Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
1 Chronicles 21:1

Clarke's Commentary

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 displeased, and sends Gad to offer David his choice

of three great national calamities; famine, war, or pestilence,

6-12.

David submits himself to God, and a pestilence is sent, which

destroys seventy thousand, 13, 14.

At David's intercession the destroying angel is restrained at

the threshing-floor of Ornan, 15-17.

He buys the piece of ground, builds an altar to the Lord and

offers sacrifices, and the plague is stayed, 18-30.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXI

Verse 1 Chronicles 21:1. And Satan stood up against Israel — 2 Samuel 24:1, &c.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

David’s fame (18:1-22:1)

Before speaking further of the temple, the writer lists a number of David’s victories in war. These records show how God was strengthening David’s kingdom according to his promise, but they show also why God would not allow David to build the temple. One who had caused so much bloodshed was not a suitable person to build the nation’s sacred place of worship (see 22:7-10).

The writer records victories over miscellaneous enemies (18:1-17; see notes on 2 Samuel 8:1-18); victory over a combined Ammonite-Syrian attack (19:1-19; see notes on 2 Samuel 10:1-19); victory over Ammon at Rabbah (20:1-3; see notes on 2 Samuel 11:1; 2 Samuel 12:26-31); and various victories over the Philistines (4-8; see notes on 2 Samuel 21:18-22).

In bringing these battle stories together, the writer has omitted a number of passages from the parallel section of 2 Samuel. He is concerned with God’s plan for establishing the kingdom of David, not with the fate of Saul’s survivors (2 Samuel 9:1-13; 2 Samuel 21:1-17), nor with David’s personal sins and family troubles (2 Samuel 11:2-25; 2 Samuel 13:1-26).

There is, however, one sin of David’s that the Chronicler does record, and that is his numbering of the people. Yet even this story is recorded not to point out a personal weakness, but to show how David bought the piece of ground on which the temple was to be built (21:1-22:1; see notes on 2 Samuel 24:1-25). The writer now moves on to show how David, having bought the site, began preparations for the temple’s construction.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

DAVID'S NUMBERING THE PEOPLE, THE PESTILENCE,
AND PURCHASE OF THE SITE FOR THE TEMPLE;
DAVID'S SIN IN NUMBERING THE PEOPLE

"And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word that I may know the sum of them. And Joab said, Jehovah make his people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel? Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

As the books of Scripture are arranged in our Version, Satan is here for the first time by name introduced to us. He appears not merely as an “adversary” who seeks to injure man from without, but as a Tempter able to ruin him by suggesting sinful acts and thoughts from within. In this point of view, the revelation made of him here is the most advanced that we find in the Old Testament.

The difficulty in reconciling the statement here, “Satan provoked David,” etc. with that of Samuel, “the Lord moved David,” etc. 2 Samuel 24:1 is not serious. All temptation is permitted by God. When evil spirits tempt us, they do so by permission (Job 1:12; Job 2:6; Luke 22:31, etc.). If Satan therefore provoked David to number the peopIe, God allowed him. And what God allows, He may be said to do. (Another view is maintained in the 2 Samuel 24:1 note).

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 21

In chapter twenty-one.

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, and number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it ( 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 ).

Now this was a sin on David's part, and no doubt a sin of pride. David had, as I said, this is a record of the final conquest of David in chapter twenty. David had been very victorious over their enemies. They had subdued their enemies, and I wanted to point out the one thing. It would appear that David cut them up with axes and swords or plows and so forth. Actually the Hebrew text is that David put them to work with these things. He actually more or less made slaves out of the people, rather than cutting them up with saws and axes and all.

This is a sin of pride. David's desire to number Israel in order that he might know how great an army of people he had behind him. And it was only those who were able to go to war that were really numbered. It was sort of a military registration or census that was taken. Men that were capable of going out to battle. And was sort of a failure on David's part, definitely a sin. David later confesses the sin before the Lord, that of pride. I have an army of so many and so forth. And that of boasting in the military strength.

Now David later, or earlier had written psalms concerning that we were not to trust in horses or trust in the armies, but to trust in the living God. And David knew this. That the strength did not lie in the number of military personnel in the nation. But his real strength lay in the Lord and in the power of the Lord and in his trusting in the Lord. And yet David, human as he was, as we all are, decided that he would take a census of the military men.

Now Joab, his general, who was a rascal for the most part, Joab objected to David's desire to take a census. "Don't do this thing, David; it's not good. Why should you bring the people into reproach and so forth by doing this thing?" But David overruled the objections of Joab and insisted that this census be taken of all of the men of Israel. And so they brought to David the number, and there were one million, a hundred thousand from the tribes of Israel; four hundred and seventy thousand from the tribe of Judah. But Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin among them because he actually detested the order that David had given to number them.

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly ( 1 Chronicles 21:7-8 ).

So after having insisted overruling Joab, God was displeased. And David immediately confessed his sin unto God and his own folly. Now it is interesting that the Bible-and I'm glad that it does-relates to us the sins and the failure of the great men, as well as their successes. So often when we are telling stories about our accomplishments, we don't like to include in our stories our failures. We like to sort of tell of our successes, and make it appear that everything we do is successful. But if we were perfect, then how discouraging it would be for those who are not perfect.

If David was a perfect man, if he never did anything wrong, then we would all of us be prone to say, "Yes, but David was perfect. I can see why God would use David. I could see why God blessed David, because he was such a perfect man. But God can't bless me and God can't use me, because I'm so imperfect." So God is very careful to record for us the mistakes and the sins of these men that He used in such a mighty way in order that we would not be excusing ourselves and saying, "Well, God can't use me." For God can use you and wants to use you in spite of the fact that you have failed, and in spite of the fact that you're far from perfect.

Abraham, the man of faith, had great lapses of faith. There were times when he sought to take things into his own hand. Deceiving the kings concerning Sarah, his relationship. "She's my sister." He didn't trust in the Lord to be able to preserve him from Abimelech or from the Pharaoh. Taking things into his own hands as far as an heir because he didn't trust God to give him a son through Sarah. The man of faith.

Elijah, the great prophet of God, the man of faith, hiding in a cave clear down in the Sinai, mount Horeb because Jezebel had threatened his life. Here is the guy that had upset all the prophets of Baal, took them down to the river and wiped them out, and now he's running because some woman is threatening to get him.

And so the Bible records these for us so that you'll know that though Elijah was a man of great dynamic power, great faith, a prophet of God, yet he had these times where he ran and failed and was fearful and the whole thing. In order that, as James said, Elijah was a man of like passions, even like you and me. And yet, he prayed and it rained not for the space of three years. Now he wasn't some super saint. He wasn't some Clark Kent. He was a plain ordinary person just like you and me. And yet, God was able to use him because God uses plain, ordinary people. And God uses people who make mistakes, and God uses people who fail. And God uses people who sin. Because sin was not the chief characteristic of David's life; righteousness was the chief characteristic of his life, though he did sin.

Now it is possible for us to love the Lord, to be living for the Lord, to serve the Lord, and still be guilty of sin. David was such a man. He loved the Lord. Now as soon as he realized God's displeasure, and though he had been warned by Joab, "Don't do this thing," as soon as he, it was brought to his attention, this has displeased God, David repented. He confessed. And that's what sets David apart. So many times when we are faced with our guilt, we try to justify it. We try to give the explanations. "Well, I did it because." We're so often like Adam. "Well, Lord, the woman that You gave me to be my wife, she did tempt me and I did eat." And I'm trying to explain to God my reason for doing it, rather than just confess and say, "God, I sinned. I was wrong."

Now God doesn't want an explanation. God doesn't want you to justify your position. All God wants you to do is confess it so He can forgive it. As soon as you confess, then God has the grounds for forgiveness. And that's what He's seeking, just a confession of guilt. And so David confessed his sin. He said, "Lord, I've done foolishly in doing this thing." And David recognized and acknowledged his sin before God. That ugly, horrible sin of pride that all of us find so difficult to deal with in our own lives. The sin by which Satan fell. It was a Cromwell flee pride, for by this sin the angels fell. Flee ambition. The idea of pride.

Thus, David was called the man after God's own heart, because he was a man, when he realized his guilt, was willing to confess and seek the forgiveness of his sin.

So the LORD spoke to Gad, the prophet, and said to him, Go to David, and tell him that he has three choices: either [three months of famine in the land; or] three years rather of famine in the land; or three months to be destroyed before your enemies, while the sword of your enemies overtake you; or three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now the prophet said to David, Advise me what I'm to tell the Lord who sent me to you. And so David said, I choose to throw myself on the mercy of God. I'll take the three days of God's pestilence in the land because I know He's merciful ( 1 Chronicles 21:9-10 , 1 Chronicles 21:12-13 ).

My enemies, no way. I know that they're not merciful. If I'm delivered into their hands for three months, that will be it. So I'll take the three days for I know that God is merciful.

And so the angel of the LORD went throughout the land of Israel [beginning to slay the men]: and seventy thousand of them fell by the pestilence [in the three days]. And the angel of the LORD came to Jerusalem to destroy it: and David saw the angel of the LORD with the drawn sword ( 1 Chronicles 21:14-16 ).

Now this must have been really something for David. He saw up there in the sky the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword. It must have been a very frightening experience, to say the least.

And David lifted up his voice, and he cried unto the LORD, the angel of the LORD who was standing there between the heaven and the earth, having the sword that was drawn stretched out over Jerusalem ( 1 Chronicles 21:16 ).

And David said, "Hey, I'm the one that sinned, not these innocent people. Don't destroy them." And so we find that,

David said unto God [verse seventeen, declared], Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done this evil indeed; but for these sheep, what have they done? let your hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be upon me, and my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued ( 1 Chronicles 21:17 ).

Now I think that probably one of the hardest things concerning sin is to see the effect that sin has on innocent people. My sins. To see the hurt that it brings to innocent people is always very hard. And no man lives unto himself. I've had a lot of people say, "Well, I may be doing wrong, but I'm only hurting myself." That's not true. No man lives to himself. Others are always affected by what you do, and sometimes in a very great way. And David was seeing the consequence of his sin, the damage that it was doing to these sheep. And he said, "Lord, bring it on me. Let me suffer for my own sins, not these innocent ones." But unfortunately, there are always those innocent sufferers for our wrongdoings; as well as, of course, our own suffering many times.

So then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD there in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite ( 1 Chronicles 21:18 ).

Because David saw the angel standing above the area there of mount Moriah where a Jebusite had a threshingfloor in a field. And so the Lord commanded that David should build an altar there and offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. So David came to Ornan the Jebusite and he said, "I want to buy this threshingfloor, this field in order that I might offer to the Lord a sacrifice in this place." And Ornan said, "Hey, you can have it. And take my cattle and use them for the sacrifices, and use the plow for the wood and so forth. And go ahead, you can have it." And David said, "No, I will not give unto the Lord that which cost me nothing. Because it isn't a true sacrifice if it doesn't cost me something."

God really doesn't want our castoffs. How many times people give to the Lord that which cost them nothing. But as we said this morning, the measurement by which God measures our gifts to Him are never in the monetary value of the gift, but in the cost of the gift. What did it cost you to give to God? Because you see, you may give God a million dollars, but it would be totally meaningless if you, say, have two million in your bank account, because you can get by very well on one million dollars. Whereas someone else, if they give God a dollar, that could mean, you know, their bread for this week that they are going to have to go without food this week; a certain part of their food because they gave that dollar to God. Thus, because the dollar really cost them, in God's measurement, the gift of a dollar is greater than the gift of a million dollars. Because the amount is irrelevant as far as God is concerned, because He really doesn't need our money. But it's the cost. The cost of the gift demonstrates the real value, because it demonstrates the depth of my love and my consecration unto God.

So David bought this field. Now it says, for six hundred shekels.

And David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight ( 1 Chronicles 21:25 ).

Now again, the Bible critics have found another error in the Bible. Because in Samuel where this same incident is recorded, in Second Samuel, chapter twenty-four, it says that David gave him fifty shekels of gold. And now here it says six hundred shekels of gold. And thus, the Bible contradicts itself and thus, the Bible could not be the Word of God if it contradicts itself. And thus, there is no reason to believe the Bible and so forth. And this is one of the supposed contradictions that those who are looking for problems in the Bible always find.

But as I said, these contradictions usually have a very simple explanation, and the study of the Hebrew text will help you in the explanation of this particular problem. Because in the Hebrew, we are told the Hebrew word used where he bought the threshingfloor is one word in Hebrew. Here the word is maqowm, which means the whole area around; he bought the whole field. Now he paid fifty shekels of gold for the threshingfloor, and then he gave him six hundred shekels for the whole field that was around the place. Because he bought the whole thing because he decided that he was going to build a temple for God here. So there's really no contradiction at all. He made two separate purchases. One of the threshingfloor, and then one of the place. And the word place being the Hebrew word maqowm; he bought the whole place for six hundred shekels of gold, and fifty shekels of gold for the threshingfloor. Another contradiction dissolves and the Bible still stands.

Aren't you glad? "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

God’s provision of a place for Israel ch. 21

Chapter 21 records the fulfillment of God’s second personal promise to David, namely, that He would appoint a place where Israel could dwell securely (in rest, 1 Chronicles 17:9). This was a promise of peace for Israel, but as the verses following 1 Chronicles 17:9 make clear, God had more than this in mind. He intended to dwell among His people in the house Solomon would build (1 Chronicles 17:11-12). God’s presence was the real source of Israel’s security. By giving Israel a place, God would provide for Himself a place where He would dwell, specifically the temple. Chapter 21 records God’s choice of the place where He would dwell, the site of the temple. There David’s successor would build a house for Yahweh (1 Chronicles 17:12).

"It may also be said that having empowered Israel to defeat their human foes, God provided a place of atonement and divine manifestation whereby they could defeat (or hold at bay) their nonhuman enemy, Satan." [Note: Thompson, p. 160.]

The writer gave much attention to detail and background events because of the importance of the temple site. All these events point to God’s ultimate purpose for the temple: that it would draw the Israelites and the Gentiles to Himself.

"Here, by divine command, is to be the site of the temple. It is a gift not from Ornan but from God. The grace of God, in giving this to His people as the place where ark and altar are to be brought together, is a thing to be wondered at." [Note: Wilcock, p. 95.]

Apparently David’s lack of faith in God’s ability to save His people led him to number the people (1 Chronicles 21:1-7). God did not approve of this attitude, and even though David confessed his sin and God removed his guilt, the consequences of his sin followed (1 Chronicles 21:8-12). David’s words to Gad again model a proper response to God (1 Chronicles 21:13). By referring to Gad as a "seer," the writer implied that Gad served David primarily by getting divine revelation for him (cf, 1 Samuel 22:5; 2 Samuel 24:11-19). In contrast, the "prophet" Nathan’s primary role appears to have been announcing messages from the Lord to the king (cf. 2 Samuel 7:2-17; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15). [Note: See Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, pp. 169-257, for discussion of each of the prophets mentioned during Israel’s monarchy.] God’s compassion is also evident in His relenting and reducing His originally intended judgment (1 Chronicles 21:15; cf. Exodus 32:14; et al.). David volunteered to bear God’s judgment in place of the innocent Israelites (1 Chronicles 21:16-17). However, God instructed him to build an altar at the place of God’s judgment and to offer the sacrifice that the Mosaic Law required. That was the site God chose for His house (1 Chronicles 21:18 to 1 Chronicles 22:1). That place forever after, as long as Israel occupied the land, would be where the priests would atone for the Israelites’ sins by sacrifice. God demonstrated His approval of David’s offerings by sending fire from heaven (1 Chronicles 21:26; cf. Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38). The primary reason for including this incident involving David’s sin was that it explains the site chosen for the temple. [Note: Thompson, p. 160.]

The Hebrew word transliterated "Satan" (satan; 1 Chronicles 21:1) means adversary. Adversary would be a better translation here. This is the first time in Scripture the word appears without the definite article as a proper noun. It seems that the adversary God permitted to worry David into numbering the people was a foreign enemy (1 Chronicles 21:12; cf. 1 Samuel 29:4; 2 Samuel 19:23; 2 Samuel 24:1-25; 1 Kings 5:4; 1 Kings 11:14; 1 Kings 11:23; 1 Kings 11:25). [Note: See Sarah Japhet, I & II Chronicles, pp. 374-75; Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "Does God Deceive?" Bibliotheca Sacra 155:617 (January-March 1998):22-23; and Sydney H. T. Page, "Satan: God’s Servant," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 50:3 (September 2007):449-65.] Of course Satan played a role in this temptation, but it was evidently fear of one of his neighbors that disturbed David’s mind. [Note: See John H. Sailhamer, "1 Chronicles 21:1-A Study in Inter-biblical Interpretation," Trinity Journal 10NS:1 (Spring 1989):42-43.]

"The major reason for taking a census in Israel was to lay the basis for levying taxes (Exodus 30:12; Numbers 3:40-51) or registering men for military service (Numbers 26:1-4)." [Note: Thompson, p. 160. Cf. 21:4-7.]

"The version of the incident in the Book of 2 Samuel [1 Chronicles 24:1] gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective." [Note: The NET Bible note on 21:1.]

David’s response to Gad’s instructions indicated his true repentance. He left the decision about punishment entirely in God’s hands and did not seek to control it.

"Perhaps the one thing that impresses more than David’s sins in his life are his repentances (cf. 2 Samuel 12:13 ff., and, associated in its heading with the same incident, Psalms 51). We do well to let his willingness to come fully to terms with his deficiencies inform our own responses to our moral failures before God." [Note: McConville, p. 71.]

Chapters 17-21 give the writer’s first account of what God promised David in the Davidic Covenant. The things that God promised, He provided in David’s lifetime and shortly after that. They included victory in battle, expanded influence, and a glorious reputation. The record of this promise is in 1 Chronicles 17:8, and the fulfillment is in chapters 18-20. The second promise was a secure, peaceful place for Israel that made necessary a place for Yahweh to dwell among His people in fellowship. The record of this promise is in 1 Chronicles 17:9-12, and chapter 21 guarantees its fulfillment. These promises and their fulfillments would have given the original readers of Chronicles great confidence. They would have encouraged them that Yahweh would yet fulfill those promises in the Davidic Covenant that had not yet materialized but were still future for them. The record should have the same effect on us today.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.   2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.   3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?   4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.   5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.   6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

      Numbering the people, one would think, was no bad thing. Why should not the shepherd know the number of his flock? But God sees not as man sees. It is plain it was wrong in David to do it, and a great provocation to God, because he did it in the pride of his heart; and there is no sin that has in it more of contradiction and therefore more of offence to God than pride. The sin was David's; he alone must bear the blame of it. But here we are told,

      I. How active the tempter was in it (1 Chronicles 21:1; 1 Chronicles 21:1): Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to do it. Is is said (2 Samuel 24:1) that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David to do it. The righteous judgments of God are to be observed and acknowledged even in the sins and unrighteousness of men. We are sure that God is not the author of sin--he tempts no man; and therefore, when it is said that he moved David to do it, it must be explained by what is intimated here, that, for wise and holy ends, he permitted the devil to do it. Here we trace this foul stream to its foundation. That Satan, the enemy of God and all good, should stand up against Israel, is not strange; it is what he aims at, to weaken the strength, diminish the numbers, and eclipse the glory of God's Israel, to whom he is Satan, a sworn adversary. But that he should influence David, the man of God's own heart to do a wrong thing, may well be wondered at. One would think him one of those whom the wicked one touches not. No, even the best saints, till they come to heaven, must never think themselves out of the reach of Satan's temptations. Now, when Satan meant to do Israel a mischief, what course did he take? He did not move God against them to destroy them (as Job, Job 2:3; Job 2:3), but he provoked David, the best friend they had, to number them, and so to offend God, and set him against them. Note, 1. The devil does us more mischief by tempting us to sin against our God than he does by accusing us before our God. He destroys none but by their own hands, 2. The greatest spite he can do to the church of God is to tempt the rulers of the church to pride; for none can conceive the fatal consequences of that sin in all, especially in church-rulers. You shall not be so,Luke 22:26.

      II. How passive the instrument was. Joab, the person whom David employed, was an active man in public business; but to this he was perfectly forced, and did it with the greatest reluctance imaginable.

      1. He put in a remonstrance against it before he began it. No man more forward that he in any thing that really tended to the honour of the king or the welfare of the kingdom; but in this matter he would gladly be excused. For, (1.) It was a needless thing. There was not occasion at all for it. God had promised to multiply them, and he needed not question the accomplishment of that promise. They were all his servants, and he needed not doubt of their loyalty and affection to him. Their number was as much his strength as he could desire. (2.) It was a dangerous thing. In doing it he might be a cause of trespass to Israel, and might provoke God against them. This Joab apprehended, and yet David himself did not. The most learned in the laws of God are not always the most quick-sighted in the application of those laws.

      2. He was quite weary of it before he had done it; for the king's word was abominable to Joab,1 Chronicles 21:6; 1 Chronicles 21:6. Time was when whatever king David did pleased all the people,2 Samuel 3:36. But now there was a general disgust at these orders, which confirmed Joab in his dislike of them, so that, though the produce of this muster was really very great, yet he had no heart to perfect it, but left two tribes unnumbered (1 Chronicles 21:5; 1 Chronicles 21:6), two considerable ones, Levi and Benjamin, and perhaps was not very exact in numbering the rest, because he did not do it with any pleasure, which might be one occasion of the difference between the sums here and 2 Samuel 24:9.