Author Unknown · The Deuteronomist

2 Samuel · Chapter 24שְׁמוּאֵל ב

David's census brings divine judgment, averted by sacrifice at the threshing floor

Pride in military strength provokes God's wrath. David orders a census of Israel's fighting men against Joab's counsel, incurring divine judgment that kills seventy thousand. When the destroying angel reaches Jerusalem, God relents, and David purchases Araunah's threshing floor to build an altar, offering sacrifices that halt the plague and establish the future temple site.

2 Samuel 24:1-9

David's Census and Joab's Opposition

LSB Text

¹Now again the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." ²And the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people." ³But Joab said to the king, "Now may Yahweh your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" ⁴Nevertheless, the word of the king prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel. ⁵And they crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer. ⁶Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon, ⁷and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba. ⁸So when they had gone about through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. ⁹And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men.

Greek Text

¹וַיֹּ֨סֶף אַף־יְהוָ֜ה לַחֲר֣וֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיָּ֨סֶת אֶת־דָּוִ֤ד בָּהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֵ֛ךְ מְנֵ֥ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃ ²וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶל־יוֹאָב֩ שַׂר־הַחַ֨יִל אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֜וֹ שׁוּט־נָ֨א בְכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִדָּן֙ וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע וּפִקְד֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וְיָ֣דַעְתִּ֔י אֵ֖ת מִסְפַּ֥ר הָעָֽם׃ ³וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיוֹסֵף֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֤יךָ אֶל־הָעָם֙ כָּהֵ֣ם וְכָהֵ֔ם מֵאָ֖ה פְעָמִ֑ים וְעֵינֵי֙ אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רֹא֔וֹת וַאדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לָ֥מָּה חָפֵ֖ץ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ ⁴וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב וְעַ֖ל שָׂרֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וַיֵּצֵ֨א יוֹאָ֜ב וְשָׂרֵ֤י הַחַ֙יִל֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לִפְקֹ֥ד אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ⁵וַיַּעַבְר֖וּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בַעֲרוֹעֵ֗ר יְמִ֥ין הָעִ֛יר אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּתוֹךְ־הַנַּ֥חַל הַגָּ֖ד וְאֶל־יַעְזֵֽר׃ ⁶וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ הַגִּלְעָ֔דָה וְאֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ תַּחְתִּ֖ים חָדְשִׁ֑י וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ דָּ֣נָה יַּ֔עַן וְסָבִ֖יב אֶל־צִידֽוֹן׃ ⁷וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ מִבְצַר־צֹר֙ וְכָל־עָרֵ֣י הַחִוִּ֔י וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑י וַיֵּֽצְא֛וּ אֶל־נֶ֥גֶב יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃ ⁸וַיָּשֻׁ֖טוּ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ מִקְצֵה֙ תִּשְׁעָ֣ה חֳדָשִׁ֔ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים י֖וֹם יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ⁹וַיִּתֵּ֥ן יוֹאָ֛ב אֶת־מִסְפַּ֥ר מִפְקַד־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַתְּהִ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל שְׁמֹנֶה֩ מֵא֨וֹת אֶ֜לֶף אִֽישׁ־חַ֙יִל֙ שֹׁ֣לֵֽף חֶ֔רֶב וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ׃

¹wayyōsep ʾap-yhwh laḥărôt bĕyiśrāʾēl wayyāset ʾet-dāwid bāhem lēʾmōr lēk mĕnēh ʾet-yiśrāʾēl wĕʾet-yĕhûdâ. ²wayyōʾmer hammelek ʾel-yôʾāb śar-haḥayil ʾăšer-ʾittô šûṭ-nāʾ bĕkol-šibṭê yiśrāʾēl middān wĕʿad-bĕʾēr šebaʿ ûpiqĕdû ʾet-hāʿām wĕyādaʿtî ʾēt mispar hāʿām. ³wayyōʾmer yôʾāb ʾel-hammelek wĕyôsēp yhwh ʾĕlōheykā ʾel-hāʿām kāhēm wĕkāhēm mēʾâ pĕʿāmîm wĕʿênê ʾădōnî-hammelek rōʾôt waʾdōnî hammelek lāmmâ ḥāpēṣ baddābār hazzeh. ⁴wayyeḥĕzaq dĕbar-hammelek ʾel-yôʾāb wĕʿal śārê heḥāyil wayyēṣēʾ yôʾāb wĕśārê haḥayil lipnê hammelek lipqōd ʾet-hāʿām ʾet-yiśrāʾēl. ⁵wayyaʿabrû ʾet-hayyardēn wayyaḥănû baʿărôʿēr yĕmîn hāʿîr ʾăšer bĕtôk-hannaḥal haggād wĕʾel-yaʿzēr. ⁶wayyābōʾû haggilʿādâ wĕʾel-ʾereṣ taḥtîm ḥodšî wayyābōʾû dānâ yaʿan wĕsābîb ʾel-ṣîdôn. ⁷wayyābōʾû mibṣar-ṣōr wĕkol-ʿārê haḥiwwî wĕhakkĕnaʿănî wayyēṣĕʾû ʾel-negeb yĕhûdâ bĕʾēr šābaʿ. ⁸wayyāšuṭû bĕkol-hāʾāreṣ wayyābōʾû miqqĕṣēh tišʿâ ḥŏdāšîm wĕʿeśrîm yôm yĕrûšālāim. ⁹wayyittēn yôʾāb ʾet-mispar mipqad-hāʿām ʾel-hammelek wattĕhî yiśrāʾēl šĕmōneh mēʾôt ʾelep ʾîš-ḥayil šōlēp ḥereb wĕʾîš yĕhûdâ ḥămēš mēʾôt ʾelep ʾîš.

Key Words

מָנָה mānâ to count / number / reckon

The verb מָנָה (mānâ) carries the fundamental sense of counting, numbering, or appointing. It appears throughout the Hebrew Bible in contexts of census-taking, divine appointment, and reckoning. The root suggests not merely mathematical enumeration but often implies taking stock for purposes of organization, military readiness, or accountability. In this passage, David's command to "number" Israel becomes the catalyst for divine judgment, suggesting that the act of counting God's people without proper authorization or atonement represents an encroachment on divine prerogative. The Chronicler's parallel account (1 Chronicles 21:1) attributes the incitement to Satan, revealing the theological complexity surrounding human agency and spiritual opposition.

אַף ʾap anger / wrath / nostril

The noun אַף (ʾap) literally means "nostril" or "nose," but by extension denotes anger, as the ancient Hebrews associated flared nostrils with rage. When used of Yahweh, it describes His righteous indignation against covenant unfaithfulness. The phrase "the anger of Yahweh burned" (חָרָה אַף־יְהוָה) is a standard idiom throughout the Old Testament, depicting divine wrath as a consuming fire. The text opens with this burning anger "again" (וַיֹּסֶף), indicating a pattern of Israel's provocation and God's response. The theological tension here is profound: God's anger leads to an incitement that will result in judgment, yet the judgment falls on the very sin God appears to have provoked—a mystery that underscores human responsibility even within divine sovereignty.

סוּת sût to incite / instigate / entice

The verb סוּת (sût) in the Hiphil stem means "to incite" or "instigate," carrying connotations of provocation or enticement toward action. This rare verb appears in contexts where one party moves another to act, often with negative consequences. The subject here is Yahweh Himself, creating a theological crux: how does God's incitement relate to human culpability? The parallel in 1 Chronicles 21:1 substitutes Satan as the subject, suggesting that the biblical writers understood multiple levels of causation—God's permissive sovereignty and Satan's active malevolence—operating simultaneously. The verb's force indicates that David's decision to census the people, while his own, occurred within a larger framework of divine purpose and spiritual warfare.

פָּקַד pāqad to number / muster / appoint / visit

The verb פָּקַד (pāqad) is semantically rich, meaning to number, muster, appoint, attend to, or visit—often with implications of oversight and accountability. In military contexts, it refers to mustering troops for battle; in administrative contexts, to taking census; in theological contexts, to divine visitation (either for blessing or judgment). The verb appears twice in this passage (vv. 2, 4), emphasizing the official, administrative nature of David's command. What makes this census problematic is not enumeration per se—Moses conducted censuses under divine command (Numbers 1, 26)—but rather the apparent absence of divine authorization and the failure to collect the half-shekel atonement required in Exodus 30:11-16. David's census thus becomes an act of presumption, treating God's covenant people as mere military assets.

חָפֵץ ḥāpēṣ to delight in / take pleasure / desire

The verb חָפֵץ (ḥāpēṣ) denotes taking pleasure in, delighting in, or desiring something. Joab's question—"Why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"—exposes the moral dimension of David's command. The verb often appears in contexts of God's delight in obedience rather than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22), or His pleasure in those who fear Him (Psalm 147:11). Joab's use of this term suggests he perceives something fundamentally wrong with David's desire, an inappropriate pleasure in what should not be pursued. The commander's moral clarity here is striking: the man who murdered Abner and Amasa recognizes what the king does not—that this census springs from a corrupted desire, perhaps pride in military strength or a failure to trust in Yahweh's provision rather than numerical advantage.

חָזַק ḥāzaq to be strong / prevail / overpower

The verb חָזַק (ḥāzaq) in the Qal stem means "to be strong" or "to prevail," often describing military victory or the strengthening of resolve. Here in verse 4, "the word of the king prevailed" (וַיֶּחֱזַק דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ) indicates that David's command overpowered Joab's objection. The verb's force suggests not mere persistence but the exercise of royal authority that brooks no opposition. Ironically, the same verb describes how Yahweh strengthens His servants for obedience (Joshua 1:6-7, 9); here it marks David's stubborn insistence on a course his own commander recognizes as wrong. The narrative thus presents a tragic reversal: strength deployed not in faith but in folly, royal authority exercised not for righteousness but for sin.

חַיִל ḥayil strength / army / valor / wealth

The noun חַיִל (ḥayil) is multivalent, denoting strength, military force, valor, or wealth. In verse 9, the phrase אִישׁ־חַיִל (ʾîš-ḥayil) describes "valiant men" or "men of strength"—warriors capable of military service. The term appears throughout the Old Testament to describe both military might and moral character (the "woman of valor" in Proverbs 31:10 uses the same root). David's census aims to quantify Israel's military strength, reducing covenant people to military statistics. The final tally—800,000 from Israel and 500,000 from Judah—represents formidable human power, yet the narrative's trajectory demonstrates that such strength, when trusted apart from Yahweh, becomes a source of judgment rather than security. True ḥayil comes not from numbers but from dependence on the God who delivers by many or by few (1 Samuel 14:6).

Grammar & Argument

The narrative opens with a grammatical jolt: the verb וַיֹּסֶף (wayyōsep, "and he added/again") signals repetition, immediately connecting this episode to prior instances of divine anger against Israel. The subject—"the anger of Yahweh"—is personified as an active agent that "burned" (לַחֲרוֹת, laḥărôt, Qal infinitive construct), creating a vivid image of consuming wrath. The causative chain then unfolds: Yahweh's anger leads to incitement (וַיָּסֶת, wayyāset, Hiphil imperf

2 Samuel 24:10-17

David's Confession and Choice of Punishment

LSB Text

¹⁰Now David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. So David said to Yahweh, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Yahweh, please take away the iniquity of Your slave, for I have acted very foolishly." ¹¹When David arose in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹²"Go and speak to David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you."'" ¹³So Gad came to David and told him, and he said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your adversaries while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now, know and see what word I shall return to Him who sent me." ¹⁴Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of Yahweh, for His compassions are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." ¹⁵So Yahweh sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people from Dan even to Beersheba died. ¹⁶When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to bring it to ruin, Yahweh relented from the evil and said to the angel who was bringing ruin among the people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!" And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done iniquity; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father's house."

Greek Text

¹⁰וַיַּ֤ךְ לֵב־דָּוִד֙ אֹת֔וֹ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן סָפַ֣ר אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־יְהוָ֗ה חָטָ֤אתִי מְאֹד֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי וְעַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה הַֽעֲבֶר־נָ֖א אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן עַבְדֶּ֔ךָ כִּ֥י נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי מְאֹֽד׃ ¹¹וַיָּ֥קָם דָּוִ֖ד בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וּדְבַר־יְהוָה֙ הָיָ֔ה אֶל־גָּ֥ד הַנָּבִ֖יא חֹזֵ֥ה דָוִֽד׃ ¹²הָלוֹךְ֙ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה שָׁלֹ֨שׁ אָנֹכִ֜י נוֹטֵ֤ל עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּחַר־לְךָ֣ אַֽחַת־מֵהֶ֔ם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃ ¹³וַיָּבֹא־גָ֥ד אֶל־דָּוִ֖ד וַיַּגֶּד־ל֑וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֡וֹ הֲתָב֣וֹא לְךָ֣ שֶֽׁבַע שָׁנִ֣ים׀ רָעָ֣ב׀ בְּאַרְצֶ֡ךָ אִם־שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה חֳ֠דָשִׁים נֻסְךָ֨ לִפְנֵֽי־צָרֶ֜יךָ וְה֣וּא רֹדְפֶ֗ךָ וְאִם־הֱ֠יוֹת שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת יָמִ֥ים דֶּ֙בֶר֙ בְּאַרְצֶ֔ךָ עַתָּה֙ דַּ֣ע וּרְאֵ֔ה מָה־אָשִׁ֥יב שֹׁלְחִ֖י דָּבָֽר׃ ¹⁴וַיֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛ד אֶל־גָּ֖ד צַר־לִ֣י מְאֹ֑ד נִפְּלָה־נָּ֤א בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים רַחֲמָ֔יו וּבְיַד־אָדָ֖ם אַל־אֶפֹּֽלָה׃ ¹⁵וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֥ה דֶּ֙בֶר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵהַבֹּ֖קֶר וְעַד־עֵ֣ת מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיָּ֣מָת מִן־הָעָ֗ם מִדָּן֙ וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע שִׁבְעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ׃ ¹⁶וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ יָד֨וֹ הַמַּלְאָ֥ךְ׀ יְרוּשָׁלִַם֮ לְשַׁחֲתָהּ֒ וַיִּנָּ֤חֶם יְהוָה֙ אֶל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה וַ֠יֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַמַּשְׁחִ֤ית בָּעָם֙ רַ֔ב עַתָּ֖ה הֶ֣רֶף יָדֶ֑ךָ וּמַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ הָיָ֔ה עִם־גֹּ֖רֶן הָאֲרַ֥וְנָה הַיְבֻסִֽי׃ ¹⁷וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־יְהוָ֗ה בִּרְאֹת֞וֹ אֶת־הַמַּלְאָ֣ךְ׀ הַמַּכֶּ֣ה בָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֤י חָטָ֙אתִי֙ וְאָנֹכִ֣י הֶעֱוֵ֔יתִי וְאֵ֥לֶּה הַצֹּ֖אן מֶ֣ה עָשׂ֑וּ תְּהִ֨י נָ֥א יָדְךָ֛ בִּ֖י וּבְבֵ֥ית אָבִֽי׃

¹⁰wayyaḵ lēḇ-dāwîḏ ʾōṯô ʾaḥărê-ḵēn sāp̄ar ʾeṯ-hāʿām wayyōʾmer dāwîḏ ʾel-yhwh ḥāṭāʾṯî mᵉʾōḏ ʾăšer ʿāśîṯî wᵉʿattâ yhwh haʿăḇer-nāʾ ʾeṯ-ʿăwōn ʿaḇdeḵā kî niskalṯî mᵉʾōḏ. ¹¹wayyāqām dāwîḏ babbōqer ûḏᵉḇar-yhwh hāyâ ʾel-gāḏ hannāḇîʾ ḥōzēh ḏāwîḏ. ¹²hālôḵ wᵉḏibbarṯā ʾel-dāwîḏ kōh ʾāmar yhwh šālōš ʾānōḵî nôṭēl ʿālêḵā bᵉḥar-lᵉḵā ʾaḥaṯ-mēhem wᵉʾeʿĕśeh-lāḵ. ¹³wayyāḇōʾ-gāḏ ʾel-dāwîḏ wayyaggeḏ-lô wayyōʾmer lô hăṯāḇôʾ lᵉḵā šeḇaʿ šānîm rāʿāḇ bᵉʾarṣeḵā ʾim-šᵉlōšâ ḥŏḏāšîm nusḵā lip̄nê-ṣārêḵā wᵉhûʾ rōḏᵉp̄eḵā wᵉʾim-hĕyôṯ šᵉlōšeṯ yāmîm deḇer bᵉʾarṣeḵā ʿattâ daʿ ûrᵉʾēh māh-ʾāšîḇ šōlᵉḥî ḏāḇār. ¹⁴wayyōʾmer dāwîḏ ʾel-gāḏ ṣar-lî mᵉʾōḏ nippᵉlâ-nāʾ ḇᵉyaḏ-yhwh kî-rabbîm raḥămāyw ûḇᵉyaḏ-ʾāḏām ʾal-ʾeppōlâ. ¹⁵wayyittēn yhwh deḇer bᵉyiśrāʾēl mēhabbōqer wᵉʿaḏ-ʿēṯ môʿēḏ wayyāmāṯ min-hāʿām middān wᵉʿaḏ-bᵉʾēr šeḇaʿ šiḇʿîm ʾelep̄ ʾîš. ¹⁶wayyišlaḥ yāḏô hammalʾāḵ yᵉrûšālayim lᵉšaḥăṯāh wayyinnāḥem yhwh ʾel-hārāʿâ wayyōʾmer lammalʾāḵ hammašḥîṯ bāʿām raḇ ʿattâ herep̄ yāḏeḵā ûmalʾaḵ yhwh hāyâ ʿim-gōren hāʾărawnâ hayᵉḇusî. ¹⁷wayyōʾmer dāwîḏ ʾel-yhwh birʾōṯô ʾeṯ-hammalʾāḵ hammakkeh ḇāʿām wayyōʾmer hinnēh ʾānōḵî ḥāṭāʾṯî wᵉʾānōḵî heʿĕwêṯî wᵉʾēlleh haṣṣōʾn meh ʿāśû tᵉhî nāʾ yāḏᵉḵā bî ûḇᵉḇêṯ ʾāḇî.

Key Words

לֵב lēḇ heart / inner person

The Hebrew lēḇ denotes not merely the physical organ but the seat of intellect, will, and moral consciousness. When David's heart "struck him" (wayyaḵ lēḇ-dāwîḏ), the verb נכה (nkh) typically means "to strike" or "smite," suggesting an internal blow of conscience. This idiom appears elsewhere in 1 Samuel 24:5 when David's heart struck him after cutting Saul's robe. The heart in Hebrew anthropology is the command center of personhood, where divine law is written (Jeremiah 31:33) and from which flow the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). David's heart becomes the prosecuting witness against his own pride.

עָוֺן ʿāwōn iniquity / guilt / punishment

The noun ʿāwōn carries a threefold semantic range: the act of iniquity, the guilt incurred, and the punishment deserved. Derived from the root עוה (ʿwh, "to bend" or "twist"), it pictures moral distortion or perversion. David pleads for Yahweh to "take away" (העבר, haʿăḇer) his ʿāwōn, using the causative Hiphil stem of עבר ("to pass over" or "remove"). This vocabulary anticipates the Levitical scapegoat ritual where sins are symbolically transferred and carried away (Leviticus 16:22). The term appears prominently in Isaiah 53:6, 11, where the Servant bears the ʿāwōn of many.

נִסְכַּלְתִּי niskalṯî I have acted foolishly

The verb סכל (skl) in the Niphal stem means "to act foolishly" or "to behave as a fool." This is not intellectual deficiency but moral-spiritual folly—acting without regard to God's wisdom or will. The related noun סָכָל (sāḵāl) describes one who is morally obtuse. David's confession echoes his earlier lament in Psalm 38:5, "my iniquities have gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me." The admission of folly is crucial: David recognizes that his census was not a mere administrative error but a fundamental failure to trust Yahweh's sufficiency. Wisdom literature consistently contrasts the fool with the wise, and here David places himself squarely in the former category.

רַחֲמִים raḥămîm compassion / mercy

The plural noun raḥămîm derives from the root רחם (rḥm), related to רֶחֶם (reḥem, "womb"), evoking maternal compassion and tender mercy. The plural form intensifies the concept, suggesting abundant, multifaceted mercy. David declares that Yahweh's raḥămîm are "great" or "many" (רַבִּים, rabbîm), trusting that divine compassion exceeds human cruelty. This theological conviction permeates the Psalter (Psalm 51:1; 103:4; 145:9) and prophetic literature (Isaiah 54:7; Lamentations 3:22). The term appears in the Thirteen Attributes of Yahweh (Exodus 34:6), where God is "compassionate and gracious." David's choice to fall into Yahweh's hand rather than man's reflects a profound understanding of covenant mercy.

דֶּבֶר deḇer pestilence / plague

The noun deḇer refers to epidemic disease, often understood as divine judgment. It appears frequently in covenant curse contexts (Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:21) and prophetic warnings (Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 14:19). The term may derive from a root meaning "destruction" or "death." In ancient Near Eastern thought, pestilence was often personified as a divine agent or demon. Here the deḇer is explicitly sent by Yahweh (wayyittēn yhwh deḇer) and executed by the angel of Yahweh, demonstrating that natural disasters in Israel's theology are not random but purposeful instruments of divine discipline. The three-day duration is mercifully brief compared to the alternative judgments offered.

נִחַם niḥam to relent / to be sorry / to have compassion

The Niphal form of נחם (nḥm) is theologically rich and complex, often translated "repent" or "relent." It does not imply that God changes His essential nature or makes mistakes, but rather that He responds to changing circumstances with appropriate action. When Yahweh "relented from the evil" (wayyinnāḥem yhwh ʾel-hārāʿâ), the term רָעָה (rāʿâ, "evil" or "calamity") refers to the judgment being executed, not moral evil. This

Grammar & Argument

2 Samuel 24:18-25

David's Altar and the Plague's End

LSB Text

¹⁸So Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go up, raise up an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." ¹⁹So David went up according to the word of Gad, just as Yahweh had commanded. ²⁰And Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. ²¹Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to Yahweh, that the plague may be held back from the people." ²²And Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. See, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. ²³Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May Yahweh your God accept you." ²⁴However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer up to Yahweh my God burnt offerings which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵And David built there an altar to Yahweh and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus Yahweh was entreated for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

Greek Text

¹⁸וַיָּבֹא־גָד֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד בַּיּ֖וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ עֲלֵה֙ הָקֵ֤ם לַֽיהוָה֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּגֹ֖רֶן אֲרַ֥וְנָה הַיְבֻסִֽי׃ ¹⁹וַיַּ֤עַל דָּוִד֙ כִּדְבַר־גָּ֔ד כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָֽה׃ ²⁰וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣ף אֲרַ֗וְנָה וַיַּ֤רְא אֶת־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֶת־עֲבָדָ֔יו עֹבְרִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֲרַ֔וְנָה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ לַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אַפָּ֖יו אָֽרְצָה׃ ²¹וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲרַ֔וְנָה מַדּ֛וּעַ בָּ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־עַבְדּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד לִקְנ֧וֹת מֵעִמְּךָ֣ אֶת־הַגֹּ֗רֶן לִבְנ֤וֹת מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְתֵעָצַ֥ר הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל הָעָֽם׃ ²²וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲרַ֙וְנָה֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד יִקַּ֥ח וְיַ֛עַל אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑ו רְאֵה֙ הַבָּקָר֙ לָעֹלָ֔ה וְהַמֹּרִגִּ֛ים וּכְלֵ֥י הַבָּקָ֖ר לָעֵצִֽים׃ ²³הַכֹּ֗ל נָתַ֛ן אֲרַ֥וְנָה הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲרַ֙וְנָה֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ יִרְצֶֽךָ׃ ²⁴וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַ֗וְנָה לֹא֙ כִּֽי־קָנ֨וֹ אֶקְנֶ֤ה מֵֽאוֹתְךָ֙ בִּמְחִ֔יר וְלֹ֧א אַעֲלֶ֛ה לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהַ֖י עֹל֣וֹת חִנָּ֑ם וַיִּ֨קֶן דָּוִ֤ד אֶת־הַגֹּ֙רֶן֙ וְאֶת־הַבָּקָ֔ר בְּכֶ֖סֶף שְׁקָלִ֥ים חֲמִשִּֽׁים׃ ²⁵וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם דָּוִד֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַל עֹל֖וֹת וּשְׁלָמִ֑ים וַיֵּעָתֵ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָאָ֔רֶץ וַתֵּעָצַ֥ר הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

¹⁸wayyāḇōʾ-gāḏ ʾel-dāwiḏ bayyôm hahûʾ wayyōʾmer lô ʿălēh hāqēm layhwh mizbēaḥ bəgōren ʾărawnâ hayəḇusî. ¹⁹wayyaʿal dāwiḏ kiḏəḇar-gāḏ kaʾăšer ṣiwwâ yhwh. ²⁰wayyašqēp ʾărawnâ wayyarʾ ʾeṯ-hammelek wəʾeṯ-ʿăḇāḏāyw ʿōḇərîm ʿālāyw wayyēṣēʾ ʾărawnâ wayyištaḥû lammelek ʾappāyw ʾārəṣâ. ²¹wayyōʾmer ʾărawnâ maddûaʿ bāʾ ʾăḏōnî-hammelek ʾel-ʿaḇdô wayyōʾmer dāwiḏ liqnôṯ mēʿimmək ʾeṯ-haggōren liḇnôṯ mizbēaḥ layhwh wəṯēʿāṣar hammaggēpâ mēʿal hāʿām. ²²wayyōʾmer ʾărawnâ ʾel-dāwiḏ yiqqaḥ wəyaʿal ʾăḏōnî hammelek haṭṭôḇ bəʿênāyw rəʾēh habbāqār lāʿōlâ wəhammōriggîm ûḵəlê habbāqār lāʿēṣîm. ²³hakkōl nāṯan ʾărawnâ hammelek lammelek wayyōʾmer ʾărawnâ ʾel-hammelek yhwh ʾĕlōheykā yirṣekā. ²⁴wayyōʾmer hammelek ʾel-ʾărawnâ lōʾ kî-qānô ʾeqneh mēʾôṯək biməḥîr wəlōʾ ʾaʿăleh layhwh ʾĕlōhay ʿōlôṯ ḥinnām wayyiqen dāwiḏ ʾeṯ-haggōren wəʾeṯ-habbāqār bəkesef šəqālîm ḥămišîm. ²⁵wayyiḇen šām dāwiḏ mizbēaḥ layhwh wayyaʿal ʿōlôṯ ûšəlāmîm wayyēʿāṯēr yhwh lāʾāreṣ wattēʿāṣar hammaggēpâ mēʿal yiśrāʾēl.

Key Words

גֹּרֶן gōren threshing floor

The gōren was an elevated, flat surface where grain was threshed and winnowed, typically located on hilltops to catch the wind. These spaces became theologically significant as liminal zones between human labor and divine provision. Araunah's threshing floor on Mount Moriah would later become the site of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), transforming an agricultural workspace into the dwelling place of Yahweh's Name. The threshing floor thus represents the intersection of ordinary life and sacred encounter, where judgment gives way to worship. In Ruth, Boaz's threshing floor becomes the setting for redemption; here, it becomes the place where plague is stayed and Israel's future worship is anchored.

מִזְבֵּחַ mizbēaḥ altar

Derived from the root zāḇaḥ ("to slaughter, sacrifice"), the mizbēaḥ is the appointed place where heaven and earth meet through blood and fire. Unlike pagan altars built to manipulate deity, Israel's altars were divinely prescribed meeting points where Yahweh condescended to receive worship. David's altar here is built in response to prophetic command, not human initiative—a crucial distinction that underscores covenant relationship rather than religious transaction. The altar's location matters: this is not a random site but the future temple mount, where Abraham once bound Isaac and where the daily sacrifices would one day atone for Israel. The mizbēaḥ is thus both memorial and prophecy, recalling past mercy and anticipating future grace.

עֹלָה ʿōlâ burnt offering / whole offering

The ʿōlâ, from the verb ʿālâ ("to go up"), is the sacrifice that ascends entirely to God in smoke—nothing is retained by the worshiper. This total consumption signifies complete dedication and atonement, the worshiper's life symbolically offered without remainder. In Leviticus 1, the ʿōlâ is the first sacrifice detailed, establishing the principle that approach to God requires substitutionary death. David's burnt offerings here are not perfunctory rituals but costly acts of devotion—he refuses to offer what costs him nothing (v. 24). The ʿōlâ thus embodies the theology of costly grace: atonement is free to receive but infinitely expensive to provide, a truth that finds its ultimate expression in the cross.

שְׁלָמִים šəlāmîm peace offerings / fellowship offerings

Related to šālôm ("peace, wholeness, well-being"), the šəlāmîm were shared meals between God, priest, and worshiper, celebrating restored relationship. Unlike the burnt offering which was wholly consumed, portions of the peace offering were eaten by the offerer, signifying communion and covenant fellowship. The pairing of ʿōlôṯ and šəlāmîm in verse 25 represents the full arc of reconciliation: atonement (burnt offering) followed by communion (peace offering). This sacrificial sequence mirrors the gospel pattern—propitiation precedes fellowship, justification enables adoption. The šəlāmîm anticipates the messianic banquet, when God will dwell with His people and they will feast in His presence without fear.

עָצַר ʿāṣar to restrain / to hold back / to stop

The verb ʿāṣar carries the sense of forceful restraint, of holding back something in motion. When used of plague or judgment (as in v. 21, 25), it depicts divine intervention arresting the angel of death mid-strike. The Niphal form (wayyēʿāṣar) in verse 25 emphasizes the passive—"the plague was held back"—by Yahweh's sovereign hand, not by human effort. This restraint is not automatic but covenantal, triggered by acceptable sacrifice and intercession. The same root appears in contexts of military siege and childbirth, always conveying the idea of powerful forces checked by greater power. Here, death itself is halted at the altar, foreshadowing the ultimate restraint of death through resurrection.

חִנָּם ḥinnām for nothing / without cost / free

The adverb ḥinnām denotes something obtained without payment or effort, often carrying negative connotations of cheapness or unworthiness. David's refusal to offer ḥinnām sacrifices (v. 24) establishes a profound theological principle: worship that costs nothing is worth nothing. True devotion requires personal investment, not merely the expenditure of surplus or the gift of another's generosity. This stands in sharp contrast to the grace freely given by God—His mercy is ḥinnām to us (Isaiah 55:1) precisely because it was infinitely costly to Him. David's insistence on paying full price models the worshiper's proper response to unmerited grace: costly obedience, sacrificial love, and offerings that represent genuine surrender rather than token gestures.

עָתַר ʿāṯar to entreat / to be entreated / to respond to prayer

The Niphal form wayyēʿāṯēr ("He was entreated") in verse 25 depicts Yahweh's gracious response to David's intercession and sacrifice. The root ʿāṯar suggests abundant, generous response—not grudging compliance but willing acceptance. This verb appears in Genesis 25:21 when Isaac entreats Yahweh for Rebekah, and in Ezra 8:23 when the returning exiles fast and pray. The passive construction emphasizes divine initiative in reconciliation: God allows Himself to be entreated, making space for human petition while retaining sovereign freedom. The plague's cessation is not mechanical cause-and-effect but relational response, Yahweh hearing the cry of His anointed and sparing His people. This entreating God is the same who would later allow Himself to be "entreated" through the blood of His own Son.

Grammar & Argument

The narrative structure of verses 18-25 moves with liturgical precision from prophetic command (v. 18) through obedient action (v. 19) to covenant transaction (vv. 20-24) and finally to sacrificial resolution (v. 25). Gad's directive is terse and immediate—"Go up, raise up an altar"—the stacked imperatives creating urgency. The location is specified with ethnic precision: "Araunah the Jebusite," a reminder that this sacred ground was once Canaanite territory, now being consecrated for Yahweh's worship. The verb ʿālâ ("go up") in verse 18 anticipates the ʿōlâ ("burnt offering") in verse 25, creating a wordplay that links David's physical ascent to the threshing floor with the spiritual ascent of acceptable sacrifice.

The dialogue between David and Araunah (vv. 20-24) is structured as a negotiation that reveals character through contrast. Araunah's generous offer—"Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king"—uses the emphatic hakkōl ("the all, everything") to underscore total donation. His blessing, "May Yahweh your God accept you," employs the jussive yirṣekā, expressing hope that David's offering will find divine favor. David's response is equally emphatic, beginning with the absolute negative lōʾ and the emphatic infinitive qānô ʾeqneh ("I will surely buy"). The king's theological reasoning is expressed in a negative purpose clause: "I will not offer up to Yahweh my God burnt offerings which cost me nothing." The phrase ʿōlôṯ ḥinnām is deliberately jarring—burnt offerings that are "free" contradict the very nature of sacrifice.

The resolution in verse 25 is narrated with ritual solemnity. The sequence of verbs—"built... offered up... was entreated... was held back"—traces the movement from human action to divine response. The paired sacrifices (ʿōlôṯ ûšəlāmîm) represent the full restoration of covenant relationship: atonement and communion, propitiation and peace. The passive construction wayyēʿāṯēr yhwh ("Yahweh was entreated") places divine acceptance at the center, while the final clause wayyēʿāṣar hammaggēpâ ("the plague was held back") uses the same root as David's stated purpose in verse 21, creating narrative closure. The prepositional phrase mēʿal yiśrāʾēl ("from upon Israel") depicts the plague as a