MPV Commentary

1. Satan stood up against Israel--God withdrew His grace from David at this time, allowing the tempter to prevail over him. As a result of this successful temptation, a heavy calamity was brought upon the people as punishment from God.

Numbering Israel was not inherently evil; in fact, it had utility. However, numbering Israel, implying a distrust of the divine promise, was a sin. Although Moses had done so without consequence, each person contributed "half a shekel towards the building of the tabernacle" (Exodus 30:12) to avoid plague when numbered.

The sin in David's census lay in its purpose: either to satisfy his pride by counting warriors for conquest or to establish a permanent system of taxation, which was seen as oppressive and unbecoming a king of Israel.

3. Why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?--or bring an occasion of punishment on Israel. The word "sin" is often used synonymously with the punishment of sin in Hebrew. In God's Providence, people frequently suffer for their rulers' misconduct.

5. Joab gave the sum of the number of the children of Israel--It totaled one million one hundred thousand men in Israel, including three hundred thousand military personnel already enlisted in royal service, and four hundred seventy thousand men in Judah, excluding thirty thousand stationed on the Philistine frontier. This large population at an early period is a striking proof of the fulfillment of God's promise (Genesis 15:5).

6. Levi and Benjamin were not counted--If this census was for taxation purposes, it would explain why Levi, who were not warriors, were left out (see Numbers 1:47-54). The population of Benjamin had been taken on another occasion by a different agency. This non-numbering might have originated in God's special providence, partly because Levi served Him and Benjamin was the least of all tribes.

From the course followed in this survey, it appears that Judah and Benjamin were the last tribes to be visited; after finishing the census in Judah, Joab had to return to Jerusalem before entering Benjamin. The king, now aware of his great error, gave orders to stop further proceedings.

9. The Lord spoke unto Gad, David's seer--Although David was prophetic, he consulted God through priests or prophets in matters concerning himself or the kingdom. Gad, a private friend, was occasionally employed as a bearer of these messages.

11-12. Choose thee, &c.--These three options correspond beautifully: three years, three months, three days [Bertheau]. (See 2 Samuel 24:13).

13. Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord ... let me not fall into the hand of man--David learned that human passion and vengeance had no bounds, whereas God knows the kind and regulates the extent of chastisement.

14-15. So the Lord sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it--The infliction of pestilence is noted without account of its duration or ravages, while a minute description is given of the visible appearance and menacing attitude of the destroying angel.

15. Stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite--Ornan was probably his Hebrew name, Araunah his Canaanitish name. He had been converted to the worship of the true God and possessed property and influence.

16. David and the elders clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces--They appeared as humble penitents, confessing their sins and deprecating God's wrath.