2 Samuel 24:1 - Printer Friendly

What does 2 Samuel 24:1 mean?

ESV: Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

NIV: Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."

NASB: Now the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say, 'Go, count Israel and Judah.'

CSB: The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say: "Go, count the people of Israel and Judah."

NLT: Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. 'Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,' the Lord told him.

KJV: And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

NKJV: Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

Verse Commentary:

Second Samuel 24 tells a curious story. God is angry with Israel. There's no indication that He's angry with David, personally, but David doesn't seem to recognize a sin. To set the scene so He can punish Israel, God uses Satan to provoke David to take a census of the fighting men (2 Samuel 24:9; 1 Chronicles 21:1).

The text leaves many unknowns: Why is God angry with Israel? Why is God angry with Israel again? When does this take place? Why does God use a census, mandated by the king, to set things up so He can send a plague? Why does God use David if He's angry with Israel? Why does He use Satan?

We can carefully speculate about some of these questions. In the Old Testament, Israelite leaders took a nationwide census for one of two reasons: to collect a tax for the maintenance of the tabernacle (Exodus 30:11–16) or to determine the strength of the nation's fighting force (Numbers 1:44–46; 26:1).

It's possible David is taking the census because he's collecting supplies so Solomon can build the temple. This may be a way to calculate how much more David can tax the people. But if God is inciting David to take the census because He wants to punish all of Israel, this makes less sense. It's hard to imagine how Israel's sin and David's desire to collect more taxes would be related.

If Israel's sin and the census are related, it's more likely Israel and David are showing inappropriate pride in their military prowess. We can also consider the three inner levels of the chiasm—the mirror of themes—in 2 Samuel 21—24. Second Samuel 21:15–22 and 23:8–39 celebrate the exploits of David's fighting men. Second Samuel 22:1—23:7 is David's assertion that God rescues him from his enemies and that he rules well because he obeys God.

This makes it more likely that Israel has excessive pride in their military: that David is convinced to take the census because he wants to know how many reserve forces he has. Their sin is that they aren't trusting God for their protection, and they don't even realize it. So, God incites David to take the census to draw attention to their sin. Once David recognizes their—and his—sin, God judges them, using a plague to remove a tremendous number of potential soldiers from their fighting force ( 2 Samuel 24:15).

Throughout the Bible, God uses Satan and evil spirits to accomplish His will. Job is the most famous example (Job 1). God allowed evil spirits to afflict King Saul to bring about the events that led to David's rise to the kingship (1 Samuel 16:14). God also uses the sinful actions of other people to bring about His good purposes (Genesis 50:18–21). That doesn't mean God is evil. It means He can use evil to bring good.

To "incite" is to deceptively convince someone to do something. "Kindle" infers that God's anger is burning hot.

Second Samuel 24:1–9 (1 Chronicles 21:1–9) depicts a time when God was angry with Israel. He allows Satan to incite David to take a census. Though David may be trying to gauge taxes, it's more likely the census is a matter of national military pride. Joab takes nearly ten months to scour the nation. As a small rebellion, Joab's final report doesn't include the men from the tribes of Levi or Benjamin. David immediately realizes his mistake and accepts God's punishment: a plague that kills thousands (2 Samuel 24:10–15).

Chapter Summary:

Second Samuel 24 (1 Chronicles 21) is the final story in the epilogue to 1 and 2 Samuel. God is angry with Israel and incites David to take a census. When it's finished, David accepts blame, and God punishes Israel with a plague. The plague's progress stops at a threshing floor just short of Jerusalem. David buys the land and offers a sacrifice. The land will later house the temple. In the chiasm—the mirror arrangement—epilogue of 1 and 2 Samuel, this story is partnered with God's punishment of Saul's family for their sin against the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:1–14).

Chapter Context:

Second Samuel 24 (1 Chronicles 21) marks the end of the epilogue of 1 and 2 Samuel. Second Samuel 21—24 is a mirrored pattern showing how God's blessings on Israel are dependent on their obedience. Here, God is angry with Israel and incites David. The nation is disciplined by a deadly plague. In 2 Samuel 24, the story shows that God disciplines Israel's disobedience. In 1 Chronicles 21, the focus is on how David got the land for the temple.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.

Accessed 5/20/2026 12:04:59 PM