Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.
Parallel translations
- WEB Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of king David.
- BSB Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. For because of this census wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not entered in the Book of the Chronicles of King David.
- NKJV Joab the son of Zeruiah began a census, but he did not finish, for wrath came upon Israel because of this census; nor was the number recorded in the account of the chronicles of King David.
- NASB Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count them, but did not finish; and because of this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the chronicles of King David.
- NLT Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David’s official records.
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
Joab began the census but did not finish, and wrath fell on Israel; the count was left out of the royal records. It recalls the sin and judgment surrounding David's numbering of the people.
Overview
This verse alludes to the census recorded in chapter 21, which provoked God's wrath and a deadly plague. Joab's incomplete count and its omission from the chronicles mark it as a tainted undertaking. The episode warns against pride in numbers and self-reliance, pointing to the need for trust in God rather than in one's own resources.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Chr 21:1–17And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
- 2 Sam 24:1–15And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
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Original language
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