24

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:25

Efficacious sacrifices. These sacrifices of David illustrate the nature and purpose of such offerings under the Law. David acted in obedience to a message from God ( 2 Samuel 24:18 ). He did not offer sacrifices in order to render God merciful; it was the mercy of God which originated them. It was because he would stay the destroying pestilence that he directed David to offer them. Still, the sacrifices were a condition of the exercise of his mercy. It was when they had been offered that... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel - This sentence is the heading of the whole chapter, which goes on to describe the sin which kindled this anger, namely, the numbering of the people 1 Chronicles 21:7-8; 1 Chronicles 27:24. There is no note of time, except that the word “again” shows that these events happened “after” those of 2 Samuel 21:0. (Compare also 2Sa 24:25; 2 Samuel 21:14.)And he moved David - In 1 Chronicles 21:1 the statement is, “and an adversary” (not... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:2

1 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 more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:5

Aroer - Aroer on the Arnon (Deuteronomy 2:36 note). Aroer itself stood on the very edge of the precipitous cliff of the valley; and in the valley beneath, possibly in an island in the stream, stood another city which is here alluded to.River - Rather, “the valley” (margin). They passed from Aroer, northward to Gad, and so pitched at Jazer (see the marginal references), which is on the frontier of Gad and Reuben. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:6

To Gilead - Jazer was in the plain. They passed from there to the mountain district of Gilead.The land of Tahtim-hodshi - The text here is corrupt, as no such land is known. Possibly the right reading is “the land of the Hittites” Judges 1:26; “hodshi” may be a fragment of a sentence which mentioned in what month חדשׁ chôdesh they arrived there, just as 2 Samuel 24:8 relates that they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine “months.”Dan-jaan - The versions read “Dan-jaar,” i. e., Dan in the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:7

The strong hold of Tyre - “The fenced city,” as it is generally rendered throughout the historical books.The cities of the Hivites - Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim, and perhaps Shechem, besides those at the foot of Hermon and Lebanon, of which we do not know the names. This continuance of distinct communities of Hivites so late as the end of David’s reign is remarkable. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:9

1 Chronicles 27:23 indicates sufficiently why the numbering was sinful. It is also stated in 1 Chronicles 21:6, that Joab purposely omitted Levi and Benjamin from the reckoning.Eight hundred thousand ... five hundred thousand - In Chronicles the numbers are differently given. It is probable therefore that the Chronicler has included in his statement of the sum total some numbers which are not included here. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:11

David’s seer - Margin, references. From the latter passage it is probable that we have here Gad’s narrative. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:13

Compare Ezekiel 14:13-21. The “seven” years of famine correspond with the “seven” years of famine in Genesis 41:27, Genesis 41:30, and with the same number of years in 2 Kings 8:1. But in Chronicles, it is “three years,” which agrees better with the “three” months and “three” days. The whole passage is amplified in Chronicles, which has less the aspect of an original text than this. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:15

The time appointed - Perhaps “the time of the assembly,” meaning the time of the evening sacrifice, at three o’clock, when the people assembled for prayer, more commonly described as “the time of the evening oblation” Daniel 9:21; 1Ki 18:29, 1 Kings 18:36; Acts 3:1; Luke 1:10.Seventy thousand - It is the most destructive plague recorded as having fallen upon the Israelites. In the plague that followed the rebellion of Korah there died 14,700 Numbers 16:49; in the plague, on account of... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:25

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:5

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:6

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:7

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:11

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:13

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:15

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