Verse 24

Joab son of Zeruiah started to count the men but did not finish. God was angry with Israel because of this, so the number was not recorded in the scroll called The Annals of King David.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 24:1-9 : 1 David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census The LORD’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying,“Go count Israel and Judah.” 2 The king told Joab, the general in command of his army,“Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.” 3 Joab replied to the king,“May the LORD your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?” 4 But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army. 5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at the wadi of Gad, near Jazer. 6 Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon. 7 Then they went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba. 8 They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem. 9 Joab reported the number of warriors to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers. 10 David felt guilty after he had numbered the army. David said to the LORD,“I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, O LORD, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 11 When David got up the next morning, the LORD’s message had already come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: 12 “Go, tell David,‘This is what the LORD has said: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’” 13 Gad went to David and told him,“Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” 14 David said to Gad,“I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the LORD, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!” 15 So the LORD sent a plague through Israel from the morning until the completion of the appointed time. Seventy thousand men died from Dan to Beer Sheba.
• 1 Chr 21:1-9 : 1 The Lord Sends a Plague against Israel An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had. 2 David told Joab and the leaders of the army,“Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have.” 3 Joab replied,“May the LORD make his army a hundred times larger! My master, O king, do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? Why bring judgment on Israel?” 4 But the king’s edict stood, despite Joab’s objections. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported to David the number of warriors. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 sword-wielding soldiers; Judah alone had 470,000 sword-wielding soldiers. 6 Now Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king’s edict disgusted him. 7 God was also offended by it, so he attacked Israel. 8 David said to God,“I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 9 The LORD told Gad, David’s prophet, 10 “Go, tell David,‘This is what the LORD says:“I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’” 11 Gad went to David and told him,“This is what the LORD says:‘Pick one of these: 12 three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the LORD, during which a plague will invade the land and the LORD’s angel will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” 13 David said to Gad,“I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the LORD, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!” 14 So the LORD sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. 15 God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the LORD watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was destroying,“That’s enough! Stop now!” Now the LORD’s angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 David looked up and saw the LORD’s angel standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. 17 David said to God,“Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep– what have they done? O LORD my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!”