And his servants - In Chronicles “his four sons,” namely, David’s. It is very possible that David may have taken his sons with him, as well as his elders, and Gad’s original narrative may have mentioned the circumstance, which the compiler of this chapter did not care to specify, and so used the general term “his servants.” read more
Here be oxen - Those, namely, which were at that very time threshing out the grain in Araunah’s threshing-floor 1 Chronicles 21:20; Deuteronomy 25:4.Threshing-instruments - This was a kind of sledge with iron teeth Isaiah 41:15. It was drawn by two or four oxen over the grain on the floor.Other instruments of the oxen - “i. e., the harness of the oxen,” of which the yoke, and perhaps some other parts, would be made of wood (marginal references; 1 Samuel 6:14). read more
Either, “the whole O king does Araunah give unto the king;” or (2) “the whole did king Araunah give to the king.” The former is preferable. read more
Fifty shekels of silver - In Chronicles, “six hundred shekels of gold by weight.” In explanation, it is supposed - that the fifty shekels here mentioned were gold shekels, each worth twelve silver shekels, so that the fifty gold shekels are equal to the 600 silver; that our text should be rendered, “David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for money,” namely, “fifty shekels;” and that the passage in Chronicles should be rendered, “David qave to Ornan gold shekels of the value” (or weight)... read more
A.M. 2987. B.C. 1017. David numbers the people, 2 Samuel 24:1-9 . His repentance and punishment, 2 Samuel 24:10-15 . The plague stayed, 2 Samuel 24:16 , 2 Samuel 24:17 . He erects an altar and sacrificeth, 2 Samuel 24:18-25 . read more
2 Samuel 24:1. And again After the former tokens of his anger, such as the three years’ famine, mentioned chap. 21. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel For their sins, and on account of the following action of David. The anger of the Lord, it must be well observed, was not the cause of David’s sin, nor of the sins of the people; for God cannot be the author of sin; but David’s sin and the sins of Israel were the cause of God’s anger. And he moved David against them The... read more
2 Samuel 24:2 . From Dan even to Beer-sheba From one end of the country to the other. For Dan was the utmost bound of it in the north, and Beer-sheba in the south. That I may know the number of the people This expression shows David’s sin in this matter, that he numbered them, not by direction from God, but out of mere curiosity, and pride, and vain-glory; accompanied with a confidence in the numbers of his people. All which sins were so manifest, that not only God saw them, but even Joab... read more
2 Samuel 24:3-4. And Joab said, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, &c. Thus we see that this action of David was thought a very wrong step, even by Joab himself, who remonstrated against it, as apprehensive of the bad consequences that might attend it: and therefore Joab counted not Levi and Benjamin, (1 Chronicles 21:6,) because the king’s word was abominable to him. Probably we do not understand all the circumstances of this affair; but Joab’s sense of it, who was no... read more
2 Samuel 24:5-7. They passed over Jordan They went first into the eastern part of the country, and so by the northern coasts to the west, and then to the south. And pitched in Aroer These words seem to import, that they pitched their tents in the field, and thither summoned the neighbouring towns to come unto them: which was very troublesome, and at last proved intolerably grievous. And to the land of Tahtim-hodshi It is in vain to seek after this land, which is not mentioned in the... read more
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Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:17
Compare the passage in Chronicles. The account here is abridged; and 2 Samuel 24:18 has the appearance of being the original statement. read more