Dawn on a bare hilltop: a round threshing floor edged with fieldstones, yoked oxen at rest beside wooden sledges and straw, and below it the small walled town of Jerusalem on its narrow ridge with thin cooking smoke, under a calm, pale sky.

The Book of

2 Samuel 24

David counts his army, and the count costs Israel dearly. The book ends on a threshing floor, with an altar and mercy.

25 verses≈ 6 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–4King in HebronThe house of Saul falls
5–6JerusalemThe ark comes home
7–10A house foreverGod's promise to David
11–12David's sinBathsheba and Nathan
13–20The swordAmnon, Absalom and Sheba
21–24Last wordsSongs, heroes and an altarChapter 24

David’s Military Census

Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

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David

So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”

Joab

But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to register the troops of Israel.

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

From Dan to Beersheba

Joab’s officers crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer above the Arnon gorge, then went north through Gad to Jazer and Gilead, on to Dan, around toward Sidon (beyond the top of the map) and “the fortress of Tyre,” and south at last to Beersheba, before they “returned to Jerusalem.” It took “nine months and twenty days.” Tahtim-hodshi is unknown, and Jazer’s site is probable, not certain.

At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem. And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.

Question

Quick question

Joab’s officers went through the whole land, from Dan to Beersheba, counting the fighting men.

How long did Joab’s officers take to count the troops?

Judgment for David’s Sin

After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

God

“Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”

Gad the prophet

So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”

David

David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great

2 Samuel 24:14

Reflect

“His mercies are great”

Given three hard roads, David chose to fall into the hand of the LORD rather than the hands of men, “for His mercies are great.” Why would a man who had just sinned want to be in God’s hands? Write down what it means for you to trust God’s mercy even when you know you have done wrong.

A Plague on Israel

So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

At dawn on a bare hill beside a round threshing floor, a tall figure of pure white light seen from behind holds a long sword lowered toward the ground; below, the small walled town lies quiet on its ridge.

But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

David Builds an Altar

Morning on a rocky path up a bare hill: an old king and a few servants climb toward a round threshing floor where a landowner stands by his oxen, looking down at them.

And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.

When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king.

0:17

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Araunah

“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

Araunah said.

David

“To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”

Araunah

Araunah said to David, “May my lord the king take whatever seems good to him and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

2 Samuel 24:24

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.

Pray

Not an offering that costs nothing

Confess the pride that trusts in numbers and strength instead of in the LORD. Thank Him that “His mercies are great,” that He said “Enough!” and stayed His hand. Ask Him for a heart like David’s on the threshing floor, glad to give Him worship that costs something.

You’ve experienced

2 Samuel 24

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A verse to carry with you

“No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

2 Samuel 24:24

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