aThis passage is also found, with some variations, in 1 Chron. 21.1–26. GOD’s anger againbagain Cf. above 21.1–14. flared up against Israel; and [God] incited David against them, saying, “Go and number Israel and Judah.”
The king said to Joab, his army commander,chis army commander Cf. 1 Chron. 21.2 “and to the officers of the army”; below, v. 4. “Make the rounds of all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people, so that I may know the size of the population.”
Joab answered the king, “May the ETERNAL your God increase the number of the people a hundredfold, while your own eyes see it! But why should my lord king want this?”
However, the king’s command to Joab and to the officers of the army remained firm; and Joab and the officers of the army set out, at the king’s behest, to take a census of the people of Israel.
They crossed the Jordan and encamped at Aroer, on the right side of the town, which is in the middle of the wadi of Gad, anddencamped at Aroer, on the right side of the town, which is … Gad, and Some Septuagint mss. read “began at Aroer, and from the town, which is … Gad, they.” [went on] to Jazer.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויעברו
294
אתהירדן
670
ויחנו
80
בערוער
548
ימין
110
העיר
285
אשר
501
בתוךהנחל
521
הגד
12
ואליעזר
324
II Samuel 24:6
Gematria: 2135
ויבאוהגלעדהואלארץתחתיםחדשיויבאודנהיעןוסביבאלצידון
They continued to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around toeTahtim-hodshi … and around to Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Sidon.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבאו
25
הגלעדה
117
ואלארץ
328
תחתים
858
חדשי
322
ויבאו
25
דנה
59
יען
130
וסביב
80
אלצידון
191
II Samuel 24:7
Gematria: 2027
ויבאומבצרצרוכלעריהחויוהכנעניויצאואלנגביהודהבארשבע
They went onto the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites, and finished at Beer-sheba in southern Judah.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבאו
25
מבצרצר
622
וכלערי
336
החוי
29
והכנעני
211
ויצאו
113
אלנגב
86
יהודה
30
באר
203
שבע
372
II Samuel 24:8
Gematria: 3344
וישטובכלהארץויבאומקצהתשעהחדשיםועשריםיוםירושלם
They traversed the whole country, and then they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
Joab reported to the king the number of the people that had been recorded: in Israel there were 800,000 soldiers ready to draw the sword, and Judah’s contingent numbered 500,000.
But afterward David reproached himselffreproached himself See note at 1 Sam. 24.6. for having numbered the people. And David said to GOD, “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. Please, O GOD, remit the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted foolishly.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויך
36
לבדוד
46
אתו
407
אחריכן
289
ספר
340
אתהעםפויאמר
853
דוד
14
אליהוה
57
חטאתי
428
מאד
45
אשר
501
עשיתי
790
ועתה
481
יהוה
26
העברנא
328
אתעון
527
עבדך
96
כי
30
נסכלתי
570
מאד
45
II Samuel 24:11
Gematria: 1223
ויקםדודבבקרפודבריהוההיהאלגדהנביאחזהדודלאמר
When David rose in the morning, the word of GOD had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer:
Gad came to David and told him; he asked, “Shall a seven-year famine come upon you in the land, or shall you be in flight from your adversaries for three months while they pursue you, or shall there be three days of pestilence in your land? Now consider carefully what reply I shall take back to the One who sent me.”
David said to Gad, “I am in great distress.gin great distress Or “deeply distressed.” Let us fall into the hands of GOD, whose compassion is great; and let me not fall into human hands.”hSeptuagint adds “So David chose the pestilence. It was the time of the wheat harvest.”
GOD sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning until the set time;iuntil the set time Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and 70,000 of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba.
But when the angeljangel Lit. “messenger.” extended a hand against Jerusalem to destroy it, GOD renounced further punishment and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Stay your hand!” The angel of GOD was then by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to GOD, “I alone am guilty, I alone have done wrong; but these poor sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house!”
Araunah looked out and saw the king and his courtiers approaching him.k4QSamᵃ and 1 Chron. 21.20 add “Araunah (Ornan) was threshing wheat.” So Araunah went out and bowed low to the king, with his face to the ground.
And Araunah asked, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you, that I may build an altar to GOD and that the plague against the people may be checked.”
And Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take it and offer up whatever he sees fit. Here are oxen for a burnt offering, and the threshing boards and the gear of the oxen for wood.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
ארונה
262
אלדוד
45
יקח
118
ויעל
116
אדני
65
המלך
95
הטוב
22
בעינו
138
ראה
206
הבקר
307
לעלה
135
והמרגים
304
וכלי
66
הבקר
307
לעצים
240
II Samuel 24:23
Gematria: 2149
הכלנתןארונההמלךלמלךסויאמרארונהאלהמלךיהוהאלהיךירצך
All this, O king,lO king Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Araunah gives to Your Majesty. And may the ETERNAL your God,” Araunah added, “respond to you with favor!”
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I will buy them from you at a price. I cannot sacrifice to the ETERNAL my God burnt offerings that have cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
And David built there an altar to GOD and sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. GOD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague against Israel was checked.