2 Samuel 24:1, 2 Samuel 24:1-16 WEB

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

The Book closes with one other picture, reminding us of the direct government of the people by God in that He visited the king and the nation with punishment for numbering the people. It has been objected that there was nothing sinful in taking a census, seeing that it had been done before in the history of the people by the direct command of God. But in that very fact lay the contrast between previous numberings and this. They were carried out by the command of God. This was done from a very... read more

James Nisbet

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:1

A FATAL BLUNDER‘And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.’ 2 Samuel 24:1 We do not see immediately upon its being mentioned how it was wrong for David to number the people; that is, in the modern phrase, to take a census of the population. We have a census of the population taken at certain intervals, and this is not wrong, but very proper and useful. What is the difference between the circumstances of the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1-10

David’s Sinful Purpose To Number Israel And The Carrying Out Of That Purpose (2 Samuel 24:1-10 ). As suggested above David’s sin lay in the fact that he was acting in disregard of the fact that he was YHWH’r regent or Nagid, and not Israel’s sole king. His act was thus seen as an act of rebellion, fostered by his own arrogance and pride. It indicated that he was forgetting his status, which was why it had to be severely dealt with. It is significant that the book which commences with the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

David Sins By Numbering Israel Resulting In Pestilence From YHWH And A Final Act Of Atonement (2 Samuel 24:1-25 ). The act of numbering the men of Israel would appear to have been seen as an act of rebellion against YHWH. According to 1 Chronicles 27:23-24 YHWH had promised that the number of the children of Israel would be as the stars of the heavens. They were thus not to be numbered arbitrarily (it was permitted in a general way for organisational purposes when mustering to battle but not... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

1 Samuel 24. The Census (J). ( Cf. p. 292.)— This event also may belong to the beginning of David’ s reign over all Israel. 2 Samuel 24:1-1 Samuel : . Here is another illustration of the imperfect recognition of the moral nature of Yahweh in the primitive documents. No one is conscious of sin, yet Yahweh, for some inscrutable, arbitrary reason, is angry with His people. Accordingly, He induces David to commit an obvious sin, so that He may have a justification for punishing Israel. It is... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - 2 Samuel 24:1

Again, to wit, after the former tokens of his anger, such as the three years’ famine, 2 Samuel 21:0. He moved David he: who? Either, 1. Satan, as is expressed, 1 Chronicles 21:1. Or, 2. God; who is said, in like manner, to stir up Saul against David, 1 Samuel 26:19, and to turn the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people, Psalms 105:25, and to make men to err from his ways, Isaiah 63:17, and to send strong delusions, &c., and to harden their hearts. All which expressions are not so to be... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

2 Samuel 24:1. “Again,” Evidently referring to the famine mentioned in 2 Samuel 21:1-14. “Israel.” Some special national guilt not specified must be here referred to. If, as most writers suppose, this occurred in the closing years of David’s life it may be the rebellion under Absalom. “He.” Attempts have been made to translate here impersonally, David was moved, etc.; and in Chronicles the instigation is attributed to Satan. But the grammatical construction will not admit of any other... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:1

2 Samuel 24:1 We do not see immediately upon its being mentioned how it was wrong for David to number the people; that is, in the modern phrase, to take a census of the population. We have a census of the population taken at certain intervals, and this is not wrong, but very proper and useful. What is the difference between the circumstances of the children of Israel and our own? I. Notice first the object with which this act was done. It was very clear what David had an eye to in numbering the... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

Chapter 24Chapter twenty four,Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, and number Israel and Judah. 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 to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people ( 2 Samuel 24:1-2 ).Now Joab rightfully objected to David from this numbering process. He said, "Why do you need to know how many people... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - 2 Samuel 24:1-25

2 Samuel 24:1 . The Lord moved David. He permitted Satan to stand up against Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1. 2 Samuel 24:9 . There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. The men of Israel are in the first of Chronicles said to be eleven hundred thousand, and the men of Judah only four hundred and seventy thousand. Those who attempt to reconcile the difference, suppose that the twenty four thousand monthly... read more