17 And David H1732 spake H559 unto the LORD H3068 when he saw H7200 the angel H4397 that smote H5221 the people, H5971 and said, H559 Lo, I have sinned, H2398 and I have done wickedly: H5753 but these sheep, H6629 what have they done? H6213 let thine hand, H3027 I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's H1 house. H1004
And David H1732 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stand H5975 between the earth H776 and the heaven, H8064 having a drawn H8025 sword H2719 in his hand H3027 stretched out H5186 over Jerusalem. H3389 Then David H1732 and the elders H2205 of Israel, who were clothed H3680 in sackcloth, H8242 fell H5307 upon their faces. H6440 And David H1732 said H559 unto God, H430 Is it not I that commanded H559 the people H5971 to be numbered? H4487 even I it is that have sinned H2398 and done evil H7489 indeed; H7489 but as for these sheep, H6629 what have they done? H6213 let thine hand, H3027 I pray thee, O LORD H3068 my God, H430 be on me, and on my father's H1 house; H1004 but not on thy people, H5971 that they should be plagued. H4046
Wash H3526 me throughly H7235 from mine iniquity, H5771 and cleanse H2891 me from my sin. H2403 For I acknowledge H3045 my transgressions: H6588 and my sin H2403 is ever H8548 before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, H2398 and done H6213 this evil H7451 in thy sight: H5869 that thou mightest be justified H6663 when thou speakest, H1696 and be clear H2135 when thou judgest. H8199 Behold, I was shapen H2342 in iniquity; H5771 and in sin H2399 did my mother H517 conceive H3179 me.
Son H1121 of man, H120 prophesy H5012 against the shepherds H7462 of Israel, H3478 prophesy, H5012 and say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 unto the shepherds; H7462 Woe H1945 be to the shepherds H7462 of Israel H3478 that do feed H7462 themselves! should not the shepherds H7462 feed H7462 the flocks? H6629 Ye eat H398 the fat, H2459 and ye clothe H3847 you with the wool, H6785 ye kill H2076 them that are fed: H1277 but ye feed H7462 not the flock. H6629 The diseased H2470 have ye not strengthened, H2388 neither have ye healed H7495 that which was sick, H2470 neither have ye bound up H2280 that which was broken, H7665 neither have ye brought again H7725 that which was driven away, H5080 neither have ye sought H1245 that which was lost; H6 but with force H2394 and with cruelty H6531 have ye ruled H7287 them. And they were scattered, H6327 because there is no shepherd: H7462 and they became meat H402 to all the beasts H2416 of the field, H7704 when they were scattered. H6327 My sheep H6629 wandered H7686 through all the mountains, H2022 and upon every high H7311 hill: H1389 yea, my flock H6629 was scattered H6327 upon all the face H6440 of the earth, H776 and none did search H1875 or seek H1245 after them.
And I will set up H6965 one H259 shepherd H7462 over them, and he shall feed H7462 them, even my servant H5650 David; H1732 he shall feed H7462 them, and he shall be their shepherd. H7462 And I the LORD H3068 will be their God, H430 and my servant H5650 David H1732 a prince H5387 among H8432 them; I the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 it.
I G1473 am G1510 the good G2570 shepherd: G4166 the good G2570 shepherd G4166 giveth G5087 his G846 life G5590 for G5228 the sheep. G4263 But G1161 he that is G5607 an hireling, G3411 and G2532 not G3756 the shepherd, G4166 whose G3739 own G2398 the sheep G4263 are G1526 not, G3756 seeth G2334 the wolf G3074 coming, G2064 and G2532 leaveth G863 the sheep, G4263 and G2532 fleeth: G5343 and G2532 the wolf G3074 catcheth G726 them, G846 and G2532 scattereth G4650 the sheep. G4263
Who G3739 his own self G846 bare G399 our G2257 sins G266 in G1722 his own G846 body G4983 on G1909 the tree, G3586 that G2443 we, G2198 being dead G581 to sins, G266 should live G2198 unto righteousness: G1343 by G3739 whose G846 stripes G3468 ye were healed. G2390 For G1063 ye were G2258 as G5613 sheep G4263 going astray; G4105 but G235 are G1994 now G3568 returned G1994 unto G1909 the Shepherd G4166 and G2532 Bishop G1985 of your G5216 souls. G5590
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 24
Commentary on 2 Samuel 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
2Sa 24:1-9. David Numbers the People.
1-4. again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah—"Again" carries us back to the former tokens of His wrath in the three years' famine [2Sa 21:1]. God, though He cannot tempt any man (Jas 1:13), is frequently described in Scripture as doing what He merely permits to be done; and so, in this case, He permitted Satan to tempt David. Satan was the active mover, while God only withdrew His supporting grace, and the great tempter prevailed against the king. (See Ex 7:13; 1Sa 26:19; 2Sa 16:10; Ps 105:25; Isa 7:17, &c.). The order was given to Joab, who, though not generally restrained by religious scruples, did not fail to present, in strong terms (see on 1Ch 21:3), the sin and danger of this measure. He used every argument to dissuade the king from his purpose. The sacred history has not mentioned the objections which he and other distinguished officers urged against it in the council of David. But it expressly states that they were all overruled by the inflexible resolution of the king.
5. they passed over Jordan—This census was taken first in the eastern parts of the Hebrew kingdom; and it would seem that Joab was accompanied by a military force, either to aid in this troublesome work, or to overawe the people who might display reluctance or opposition.
the river of Gad—"Wady" would be a better term. It extends over a course estimated at about sixty miles, which, though in summer almost constantly dry, exhibits very evident traces of being swept over by an impetuous torrent in winter (see De 2:36).
6. the land of Tahtim-hodshi—that is, the land lately acquired; namely, that of the Hagarites conquered by Saul (1Ch 5:10). The progress was northward. Thence they crossed the country, and, proceeding along the western coast to the southern extremities of the country, they at length arrived in Jerusalem, having completed the enumeration of the whole kingdom in the space of nine months and twenty days.
9. Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king—The amount here stated, compared with 1Ch 21:5, gives a difference of three hundred thousand. The discrepancy is only apparent, and admits of an easy reconciliation; thus (see 1Ch 27:1-15), there were twelve divisions of generals, who commanded monthly, and whose duty was to keep guard on the royal person, each having a body of troops consisting of twenty-four thousand men, which, together, formed an army of two hundred eighty-eight thousand; and as a separate detachment of twelve thousand was attendant on the twelve princes of the twelve tribes mentioned in the same chapter, so both are equal to three hundred thousand. These were not reckoned in this book, because they were in the actual service of the king as a regular militia. But 1Ch 21:5 joins them to the rest, saying, "all those of Israel were one million, one hundred thousand"; whereas the author of Samuel, who reckons only the eight hundred thousand, does not say, "all those of Israel," but barely "and Israel were," &c. It must also be observed that, exclusive of the troops before mentioned, there was an army of observation on the frontiers of the Philistines' country, composed of thirty thousand men, as appears from 2Sa 6:1; which, it seems, were included in the number of five hundred thousand of the people of Judah by the author of Samuel. But the author of Chronicles, who mentions only four hundred seventy thousand, gives the number of that tribe exclusive of those thirty thousand men, because they were not all of the tribe of Judah, and therefore he does not say, "all those of Judah," as he had said, "all those of Israel," but only, "and those of Judah." Thus both accounts may be reconciled [Davidson].
2Sa 24:10-14. He, Having Three Plagues Propounded by GAD, Repents, and Chooses Three Days' Pestilence.
10-13. David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned—The act of numbering the people was not in itself sinful; for Moses did it by the express authority of God. But David acted not only independently of such order or sanction, but from motives unworthy of the delegated king of Israel; from pride and vainglory; from self-confidence and distrust of God; and, above all, from ambitious designs of conquest, in furtherance of which he was determined to force the people into military service, and to ascertain whether he could muster an army sufficient for the magnitude of the enterprises he contemplated. It was a breach of the constitution, an infringement of the liberties of the people, and opposed to that divine policy which required that Israel should continue a separate people. His eyes were not opened to the heinousness of his sin till God had spoken unto him by His commissioned prophet.
13. Shall seven years of famine come unto thee—that is, in addition to the three that had been already, with the current year included (see on 1Ch 21:11).
14. David said, … Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord—His overwhelming sense of his sin led him to acquiesce in the punishment denounced, notwithstanding its apparent excess of severity. He proceeded on a good principle in choosing the pestilence. In pestilence he was equally exposed, as it was just and right he should be, to danger as his people, whereas, in war and famine, he possessed means of protection superior to them. Besides, he thereby showed his trust, founded on long experience, in the divine goodness.
2Sa 24:15-25. His Intercession to God; the Plague Ceases.
15. from the morning—rather that morning when Gad came [2Sa 24:18], till the end of the three days.
there died of the people … seventy thousand men—Thus was the pride of the vainglorious monarch, confiding in the number of his population, deeply humbled.
16. the Lord repented him of the evil—God is often described in Scripture as repenting when He ceased to pursue a course He had begun.
17. David … said—or, "had said,"
I have sinned … but these sheep, what have they done?—The guilt of numbering the people lay exclusively with David. But in the body politic as well as natural, when the head suffers, all the members suffer along with it; and, besides, although David's sin was the immediate cause, the great increase of national offenses at this time had (2Sa 24:1) kindled the anger of the Lord.
18. Araunah—or Ornan (1Ch 21:18), the Jebusite, one of the ancient inhabitants, who, having become a convert to the true religion, retained his house and possessions. He resided on Mount Moriah, the spot on which the temple was afterwards built (2Ch 3:1); but that mount was not then enclosed in the town.
21. to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed—It is evident that the plague was not stayed till after the altar was built, and the sacrifice offered, so that what is related (2Sa 24:16) was by anticipation. Previous to the offering of this sacrifice, he had seen the destroying angel as well as offered the intercessory prayer (2Sa 24:17). This was a sacrifice of expiation; and the reason why he was allowed to offer it on Mount Moriah was partly in gracious consideration to his fear of repairing to Gibeon (1Ch 21:29, 30), and partly in anticipation of the removal of the tabernacle and the erection of the temple there (2Ch 3:1).
23. All these things did Araunah, as a king, give—Indicating, as the sense is, that this man had been anciently a heathen king or chief, but was now a proselyte who still retained great property and influence in Jerusalem, and whose piety was evinced by the liberality of his offers. The words, "as a king," are taken by some to signify simply, "he gave with royal munificence."
24. Nay; … I will … buy it of thee at a price—The sum mentioned here, namely, fifty shekels of silver, equal £6 sterling, was paid for the floor, oxen and wood instruments only, whereas the large sum (1Ch 21:25) was paid afterwards for the whole hill, on which David made preparations for building the temple.
25. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings—There seem to have been two sacrifices; the first expiatory, the second a thanksgiving for the cessation of the pestilence (see on 1Ch 21:26).