1 The Lordwas angry with Israel again, and he made Davidthink it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah. 2 So David told Joaband the army officers,24.2 Joab … officers: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see 24.4); 1 Chronicles 21.2; Hebrew "Joab, the officer of the army.""Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Danin the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are."
3 Joabanswered, "I hope the Lordyour God will give you 100 times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?"
4 But when David refused to change his mind, Joaband the army officers went out and started counting the people. 5 They crossed the Jordan Riverand began with24.5 began with: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation; Hebrew "set up camp in."Aroerand the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer. 6 They went to Gileadand to Kadeshin Syria.24.6 Kadesh in Syria: Or "the lower slopes of Mount Hermon."Then they went to Dan, Ijon,24.6 Dan, Ijon: Or "Danjaan," an unknown place.and on toward Sidon. 7 They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beershebain the Southern Desert of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them 9 months and 20 days.
9 Joabcame and told David, "In Israel there are 800,000 who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are 500,000."
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
Beersheba is a town in the Negeb of Judah, where Joel and Abijah were judges, and the home of Zibiah, mother of King Joash. During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety from Dan to Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:2).
The Jordan is the river in the middle of which Joshua set up twelve stones, where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant had stood. The boundary of the land went down along the river to the Salt Sea (Joshua 4:9).
Aroer was a city by the Arnon River, where the territory given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad began, extending to half the hill country of Gilead, with its towns (Deuteronomy 3:12).
Gilead is the land Moses gave to Machir of Manasseh and where Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had their own land. Jair, who led Israel, and Elijah came from there (Numbers 32:40).
Sidon is the city from which the borders of Canaan reached; Jesus said Tyre and Sidon would have repented if the miracles performed in Chorazin and Bethsaida had occurred in them (Matthew 11:21).
Tyre is a fortified city, surrounded by the sea, whose king Hiram supplied cedar and gold to Solomon. Fire on its walls was proclaimed, and Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon (1 Kings 9:11).
Beersheba is a town in the Negeb of Judah, where Joel and Abijah were judges, and the home of Zibiah, mother of King Joash. During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety from Dan to Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:2).
Jerusalem is the city of the house of God, where children of Judah and Benjamin lived; the Babylonian army broke down the walls of the city (2 Kings 25:10).