1-4 David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people 5-9 The captains, in nine months and twenty days, bring the muster of thirteen hundred thousand fighting men 10-14 David repents, and having three plagues propounded by God, chooses the three days' pestilence 15-17 After the death of three score and ten thousand, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem 18-25 David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor; where having sacrificed, the plague stays.

A.M. 2987 B.C. 1017 An. Ex. Is. 474
again 2Sa 21:1

he This verse, when read without reference to any other part of the word of God, is very difficult to understand, and has been used by those who desire to undermine the justice of God, to shew that he sought occasion to punish--that he incited David to sin; and when he has so incited him, gave to him the dreadful alternative of choosing one of three scourges by which his people were to be cut off. On the face of the passage these thoughts naturally arise, because `the Lord' is antecedent to the pronoun `he'--He moved David. But to those who `search the Scriptures,' this exceedingly difficult passage receives a wonderful elucidation, By referring to 1Ch 21:1, the reader will there find that {Satan was the mover}, and that the Lord most righteously punished David for the display of pride he had manifested. Oh! that Christians, who sometimes have their minds harassed with doubts, would remember the promise, that what they know not now they shall know hereafter, and if no other instance of elucidation than this passage occurred to them to remove their doubts, let this be a means of stirring them up to dig deeper than ever into the inexhaustible mines of the Inspired Word. Jas 1:13,14

moved 2Sa 12:11 16:10 Ge 45:5 50:20 Ex 7:3 1Sa 26:19 1Ki 22:20-23 Eze 14:9 20:25 Ac 4:28 2Th 2:11

Go, number 1Ch 27:23,24

2 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 even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

Joab 2Sa 2:13 8:16 20:23 23:37

Go now, etc. or, Compass now all 1Ch 21:2

from Dan 2Sa 3:10 17:11 Jud 20:1

and number We know not in what the sinfulness of this action consisted. Some think it was contempt of the promise that the Israelites should be innumerable, and that they ought not to have been numbered without an express command, as in the days of Moses. Others suppose with Josephus that it was a kind of sacrilege, in omitting to collect the half-shekel apiece for the use of the sanctuary. It however would appear that pride and ambition, and a desire of conquest, induced David to this measure, and rendered it so displeasing to God.

That I may De 8:13,14 2Ch 32:25,26,31 Pr 29:23 Jer 17:5 2Co 12:7

3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

2Ch 10:12 1Ch 21:3,4 Ps 115:14 Pr 14:28 Isa 60:5

4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

the king's 1Ch 21:4 Ec 8:4

went out Ex 1:17 Ac 5:29

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

Aroer De 2:36 Jos 13:9,16 1Sa 30:28 Isa 17:2

river, or, valley
Jazer Nu 32:1,3,35 Isa 16:8,9

6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,

Gilead Ge 31:21,47,48 Nu 32:1,39

land of Tahtim-hodshi. or, nether land newly inhabited
Dan-jaam Jos 19:47 Jud 18:29

Zidon Ge 10:15 Jos 11:8 19:28 Jud 18:28

7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

Tyre Jos 19:29

to Beer-sheba 2Sa 24:2 Ge 21:31-33

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

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

eight hundred thousand 1Ch 21:5,6 27:23,24

10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

David's heart 1Sa 24:5 Joh 8:9 1Jo 3:20,21

I have sinned 2Sa 12:13 1Ch 21:8 2Ch 32:26 Job 33:27,28 Ps 32:5 Pr 28:13 Mic 7:8,9 1Jo 1:9

take away Job 7:21 Ho 14:2 Joh 1:29

foolishly 2Sa 12:13 De 32:6 1Sa 13:13 26:21 2Ch 16:9 Mr 7:22 Tit 3:3

11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

Gad 1Sa 22:5 1Ch 2:19 29:29

seer 1Sa 9:9

12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

I offer 1Ch 21:10,11

that I may 2Sa 12:9,10,14 Le 26:41,43 Job 5:17,18 Pr 3:12 Heb 12:6-10 Re 3:19

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

seven 2Sa 21:1 Le 26:20 1Ki 17:1 1Ch 21:12 Eze 14:13,21 Lu 4:25

flee Le 26:17,36,37 De 28:25,52

three days Le 26:16,25 De 28:22,27,35 Ps 91:6 Eze 14:19-21

14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

I am in 1Sa 13:6 2Ki 6:15 Joh 12:27 Php 1:23

for his Ex 34:6,7 1Ch 21:13 Ps 51:1 86:5,15 103:8-14 119:156 145:9 Isa 55:7 Jon 4:2 Mic 7:18

great. or, many
let me not 2Ki 13:3-7 2Ch 28:5-9 Ps 106:41,42 Pr 12:10 Isa 47:6 Zec 1:15

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

the Lord Nu 16:46-49 25:9 1Sa 6:19 1Ch 21:14 27:4 Mt 24:7 Re 6:8

from Dan 2Sa 24:2

seventy thousand men Isa 37:36

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

the angel Ex 12:23 2Ki 19:35 1Ch 21:15,16 2Ch 32:21 Ps 35:6 Ac 12:23

repented Ge 6:6 1Sa 15:11 Ps 78:38 90:13 135:14 Jer 18:7-10 Joe 2:13,14 Am 7:3,6 Hab 3:2

It is enough Ex 9:28 1Ki 19:4 Isa 27:8 40:1,2 57:16 Joe 2:13,14 Mr 14:41 2Co 2:6

Araunah 2Sa 24:18 1Ch 21:15 2Ch 3:1

Ornan
the Jebusite 2Sa 5:8 Ge 10:16 Jos 15:63 Jud 1:21 19:11 Zec 9:7

17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

spake 1Ch 21:16,17

Lo, I have sinned 2Sa 24:10 Job 7:20 42:6 Ps 51:2-5 Isa 6:5

these sheep 1Ki 22:17 Ps 44:11 74:1 Eze 34:2-6,23,24 Zec 13:7

let thine Ge 44:33 Joh 10:11,12 1Pe 2:24,25

18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Gad 2Sa 24:11 1Ch 21:18

threshing floor These, among the ancient Jews, were only round, level plats of ground in the open air, as they are to this day in the East, where the corn was trodden out by oxen.

Araunah [heb] Araniah. 2Sa 24:16

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

as the Lord Ge 6:22 1Ch 21:19 2Ch 20:20 36:16 Ne 9:26 Heb 11:8

20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

bowed 2Sa 9:8 Ge 18:2 Ru 2:10 1Ch 21:20,21

21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

Wherefore 2Sa 24:3,18

To buy Ge 23:8-16 1Ch 21:22 Jer 32:6-14

the plague 2Sa 21:3-14 Nu 16:47-50 25:8 Ps 106:30

22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

Let my lord Ge 23:11 1Ch 21:22

be oxen 1Sa 6:14 1Ki 19:21

23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

as a king Ps 45:16 Isa 32:8

The Lord Job 42:8,9 Ps 20:3,4 Isa 60:7 Eze 20:40,41 Ho 8:13 Ro 15:30,31 1Ti 2:1,2 1Pe 2:5

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Nay Ge 23:13 1Ch 21:24 Mal 1:12-14 Ro 12:17

So David 1Ch 21:25 22:1

25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

built there Ge 8:20 22:9 1Sa 7:9,17

So the Lord 2Sa 24:14 21:14 1Ch 21:26,27 La 3:32,33