2 Samuel 24

Notes

[Ver. 1. He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. By comparing this passage with 1 Ch. 21. 1, it will be seen that 'Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David' to this census. How is it then, in this passage, ascribed to the Lord? Just as the Lord moves men to prayer by danger, and to repentance by affliction; so, being displeased with Israel and David, he delivers them over to Satan their adversary, as he delivered Job; and David is thus judicially moved by the Lord, who has sentenced him, but instrumentally by Satan, who accused him, and received power to tempt him. C.]

Ver. 4. [Went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. The census being taken by the military, and not by the civil or ecclesiastical authorities, see Nu. 1. 44, proves that David contemplated a military enrolment for purposes of war. But why then is David opposed by Joab and the other generals? Joab had the existing army completely in his interest, and was thereby generally too strong for David. But he dreaded such addition of new troops as might enable David to overpower him or depose him from the chief command. Next, what was the sin of David and Israel, for which they are delivered over to the tempter and punished with the plague? Their sin was the appetite for military glory beyond the purposes of defence, and of foreign conquest beyond the boundaries assigned them by God—the most glaring sins, for which, and by which, nations still continue to be punished. C.]

Ver. 5. [This description is given to distinguish Aroer of Gad from Aroer of Reuben. The latter was in the valley of the Arnon; the former a little eastward of Rabbath-ammon, and in the valley in which Rabbah is situated. See Jos. 13. 25. P.]

Ver. 6. [Tahtim-hodshi. Though this word is translated in some of the old versions, it appears to me to be a proper name, descriptive, however, of the physical aspect of the region to which it was given. The route taken by the king's messengers was first eastward to Moab; then northward through Gilead; then 'to the land of Tahtim-hodshi,' and on to Dan-jaan and Zidon. The land of Tahtim-hodshi was thus manifestly a section of the upper valley of the Jordan, probably the 'netherland' or 'lowland,' now called Ard el-Huleh, lying deep down at the western base of Hermon. P.]

Ver. 9. [In all the numbers were 1,300,000; to these must probably be added the trained bands, or standing army, making up the whole people fit for military service to about a million and a half. This would represent a population of some six millions. It will thus be seen that they had increased nearly threefold since the exodus. P.]

Ver. 13. [See what answer I shall return to him that sent me. We read in 1 Ch. 21. 12 that the alternative offer was not seven but three years. How are these differences to be reconciled? The Septuagint reads three in both places; and the seven, by what may be called the Gordian Canon, is charged to the error of a transcriber. But as there is great danger in this violent criticism, so there is no need of it. On examination the two accounts will be found to have been delivered at different times—that in Chronicles the last; and in it the interrogative seven are reduced to the positive three. C.]

Ver. 23. [This is one of the most remarkable and solemn incidents in Bible history. A knowledge of the locality renders the story more graphic. The city and palace of David stood on Mount Zion. To the east, separated from it by a very deep and narrow ravine, was another mountain top, somewhat lower. On the summit of the latter an old Jebusite chief, apparently the dethroned king of the Canaanite Jebus, had a thrashing floor; beside it was a cave in the rock. Araunah, the chief, was thrashing wheat. He saw the destroying angel, and fled into the cave. David soon afterwards approached; Araunah 'went out' to meet him. The Jewish king asked to buy the floor, the ex-king of Jebus offered it free. David insisted on paying the full price. An altar was erected; and the spot which had been originally consecrated by the sacrifice of Abraham, and called Moriah, 'the vision of Jehovah,' was now again dedicated to God. In a few years more the spot became the site of the great altar of Solomon's temple. To this day the site of Araunah's thrashing-floor is one of the holiest shrines of Mohammedanism. P.]

Reflections.—It is very dangerous when the sins of subjects provoke God to permit Satan to tempt their kings. He exactly discerns our pride, and detests it and everything leading to or produced by it. And it is cause of great shame to the saints, when monsters of wickedness are made to put them in mind of the promises of God and of their own duty. The pleasures obtained by sinful methods are quickly turned into the gall of asps within us: and bitter are the griefs and great the straits, when we have no choice but of destructive judgments allowed us by God. Alas! our sin, our folly, makes it so! But let a sense of guilt put an edge of importunity upon our prayers;—it may be the Lord will be gracious. He often smites where he means not to destroy. And though in his just judgment he will abase our pride by smiting our idol, he will mingle mercy with judgment. While, therefore, we tremble at his judgments, let us beware of provoking him by our sins. How it stings a generous mind to have neighbours, and especially a Saviour, suffering for his sins! But under all our guilt, and all our plagues, let Jesus, our altar, our sacrifice, and ransom, be applied to as the means of our reconcilement to God. Let sacrifices of praise attend our pardon, and every manifestation of it. And however generous our friends may be, let us never willingly come under needless obligations to them; and never let us wish to serve God at the expense of others.