2 Samuel 24:1-9
24:1 a The reason God’s anger ... burned against Israel is unknown (but see Deut 4:25 b; 6:14-15 c; 29:22-28 d; 31:16-18 e).• Caused ... to harm reflects a Hebrew verb (suth) used elsewhere in the sense of enticing or inciting someone to do wrong (1 Sam 26:19 f, “stirred you up against me”). Census-taking was usually unpopular with citizens, who resented it as an intrusion into their private affairs. They regarded it as a prelude to taxation or forced military service (see study note on 2 Sam 24:9). If David was motivated by pride or was preparing for an illegitimate war (as 24:9 g might suggest), this might explain why it was a sin for him (24:10 h).
24:2 i Dan and Beersheba were the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israel. This phrase meant the entire land of Israel.
24:3 j why ... do you want to do this? Joab either realized that such a move would be unpopular among the people, or he believed that it was wrong before God.
24:9 k The phrase capable warriors shows that the census focused largely on those fit for military service. The total for Judah here might be rounded up from the total in 1 Chr 21:5 l; the different number for Israel in 1 Chr 21:5 m (1,100,000) might come from combining a regular standing army of 300,000 (elsewhere unrecorded) with the 800,000 discovered through the census.
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