17 And David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, `Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these -- the flock -- what have they done? Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.'
An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock of Thy pasture.
And the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, `I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.'
and David lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing between the earth and the heavens, and his sword drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem, and David falleth, and the elders, covered with sackcloth, on their faces. And David saith unto God, `Did not I -- I say to number the people? Yea, I it `is' who have sinned, and done great evil: and these, the flock, what did they? O Jehovah, my God, let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father, and not on Thy people -- to be plagued.'
`And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren,
And he saith, `I have seen all Israel scattered on the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, These have no master; they turn back each to his house in peace.'
Therefore do I loathe `it', And I have repented on dust and ashes.
Thou makest us food like sheep, And among nations Thou hast scattered us.
Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me, For my transgressions I do know, And my sin `is' before me continually. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging. Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me.
And I say, `Wo to me, for I have been silent, For a man -- unclean of lips `am' I, And in midst of a people unclean of lips I am dwelling, Because the King, Jehovah of Hosts, have my eyes seen.'
`Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo `to' the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed? The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not. The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour. And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered. Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.
Sword, awake against My shepherd, And against a hero -- My fellow, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts. Smite the shepherd, and scattered is the flock, And I have put back My hand on the little ones.
`I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed, for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 24
Commentary on 2 Samuel 24 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 24
The last words of David, which we read in the chapter before, were admirably good, but in this chapter we read of some of his last works, which were none of the best; yet he repented, and did his first works again, and so he finished well. We have here,
2Sa 24:1-9
Here we have,
2Sa 24:10-17
We have here David repenting of the sin and yet punished for it, God repenting of the judgment and David thereby made more penitent.
2Sa 24:18-25
Here is,