And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.
- BSB Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
- NKJV Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
- NASB Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel.
- NLT Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Satan incites David to take a census of Israel. It introduces the great sin and its disastrous consequences.
Overview
Chronicles names Satan as the one who moved David to number Israel, while the parallel in 2 Samuel 24 speaks of the Lord's anger prompting it; faithful readers harmonize these by seeing Satan as the instrument within God's sovereign permission, as in Job 1-2. The census appears to express trust in numbers and military might rather than in the Lord. The episode exposes the sin even of a godly king and prepares for the place where atonement and the temple will arise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 2 Sam 24:1–25And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
- Zech 3:1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
- Rev 12:10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
- Job 2:1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
- Job 2:4–6And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
- 1 Kgs 22:20–22And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
- Acts 5:3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
- John 13:2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
- Luke 11:53And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
- Job 1:6–12Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
- Luke 22:31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
- Matt 4:3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
- Heb 10:24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
- Jas 1:13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 21:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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