The Strand Study Bible

II SAMUEL 23:20

569

II SAMUEL 24:8

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the 1 thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, 2 Eliam the son of 3 Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beer-

othite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 39 2 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all. II Samuel 24 King David’s (c. 65 years old) sin of numbering the people (S/A - I Chro 21:1-17) Date - c. 1015 BC/AM 2985 1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and 4 HE moved Da- vid against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king’s word pre- vailed against Joab, and against the cap- tains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon, 7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

1. See Map #172 after I Chro 11:47

2. II Sam 11:3 3. II Sam 15:12 4. or, “Satan” - I Chro 21:1

24:1a Did the LORD ( HE ) speak to David here and tell him to go and number the people? And if so, which Person of the Triune Godhead commanded him to go? Was it GOD THE FATHER (Gen 1:28-29 & 2:1-2 and Heb 4:10a )? Was it GOD THE SON (Exo 3:1-2,6,13-14 and Jn 8:53-59)? Or was it GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ezk 3:24 and Acts 10:3-7,19-20)? It wasn’t God at all. It was SATAN who tempted David to go and number the people (I Chro 21:1). So the “ he ” here was not God, but the Devil. 24:1b David had just survived a three-year famine (II Sam 21:1) and two tough battles against the Philistines in which he was almost killed (II Sam 21:15-20). Returning to Jerusalem, David begins to ponder over his supernatural ability to survive, yea, to seemingly triumph, despite the odds against him. Musing over his uncanny knack to stay alive, he abruptly hears a voice that he predetermines is God’s voice (II Sam 24:1), “ Go, number Israel and Judah .” But was it indeed God’s voice? Unfortunately, not every sweet voice we hear in our inner being is good or from God (I Chro 21:1). NOTE –There are seven precautionary steps that we need to remember to insure that the voice that we are hearing is truly God’s voice: 1. Remember to keep yourself humble (Mt 11:20-25 and I Ki 21:29 ) As God’s people, we need to learn to humble ourselves ( I Cor 2:13 - point #4) so we can distinguish between God’s voice and