The Second Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 24 -

(Exodus 30:11–16; 1 Chronicles 21:1–6)

Again the anger of Yahweh was ignited against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”

The king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count all the people, so that I may know the total number of men fit for battle.”

Joab said to the king, “May Yahweh your God multiply the number of people a hundred times, and may the eyes of my master the king see it take place. But why does my master the king want this?”

Nevertheless, the king’s word was final against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders went out from the king’s presence to count the people of Israel.

They crossed over the Jordan and encamped near Aroer, south of the city in the valley. Then they traveled on through Gad to Jazer.

They came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi, then on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.

They reached the stronghold of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to the Negev in Judah at Beersheba.

When they had gone throughout all the land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

Then Joab reported the total of the count of the fighting men to the king. There were in Israel 800,000 brave men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men.

Judgment for David’s Sin

(1 Chronicles 21:7–13)

Then David’s heart afflicted him after he had counted the men. So he said to Yahweh, “I have greatly sinned by doing this. Now, Yahweh, take away your servant’s guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”

When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

“Go say to David: ‘This is what Yahweh says: “I am giving you three choices. Choose one of them.”’”

So Gad went to David and said to him, “Will three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months from your enemies while they pursue you? Or will there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what answer I should return to him who sent me.”

Then David said to Gad, “I am in deep trouble. Let us fall into Yahweh’s hands rather than into the hand of man, for his merciful actions are very great.”

A Plague on Israel

(1 Chronicles 21:14–17)

So Yahweh sent a plague on Israel from the morning to a fixed time, and seventy thousand people died from Dan to Beersheba.

When the angel reached out with his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh changed his mind because of the harm it would cause, and he said to the angel who was destroying people, “Enough! Now draw back your hand.” At that time the angel of Yahweh was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who had attacked the people, and said, “I have sinned, and I have acted perversely. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand punish me and my father’s family!”

David Builds an Altar

(1 Chronicles 21:18–30)

Then Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar for Yahweh at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, as Yahweh had commanded.

Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching. So Araunah went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.

Then Araunah said, “Why has my master the king come to me, his servant?” David replied, “To buy your threshing floor, so I can build an altar for Yahweh, so that the plague may be removed from the people.”

Araunah said to David, “Take it as your own, my master the king. Do with it what is good in your sight. Look, here are oxen for the burnt offering and threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

All this, my king, I, Araunah, will give to you.” Then he said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”

The king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it at a price. I will not offer as a burnt offering to Yahweh my God anything that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

David built an altar for Yahweh there and offered on it burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So they pleaded with Yahweh on behalf of the land, and he caused the plague to be contained throughout Israel.

(Exodus 30:11–16; 1 Chronicles 21:1–6)

Again the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”

The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, “Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the sum of the people.”

Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer;

then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon,

and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba.

So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

Joab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Judgment for David’s Sin

(1 Chronicles 21:7–13)

David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, the LORD, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

When David rose up in the morning, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

“Go and speak to David, ‘The LORD says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”

So Gad came to David, and told him, saying, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”

David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let us fall now into the LORD’s hand, for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into man’s hand.”

A Plague on Israel

(1 Chronicles 21:14–17)

So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba.

When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” The LORD’s angel was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”

David Builds an Altar

(1 Chronicles 21:18–30)

Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

David went up according to the saying of Gad, as the LORD commanded.

Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. Then Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing floor, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”

Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.

All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

The king said to Araunah, “No, but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels

(a)

of silver.

David built an altar to the LORD there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.

Footnotes

(a)24:24 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 50 shekels is about 0.5 kilograms or 1.1 pounds.