SEV Biblia, Chapter 24:9
Y Joab dio la cuenta del número del pueblo al rey; y fueron los de Israel ochocientos mil hombres fuertes que sacaban espada; y de los de Judá quinientos mil hombres.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 24:9
Verse 9. In Israel eight hundred thousand-the men of Judah were five hundred thousand] In the parallel place, 1 Chron. xxi. 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 labour; 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king , etc.] Having collected from the several captains employed in this work their several particular numbers, he put them together, and gave in the sum total to David: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword ; though many of them might be under the age of twenty, yet being robust and tall, and fit to bear arms, though but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age, were mustered, contrary to the law; which, according to Cornelius Bertram was David’s sin, (see Chronicles 27:23,24). In ( 1 Chronicles 21:5), they are said to be a million and an hundred thousand, which is three hundred thousand more than the sum here given; several methods are taken to reconcile this; but what seems to be the best solution of the difficulty is what is observed by a Jew f416 , that here the number of the people in the several parts of the land of Israel was given, which were eight hundred thousand, there along with them, the numbers of the standing army which waited on the king in their courses, which were twenty four thousand every, month, and amounted in the twelve months to 288,000, and reckoning lo thousand officers to them, they make the sum of three hundred thousand wanted, (see 1 Chronicles 27:1,2), etc. and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men . In ( Chronicles 21:5), they are said to be only 470,000, thirty thousand less than here; which may be accounted for by making use of a round number, though something wanting, as is often done; or else the thirty companies, consisting of a thousand each, under the eighty captains mentioned in ( Samuel 23:8-39), are taken into the account here, but left out in the book of Chronicles; or there were so many in the sum total of the men of Judah before the plague, but thirty thousand being consumed thereby, are left out in the latter accounts, so Kimchi; but the other solutions seem best: Levi and Benjamin were not counted; it being abominable to Joab, he did not finish it, and especially being displeasing to God, who smote Israel for it, ( 1 Chronicles 21:6,7).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - For the people's sin David was left to act wrong, and in his chastisement they received punishment. This example throws light upo God's government of the world, and furnishes a useful lesson. The prid of David's heart, was his sin in numbering of the people. He though thereby to appear the more formidable, trusting in an arm of flesh mor than he should have done, and though he had written so much of trustin in God only. God judges not of sin as we do. What appears to u harmless, or, at least, but a small offence, may be a great sin in the eye of God, who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. Eve ungodly men can discern evil tempers and wrong conduct in believers, of which they themselves often remain unconscious. But God seldom allow those whom he loves the pleasures they sinfully covet.
Original Hebrew
ויתן 5414 יואב 3097 את 853 מספר 4557 מפקד 4662 העם 5971 אל 413 המלך 4428 ותהי 1961 ישׂראל 3478 שׁמנה 8083 מאות 3967 אלף 505 אישׁ 376 חיל 2428 שׁלף 8025 חרב 2719 ואישׁ 376 יהודה 3063 חמשׁ 2568 מאות 3967 אלף 505 אישׁ׃ 376
