David Orders a Census
Study note
God's anger was kindled against Israel, and David was moved to take a census of the fighting men. Joab and the army commanders objected, asking why the king would want to do such a thing. But David insisted. After spending nine months and twenty days traveling throughout the land, they reported that Israel had eight hundred thousand fighting men and Judah had five hundred thousand. The census was sinful because it reflected David's trust in military power rather than in God.
1 Once again the Lord's anger flared against Israel. He prompted David to count the people of Israel and Judah. And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 The king instructed Joab, his army commander, "Travel through every tribe of Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. Count all the fighting men so I know the total." 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 Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 Joab replied, "May the Lord your God multiply the population a hundred times over, and may you live to see it happen! But why does my lord the king want to do this?" 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?
4 The king overruled Joab and the other commanders, so they set out from the palace to count Israel's fighting men. 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.
5 They crossed the Jordan and started at Aroer. This was south of the town in the middle of the valley. They headed toward Gad and then up to Jazer. 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:
6 From there they went to Gilead and the area of Tahtim-hodshi. Then they went on to Dan-jaan and around toward Sidon. Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon,
7 They went to the fortified city of Tyre and through all the Hivite and Canaanite towns. They finished in the far south of Judah at Beersheba. 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 Beer-sheba.
8 They traveled the whole country for nine months and twenty days. Then they came back to Jerusalem. So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 Joab gave the final count to the king. Israel had 800,000 men ready to fight. Judah had 500,000. 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.
David's Guilt and God's Punishment
Study note
After the census was completed, David's conscience struck him. He confessed to God that he had sinned greatly and asked for forgiveness. God sent the prophet Gad to offer David a choice of three punishments: three years of famine, three months of fleeing from enemies, or three days of plague. David chose to fall into God's hands rather than into human hands, saying that God's mercy was great. A devastating plague killed seventy thousand people throughout Israel.
10 Immediately after the count, David's conscience tormented him. He prayed, "Lord, I have committed a terrible sin by doing this. Please forgive me. I acted like a complete fool." 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.
11 The next morning, the Lord spoke to the prophet Gad. Gad was David's adviser. David was not yet awake. For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 "Go tell David, 'The Lord says: I am giving you three choices. Pick one, and that is what I will bring upon you.'" 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.
13 Gad went to David and laid out the options: "Do you want three years of famine across your land? Or three months of fleeing from enemies who chase you? Or three days of deadly plague sweeping through the nation? Think carefully and tell me what to report back." 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.
14 David answered, "This is an agonizing choice. Let us fall into the Lord's hands, because his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands." 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.
15 The Lord sent a plague on Israel that morning. It lasted until the set time. Seventy thousand people died across the nation, from Dan all the way to Beersheba. 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 Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
David Builds an Altar
Study note
When the angel of the Lord reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite near Jerusalem, God told the angel to stop. David saw the angel and begged God to punish him alone rather than the innocent people. The prophet Gad told David to build an altar there. When David came to buy the threshing floor, Araunah offered to give it to him for free along with oxen for the sacrifice. But David refused, saying he would not offer the Lord a sacrifice that cost him nothing. David paid fifty shekels of silver, built the altar, and offered sacrifices. God answered David's prayer, and the plague stopped. This threshing floor would later become the site where Solomon built the temple.
16 The destroying angel reached his hand toward Jerusalem. But the Lord was filled with grief over the destruction. He told the angel, "That is enough! Stop now." At that moment, the angel of the Lord was at Araunah the Jebusite's threshing floor. 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.
17 David could see the angel striking people down. He prayed, "I am the guilty one! I am the one who sinned! These people are innocent -- they are just sheep. Let your punishment fall on me and my family instead." 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.
18 That same day, the prophet Gad came to David and said, "Go to the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Build an altar to the Lord there." 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.
19 David obeyed and went, just as the Lord had instructed through Gad. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
20 Araunah looked up and saw the king and his officials approaching. He hurried out and bowed face-down before the king. 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.
21 "Why has my lord the king come to visit me?" Araunah asked. David explained, "I need to buy your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord and stop this plague." 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.
22 Araunah offered, "Take whatever you need, my lord the king, and offer your sacrifice. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and ox yokes can be used for firewood." 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.
23 "I give it all to you freely, O king." Then Araunah added, "May the Lord your God accept your offering." All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
24 The king insisted, "No, I must pay you a fair price. I refuse to offer the Lord my God sacrifices that cost me nothing." David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 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.
25 David built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. The Lord answered his prayer, and the plague ravaging Israel came to an end. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.