1 chronicles 21:2 - David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”
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What does "1 chronicles 21:2" mean?
This verse from 1 Chronicles 21:2 describes King David ordering a census of the Israelite people. Let's break it down:
"David said to Joab and to the princes of the people": David, the king of Israel, is giving this order to his military commander Joab and to the other leaders (princes) of the people. This indicates a formal and official command.
“Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan": This specifies the geographical scope of the census. Beersheba was the southernmost city of Israel, and Dan was the northernmost. Therefore, David is ordering a complete count of all Israelites within the entire land.
"and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”: David wants to know the total number of men of fighting age (or perhaps the total population, depending on how the census was carried out). This is the stated purpose of the census: for David to know the size of his kingdom's population.
Why is this significant?
While on the surface, it seems like a straightforward order, this census is considered a sin in the biblical narrative. The following verses (and the parallel account in 2 Samuel 24) explain that God was displeased with David's decision.
Reasons for God's Displeasure (implied and debated):
Pride and Trust in Numbers: The primary reason most often suggested is that David was acting out of pride and trusting in the strength of his army rather than in God's power and protection. He wanted to boast about the size of his kingdom. Counting the people could be seen as taking credit for the nation's strength, which ultimately came from God.
Taxation or Conscription: Some suggest that David intended to use the census for purposes of taxation or forced military service, potentially oppressing the people.
Violating God's Promise: Some interpret the census as a violation of God's promise to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. Counting the people was an attempt to limit or define what God had promised would be limitless.
Lack of Divine Mandate: David did not seek God's permission or guidance before ordering the census. He acted on his own initiative.
In summary, this verse is the starting point of a significant event in the Bible where David's pride leads him to take a census that ultimately incurs God's wrath. The act itself may not have been inherently wrong, but David's motivation and lack of consultation with God made it a sin.
1 chronicles 21:2 - David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”
What does "1 chronicles 21:2" mean?
This verse from 1 Chronicles 21:2 describes King David ordering a census of the Israelite people. Let's break it down:
"David said to Joab and to the princes of the people": David, the king of Israel, is giving this order to his military commander Joab and to the other leaders (princes) of the people. This indicates a formal and official command.
“Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan": This specifies the geographical scope of the census. Beersheba was the southernmost city of Israel, and Dan was the northernmost. Therefore, David is ordering a complete count of all Israelites within the entire land.
"and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”: David wants to know the total number of men of fighting age (or perhaps the total population, depending on how the census was carried out). This is the stated purpose of the census: for David to know the size of his kingdom's population.
Why is this significant?
While on the surface, it seems like a straightforward order, this census is considered a sin in the biblical narrative. The following verses (and the parallel account in 2 Samuel 24) explain that God was displeased with David's decision.
Reasons for God's Displeasure (implied and debated):
Pride and Trust in Numbers: The primary reason most often suggested is that David was acting out of pride and trusting in the strength of his army rather than in God's power and protection. He wanted to boast about the size of his kingdom. Counting the people could be seen as taking credit for the nation's strength, which ultimately came from God.
Taxation or Conscription: Some suggest that David intended to use the census for purposes of taxation or forced military service, potentially oppressing the people.
Violating God's Promise: Some interpret the census as a violation of God's promise to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. Counting the people was an attempt to limit or define what God had promised would be limitless.
Lack of Divine Mandate: David did not seek God's permission or guidance before ordering the census. He acted on his own initiative.
In summary, this verse is the starting point of a significant event in the Bible where David's pride leads him to take a census that ultimately incurs God's wrath. The act itself may not have been inherently wrong, but David's motivation and lack of consultation with God made it a sin.