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Chapter 21

David’s Census; the Plague. (A)A satan[a] rose up against Israel, and he incited David to take a census of Israel.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 21:1 A satan: in the parallel passage (2 Sm 24:1) David is led astray because of the Lord’s anger. The Chronicler’s modification reflects the changed theological outlook of postexilic Israel, when evil was no longer attributed directly to God. At an earlier period the Hebrew word satan (“adversary,” or, especially in a court of law, “accuser”) designated both human beings (1 Kgs 11:14) and a “son of God” who accused people before God (Jb 1:6–12; 2:1–7; Zec 3:1–2). In later Judaism (cf. Wis 2:24) and in the New Testament, satan, or the “devil” (from diablos, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word), designates an evil spirit who tempts people to do wrong.

Census Brings Plague

21 (A)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel.

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David counts the fighting men

21 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

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The Census and Plague

21 Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel.(A)

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