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The Census of Israel and Judah(A)

21 Now Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. Then David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, that I may know their number.”

But Joab said, “May the Lord increase the number of His people one hundred times more. My lord the king, are not all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it bring guilt on Israel?”

Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab, so Joab departed and went throughout all Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. Joab gave the results of the census of the people to David: All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand men drew the sword.

However, he did not include the Levites and Benjamin because the word of the king was abhorrent to Joab.

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The Census of David

21 Then Satan[a] stood against Israel and urged David to count Israel. So David said to Joab and to the commanders of the nation, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring a report to me that I might know their number.” But Joab said, “May Yahweh add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king’s servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?” But the word of the king prevailed over Joab. Then he went about through all Israel and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the number of the enrollment of the people to David. And it happened that all Israel was one million one hundred thousand men drawing a sword, and in Judah were four hundred and seventy thousand men drawing a sword. But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the word of the king was repulsive to Joab.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 21:1 Or “an accuser,” or “an adversary”