CHAPTER XXI _David is tempted by Satan to take the numbers of the people of_ _Israel and Judah_, 1, 2. _Joab remonstrates, but the king is determined, and Joab pleads_ _in vain_, 3, 4. _He returns, and delivers in the number to the king, but reckons_ _not Levi and Benjamin_, 5. _The Lord is d... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:5. _ALL THEY OF ISRAEL WERE A THOUSAND THOUSAND - JUDAH_ WAS _FOUR HUNDRED THREESCORE AND TEN THOUSAND_] In the parallel place, 2 Samuel 24:9, the men of Israel are reckoned _eight hundred thousand_, and the men of Judah _five hundred_ _thousand_: see the note there.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:6. _LEVI AND BENJAMIN COUNTED HE NOT_] The rabbins give the following reason for this: Joab, seeing that this would bring down destruction upon the people, purposed to save two tribes. Should David ask, Why have you not numbered the Levites? Joab purposed to say, Because the Le... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:12. _THREE DAYS - THE PESTILENCE IN THE LAND_] In 2 Samuel 24:13, _seven years of famine_ are mentioned: see the note there.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:13. _DAVID SAID - I AM IN A GREAT STRAIT_] The Targum reasons thus: "And David said to Gad, If I choose _famine_, the Israelites may say, The granaries of David are full of corn; neither doth he care should the people of Israel die with hunger. And if I choose _war_, and fly be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:15. _AND GOD SENT AN ANGEL_] Thus the Targum: "And the _WORD_ _of the LORD_ sent the angel of death against Jerusalem to destroy it; and he beheld the ashes of the binding of Isaac at the foot of the altar, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, which he made in the Mount... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:20. _ORNAN TURNED BACK, AND SAW THE ANGEL_] The _Septuagint_ say, _And Orna turned_, και ειδε τον βασιλεα, _and saw the KING_. The _Syriac_ and _Arabic_ say, _David saw the angel_; and do not mention Ornan in this place. _Houbigant_ translates the same reading המלך _hammalech,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:24. _FOR THE FULL PRICE_] That is, _six hundred_ shekels _full_ weight of _pure_ gold.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:26. _HE ANSWERED HIM - BY FIRE_] In answer to David's prayers, God, to show that he had accepted him, and was now pacified towards him and the people, sent fire from heaven and consumed the offerings.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 21:30. _BECAUSE OF THE SWORD OF THE ANGEL_] This is given as a reason why David built an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan: he was afraid to go to Gibeon, _because of the sword of the_ _destroying angel_, or he was afraid of _delaying_ the offerings so long as his going thithe... [ Continue Reading ]