Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 27:23

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

23. took not the number ] (Cp. the note at the head of this paragraph). The Chronicler notices that David conformed to the regulation given in Num 1:3, viz., that only those above twenty years old, and not those below twenty, were to be numbered.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Davids numbering of the people was therefore a military arrangement in order to fix the amount of his standing army. To the general Oriental prejudice against numbering possessions, etc., there was added in the case of the Jews a special objection – a feeling that it would be irreverent to attempt to count what God had promised should be countless.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

The meaning is, David, when he desired to number the people, he designed to number only those who were from twenty years old and upward, or (which is the same thing) those that drew sword, 1Ch 21:5, and not those who were from twenty years old and under.

He would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens; and therefore to number them all both above and under twenty years old, had been both an infinite trouble, and a tempting of God, or a questioning of the truth of his promises. And possibly this circumstance might in part deceive or quiet Davids conscience, that his desire of knowing the number of his people did not proceed from distrust of Gods promise or providence, but from a prudent care to know the true state and strength of his kingdom.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

23. But David took not the number ofthem from twenty years old and underThe census which Davidordered did not extend to all the Israelites; for to contemplate suchan enumeration would have been to attempt an impossibility (Ge28:14), and besides would have been a daring offense to God. Thelimitation to a certain age was what had probably quieted David’sconscience as to the lawfulness of the measure, while itsexpediency was strongly pressed upon his mind by the armyarrangements he had in view.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under,…. Only those that were twenty years and upwards; but, according to Cornelius Bertram k, he numbered them that were under twenty, though but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age, provided they were of robust bodies, and of a tall stature, and able to bear arms; which he takes to be the sin of David, in numbering the people, being contrary to the law of God; yet though he had ordered them to be numbered, and they were, yet he would not take them and put them into the account of his chronicles, as in the next verse, that his sin might not be known, see 2Sa 24:9

because the Lord had said, he would increase Israel like to the stars in the heavens; which are not to be numbered, and therefore David sinned in attempting to number the people.

k Lucubrat. Franktall, c. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

1Ch 27:23 and 1Ch 27:24 contain a concluding remark on the catalogue of the twelve detachments into which the men capable of bearing arms in Israel were divided, contained in 1Ch 27:2-15. David had not taken their number from the men of twenty years and under, i.e., he had only caused those to be numbered who were over twenty years old. The word points back to , 1Ch 27:1. as in Num 3:40 = , Exo 30:12; Num 1:49, to take up the sum or total. The reason of this is given in the clause, “for Jahve had said (promised) to increase Israel like to the stars of heaven” (Gen 22:17), which cannot mean: For it was impossible for David to number all, because they were as numerous as the stars of heaven, which of course cannot be numbered (Berth.). The thought is rather that David never intended to number the whole people from the youngest to the eldest, for he did not desire in fidem divinarum promissionum inquirere aut eam labefactare (J. H. Mich.); and he accordingly caused only the men capable of bearing arms to be numbered, in order to organize the military constitution of the kingdom in the manner recorded in 1Ch 27:2-15. But even this numbering which Joab had begun was not completed, because wrath came on Israel because of it, as is narrated in 1 Chron 21. For this reason also the number, i.e., the result of the numbering begun by Joab, but not completed, is not included in the number of the chronicle of King David, i.e., in the official number which was usually inserted in the public annals. neither stands for (according to 2Ch 20:34), nor does it denote, “in the section which treats of the numberings” (Berth.). is a shorter expression for h’ , book of the events of the day.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(23) But David took (Num. 3:40, nsmispar) not the number of them.This and the next verse contain concluding remarks on the two lists communicated in 1Ch. 27:1-22. The heading of the chapter professes that the sons of Israel, according to their number, is the subject in hand. This appended note limits that statement to those who were above twenty years old, that is, to those who were of the military age. The reference is undoubtedly to the census, of which 1 Chronicles 21 gave the account; and it is evident that one of the main objects of that census was the military and political organisation here so scantily and obscurely described.

Because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.The reason why David restricted the census to those who were capable of bearing arms (see Gen. 15:5; Gen. 22:17). The idea implied seems to be that to attempt to number Israel would be to evince a distrust of Jehovahs faithfulness; and, perhaps, that such an attempt could not possibly succeed.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

23, 24. These two verses seem to have been inserted in this connexion with a reference especially to the military divisions mentioned in 1Ch 27:1-15. “The numbering of the Israelites from twenty years and upwards,” says Bertheau, “was undertaken, as we may infer from the reference to it in this passage, in order that its results might be made available for dividing the army into twelve sections, and for the other arrangements described in this chapter.”

It appears from 1Ch 21:1 and 2Sa 24:1, that David sinned in attempting to number Israel at all. But while he refused to be counselled in that matter, and his “word prevailed against Joab,” he ventured not to number any Israelites under twenty years, lest he should seem to distrust God’s promise to Abraham. Gen 15:5; Gen 22:17.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Special officers of the Nation

v. 23. But David, at the time of that unfortunate census, took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, which would, moreover, not have fitted in with the army arrangements which he had in view, because the Lord had said He would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens, Gen 15:5; Gen 28:14,

v. 24. Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to number, as David commanded him, 1Ch 21:2, but he finished not, the pestilence from the Lord falling upon the people before he had visited the tribe of Benjamin, because there fell wrath for it against Israel, 1Ch 21:7; 2Sa 24:15; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of King David, not entered in the daily records or annals of the king’s reign, partly on account of the incompleteness of the records, partly on account of the terrible calamity associated with the census.

v. 25. And over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth, the son of Adiel, he was in charge of the property and the spoils of war which were the property of the crown; and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, the towers or forts used for storehouses, was Jehonathan, the son of Uzziah;

v. 26. and over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground, the laborers on the royal domains, was Ezri, the son of Chelub;

v. 27. and over the vineyards, the territory of Judah being particularly adapted for wine-growing, was Shimei the Ramathite, of Rama, in the tribe of Benjamin; over the increase of the vineyards for the wine-cellars, the large vats, or reservoirs, for storing wine, was Zabdi the Shiphmite;

v. 28. and over the olive-trees and the sycomore-trees, that is, the sycamore-fig trees, that were in the low plains, especially in the southeastern and eastern part of Canaan, was Baal-hanan the Gederite; and over the cellars of oil was Joash;

v. 29. and over the herds that fed in Sharon, the rich plain in the west, between Caesarea and Joppa, was Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds that were in the valleys, namely, those in the hill country of Judah, was Shaphat, the son of Adlai;

v. 30. over the camels also, among the richest possessions of the king, was Obil the Ishmaelite, of a race which had always kept camels; and over the asses, these, like the camels, probably being in the country east of Jordan, was Jehdeiah the Meronothite;

v. 31. and over the flocks, the sheep and goats, was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was King David’s.

v. 32. Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a wise man, and a scribe, the word here not designating an office, but literary activity; and Jehiel, the son of Hachmoni, or the Hachmonite, was with the king’s sons, a member of David’s council;

v. 33. and Ahithophel was the king’s counselor, 2Sa 15:12; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion, a very close and trusted friend, 2Sa 15:37;

v. 34. and after Ahithophel was Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah, bearing the same name as his grandfather, and Abiathar, the priest of the line of Ithamar; and the general, the commander-in-chief and, at the same time, the minister of war, of the king’s army was Joab. It is a blessing of God upon a country if its ruler is a wise administrator, who is able also to choose the best assistants in all departments of his rule.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

“Handfuls of Purpose,”

For All Gleaners

“But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.” 1Ch 27:23 .

David here showed himself to be at once a poet and a saint. He could have numbered Israel arithmetically, but the remembrance of a promise made by the Lord stayed his hand when he thought of thus limiting the Holy One of Israel. God’s purpose concerning his Church is that it shall be “like to the stars of the heavens”: yet there are men amongst us who love to take the statistics of the Church: so many over twenty-one years of age, and so many under twenty-one years of age; so many old, and so many young; so many rich and so many poor; all this may easily be pushed too far, and statistics may become a misrepresentation of the kingdom of heaven. When God said he would make Israel like to the stars of the heavens, he superseded arithmetical action, he left arithmetic itself far behind, for it has no figures wherewith to represent the boundlessness of the empire of heaven. It is enough that we have the Lord’s promise that the Church shall prevail. We might as well take up a seed to see whether it is growing, as to number the Church in order to see whether God’s word is being fulfilled. As Christian teachers and preachers we rest upon the words, “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” David took his rest here, and so he let all numbering beyond a given point cease and determine. On the other hand, there is a numbering that may be permitted, for the sake of pointing rebukes on the one side, and affording encouragement on the other. Our doctrine is that we are not to make too much of numbers, for we may be deceived by them either in the way of exaggeration or defect. The Church of God is to be weighed as well as numbered: for spiritual life relates more to quality than to quantity. When one man is converted the whole world may be converted at the same time, prospectively and instrumentally. Let not the Church, therefore, consult its arithmetic, but consult divine covenants and promises, when it would excite its courage, and bring all its powers to their noblest fruition.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

1Ch 27:23 But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

Ver. 23. He would increase Israel. ] And therefore David knew it was impossible to number them; and, besides, by going about it he might seem to doubt of the truth of God’s promise. a

a Religione distinebatur. — Jun.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)