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| 1 And the anger of Jehovah addeth to burn against Israel, and [an adversary] moveth David about them, saying, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.' |
He moved David – Satan provoked David to number Israel, contrary to the command of the Lord. R5106:4; Q281:4
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| 2 And the king saith unto Joab, head of the host that [is] with him, 'Go to and fro, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and inspect ye the people and I have known the number of the people.' |
The king said – As the Lord's representative, he was acting without instructions and due authority. Q832:2
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| 3 And Joab saith unto the king, 'Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing ' |
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| 4 And the word of the king is severe towards Joab, and against the heads of the force, and Joab goeth out, and the heads of the force, [from] before the king to inspect the people, even Israel; |
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| 5 and they pass over the Jordan, and encamp in Aroer, on the right of the city that [is] in the midst of the brook of Gad, and unto Jazer, |
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| 6 and they come in to Gilead, and unto the land of Tahtim-Hodshi, and they come in to Dan-Jaan, and round about unto Zidon, |
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| 7 and they come in to the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivite, and of the Canaanite, and go out unto the south of Judah, to Beer-Sheba. |
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| 8 And they go to and fro through all the land, and come in at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem, |
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| 9 and Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men. |
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| 10 And the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, 'I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.' |
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| 11 And David riseth in the morning, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Gad the prophet, seer of David, saying, |
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| 12 'Go, and thou hast spoken unto David, Thus said Jehovah: Three I am lifting up for thee, choose thee one of them, and I do [it] to thee.' |
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| 13 And Gad cometh in unto David, and declareth to him, and saith to him, 'Do seven years of famine come in to thee in thy land or three months art thou fleeing before thine adversary and he pursuing thee or are three days' pestilence in thy land now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending me.' |
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| 14 And David saith unto Gad, 'I have great distress, let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for many [are] His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.' |
I am in a great strait – Realizing his own weakness; David, in humility, declined to make a choice. R5106:4; Q281:4
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| 15 And Jehovah giveth a pestilence on Israel from the morning even unto the time appointed, and there die of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, seventy thousand men, |
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| 16 and the messenger putteth forth his hand to Jerusalem to destroy it, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil, and saith to the messenger who is destroying among the people, 'Enough, now, cease thy hand;' and the messenger of Jehovah was near the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. |
The angel stretched – The word "angel" here does not necessarily refer to a member of the angelic order, but signifies "messenger" or agency which God used; in this case, a pestilence. R2382:2
The LORD repented – Before the Lord's punishment reached David he had received the Lord's forgiveness. R5106:4; Q281:4
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| 17 And David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, 'Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these the flock what have they done Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.' |
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| 18 And Gad cometh in unto David on that day, and saith to him, 'Go up, raise to Jehovah an altar in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite;' |
Rear an altar – A remarkable spot. It was here that Abraham offered Isaac and Solomon built the Temple. (2 Chron 3:1) R2510:6, R1395:6
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| 19 and David goeth up, according to the word of Gad, as Jehovah commanded. |
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| 20 And Araunah looketh, and seeth the king and his servants passing over unto him, and Araunah goeth out and boweth himself to the king his face to the earth. |
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| 21 And Araunah saith, 'Wherefore hath my lord the king come unto his servant ' and David saith, 'To buy from thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar to Jehovah, and the plague is restrained from the people.' |
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| 22 And Araunah saith unto David, 'Let my lord the king take and cause to ascend that which is good in his eyes; see, the oxen for a burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments, and the instruments of the oxen, for wood;' |
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| 23 the whole hath Araunah given, [as] a king to a king; and Araunah saith unto the king, 'Jehovah thy God doth accept thee.' |
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| 24 And the king saith unto Araunah, 'Nay, for I do surely buy from thee for a price, and I do not cause to ascend to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings for nought;' and David buyeth the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, |
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| 25 and David buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and Jehovah is entreated for the land, and the plague is restrained from Israel. |
The LORD was intreated – Only proper for Israel, because of God's special covenant with that nation. R2029:2
Offered burnt offerings – Recognizing God's chastisement, he prayed for divine mercy. R2029:2
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