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Selected Verse: 2 Samuel 24:9 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
2Sa 24:9	Strong Concordance	And Joab [03097] gave up [05414] the sum [04557] of the number [04662] of the people [05971] unto the king [04428]: and there were in Israel [03478] eight [08083] hundred [03967] thousand [0505] valiant [02428] men [0376] [0381] that drew [08025] the sword [02719]; and the men [0376] of Judah [03063] were five [02568] hundred [03967] thousand [0505] men [0376].
	King James	And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king--The amount here stated, compared with Ch1 21:5, gives a difference of three hundred thousand. The discrepancy is only apparent, and admits of an easy reconciliation; thus (see Ch1 27:1-15), there were twelve divisions of generals, who commanded monthly, and whose duty was to keep guard on the royal person, each having a body of troops consisting of twenty-four thousand men, which, together, formed an army of two hundred eighty-eight thousand; and as a separate detachment of twelve thousand was attendant on the twelve princes of the twelve tribes mentioned in the same chapter, so both are equal to three hundred thousand. These were not reckoned in this book, because they were in the actual service of the king as a regular militia. But Ch1 21:5 joins them to the rest, saying, "all those of Israel were one million, one hundred thousand"; whereas the author of Samuel, who reckons only the eight hundred thousand, does not say, "all those of Israel," but barely "and Israel were," &c. It must also be observed that, exclusive of the troops before mentioned, there was an army of observation on the frontiers of the Philistines' country, composed of thirty thousand men, as appears from Sa2 6:1; which, it seems, were included in the number of five hundred thousand of the people of Judah by the author of Samuel. But the author of Chronicles, who mentions only four hundred seventy thousand, gives the number of that tribe exclusive of those thirty thousand men, because they were not all of the tribe of Judah, and therefore he does not say, "all those of Judah," as he had said, "all those of Israel," but only, "and those of Judah." Thus both accounts may be reconciled [DAVIDSON].

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king--The amount here stated, compared with Ch1 21:5, gives a difference of three hundred thousand. The discrepancy is only apparent, and admits of an easy reconciliation; thus (see Ch1 27:1-15), there were twelve divisions of generals, who commanded monthly, and whose duty was to keep guard on the royal person, each having a body of troops consisting of twenty-four thousand men, which, together, formed an army of two hundred eighty-eight thousand; and as a separate detachment of twelve thousand was attendant on the twelve princes of the twelve tribes mentioned in the same chapter, so both are equal to three hundred thousand. These were not reckoned in this book, because they were in the actual service of the king as a regular militia. But Ch1 21:5 joins them to the rest, saying, "all those of Israel were one million, one hundred thousand"; whereas the author of Samuel, who reckons only the eight hundred thousand, does not say, "all those of Israel," but barely "and Israel were," &c. It must also be observed that, exclusive of the troops before mentioned, there was an army of observation on the frontiers of the Philistines' country, composed of thirty thousand men, as appears from Sa2 6:1; which, it seems, were included in the number of five hundred thousand of the people of Judah by the author of Samuel. But the author of Chronicles, who mentions only four hundred seventy thousand, gives the number of that tribe exclusive of those thirty thousand men, because they were not all of the tribe of Judah, and therefore he does not say, "all those of Judah," as he had said, "all those of Israel," but only, "and those of Judah." Thus both accounts may be reconciled [DAVIDSON].

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Ch1 27:23 indicates sufficiently why the numbering was sinful. It is also stated in Ch1 21:6, that Joab purposely omitted Levi and Benjamin from the reckoning. Eight hundred thousand ... five hundred thousand - In Chronicles the numbers are differently given. It is probable therefore that the Chronicler has included in his statement of the sum total some numbers which are not included here.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
in Israel Compare (Ch1 21:5). The total military strength of Israel (the northern kingdom) was 1,100,000, and of Judah 500,000. The numbers actually set in array were, of Israel, 800,000; of Judah, 470,000.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
In Israel eight hundred thousand - the men of Judah were five hundred thousand - In the parallel place, Ch1 21:5, the sums are widely different: in Israel one million one hundred thousand, in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand. Neither of these sums is too great, but they cannot be both correct; and which is the true number is difficult to say. The former seems the most likely; but more corruptions have taken place in the numbers of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other part of the sacred records. To attempt to reconcile them in every part is lost labor; better at once acknowledge what cannot be successfully denied, that although the original writers of the Old Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we are not told that the same influence descended on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely to prevent them from making mistakes. They might mistake, and they did mistake; but a careful collation of the different historical books serves to correct all essential errors of the scribes. See the Dissertations of Dr. Kennicott mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding chapter.

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¹ Again, David [01732] gathered together [0622] [03254] all the chosen [0977] men of Israel [03478], thirty [07970] thousand [0505].

⁵ And Joab [03097] gave [05414] the sum [04557] of the number [04662] of the people [05971] unto David [01732]. And all they of Israel [03478] were a thousand [0505] thousand [0505] and an hundred [03967] thousand [0505] men [0376] that drew [08025] sword [02719]: and Judah [03063] was four [0702] hundred [03967] threescore and ten [07657] thousand [0505] men [0376] that drew [08025] sword [02719].

¹ Now the children [01121] of Israel [03478] after their number [04557], to wit, the chief [07218] fathers [01] and captains [08269] of thousands [0505] and hundreds [03967], and their officers [07860] that served [08334] the king [04428] in any matter [01697] of the courses [04256], which came in [0935] and went out [03318] month [02320] by month [02320] throughout all the months [02320] of the year [08141], of every [0259] course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
² Over the first [07223] course [04256] for the first [07223] month [02320] was Jashobeam [03434] the son [01121] of Zabdiel [02068]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
³ Of the children [01121] of Perez [06557] was the chief [07218] of all the captains [08269] of the host [06635] for the first [07223] month [02320].
⁴ And over the course [04256] of the second [08145] month [02320] was Dodai [01737] an Ahohite [0266], and of his course [04256] was Mikloth [04732] also the ruler [05057]: in his course [04256] likewise were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
⁵ The third [07992] captain [08269] of the host [06635] for the third [07992] month [02320] was Benaiah [01141] the son [01121] of Jehoiada [03077], a chief [07218] priest [03548]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
⁶ This is that Benaiah [01141], who was mighty [01368] among the thirty [07970], and above the thirty [07970]: and in his course [04256] was Ammizabad [05990] his son [01121].
⁷ The fourth [07243] captain for the fourth [07243] month [02320] was Asahel [06214] the brother [0251] of Joab [03097], and Zebadiah [02069] his son [01121] after [0310] him: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
⁸ The fifth [02549] captain [08269] for the fifth [02549] month [02320] was Shamhuth [08049] the Izrahite [03155]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
⁹ The sixth [08345] captain for the sixth [08345] month [02320] was Ira [05896] the son [01121] of Ikkesh [06142] the Tekoite [08621]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹⁰ The seventh [07637] captain for the seventh [07637] month [02320] was Helez [02503] the Pelonite [06397], of the children [01121] of Ephraim [0669]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹¹ The eighth [08066] captain for the eighth [08066] month [02320] was Sibbecai [05444] the Hushathite [02843], of the Zarhites [02227]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹² The ninth [08671] captain for the ninth [08671] month [02320] was Abiezer [044] the Anetothite [06069], of the Benjamites [01145]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹³ The tenth [06224] captain for the tenth [06224] month [02320] was Maharai [04121] the Netophathite [05200], of the Zarhites [02227]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹⁴ The eleventh [06249] [06240] captain for the eleventh [06249] [06240] month [02320] was Benaiah [01141] the Pirathonite [06553], of the children [01121] of Ephraim [0669]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].
¹⁵ The twelfth [08147] [06240] captain for the twelfth [08147] [06240] month [02320] was Heldai [02469] the Netophathite [05200], of Othniel [06274]: and in his course [04256] were twenty [06242] and four [0702] thousand [0505].

⁶ But Levi [03878] and Benjamin [01144] counted [06485] he not among [08432] them: for the king's [04428] word [01697] was abominable [08581] to Joab [03097].

²³ But David [01732] took [05375] not the number [04557] of them from twenty [06242] years [08141] old [01121] and under [04295]: because the LORD [03068] had said [0559] he would increase [07235] Israel [03478] like to the stars [03556] of the heavens [08064].