Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Vol. I wherein the sacred text is inserted, and various readings annex'd, together with parallel scriptures, the more difficult terms in each verse are explained, seeming contradictions reconciled, questions and doubts resolved, and the whole text opened / by the late reverend and learned divine Mr. Matthew Poole.

CHAP. XXI.

1 ANd * 1.1 ‖ 1.2 Satan stood up a 1.3 against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

2 And David said to Joab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel, from Beersheba e∣ven to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times as many mo as they be: but my lord the king, are they not all my lords servants, why then doth my lord require this thing! why will he be † 1.4 a cause of trespass to Israel b 1.5.

4 Nevertheless, the kings word prevailed against Joab: wherefore Joab departed, and went through∣out all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and one hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred three∣score and ten thousand men that drew sword.

6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them c 1.6; for the kings word was abominable to Joab.

7 † 1.7 And God was displeased with this thing d 1.8, therefore he smote Israel e 1.9.

8 And David said unto God, * 1.10 I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; * 1.11 but now I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.

9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, Davids seer, saying,

10 Go, and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I † 1.12 offer thee three things, chuse thee one of them that I may do it unto thee.

11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, † 1.13 chuse thee,

12 Either three years famine, or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, (while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee) or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thy self, what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, (for very ‖ 1.14 great are his mercies) but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15 And God sent an * 1.15 angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of ‖ 1.16 Ornan the Jebusite.

16 And David lift up his eyes, and saw the an∣gel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem: then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth f 1.17, fell upon their faces.

17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that com∣manded the people to be numbred? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my fa∣thers house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18 Then † 1.18 the * 1.19 angel of the LORD command∣ed Gad to say to David, that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD, in the thresh∣ing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

20 ‖ 1.20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the an∣gel; and his four sons with him hid themselves g 1.21. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

22 Then David said to Ornan, † 1.22 Grant me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: •…•…o, I give thee the oxen also for burnt-offer∣ings, and the threshing-instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering, I give it all.

24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt-offerings without cost.

25 So * 1.23 David gave to Ornan for the place, six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings, and peace∣offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he an∣swered him from heaven by fire h 1.24 upon the altar of burnt▪offering.

27 And the LORD commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there i 1.25.

29 For the tabernacle of the LORD which Mo∣ses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt∣offering were at that season in the high place at * 1.26 Gi∣beon.

30 But David could not k 1.27 go before it l 1.28 to en∣quire of God m 1.29; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD n 1.30.

Notes

• * 1.1

  •…•… Sam 24. 1, •…•…
• ‖ 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 22. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• a 1.3

  Heb. stood, to wit, before the Lord and his Tribunal to ac∣cuse David and Israel, and to beg Gods permission to tempt Da∣vid to number the People. Standing is the Accusers posture be∣fore Mens Tribunals; and consequently the Holy Scripture (which useth to speak of God and of the things of God after the manner of men to bring them down to our Capacities) elsewhere represents Satan in this posture, as 1 King. 22. 21. Zech. 3. 1. And so this a∣grees with 2 Sam. 24. 1. where the Lord is said to move David, i. e. to give Satan Commission or Permission to move him; for o∣therwise God tempteth no man, Jam. 1. 13. But of this, and of this whole Chapter, and of the Variations and seeming Contradictions between this Narrative and that in Samuel, see my Notes on 2 Sam. 24.
• † 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•… tres∣•…•… & Gr.
• b 1.5

  Or, why will he be, or, why should this be a trespass or a cause of trespass or an occasion of punishment, (for Hebrew words signify∣ing sin are oft used to note the punishment of Sin:) or a desola∣tion, or a cause of desolation or destruction (for the verb whence this noun proceeds is oft used in that Sense) to or against Israel? Why wilst thou provoke God by this sin to punish Israel? Thus he speaks because God commonly punisheth the People for the sins of their Rulers, because they are for the most part guilty of their sins in one kind or other; or at least God takes this occasion to punish People for all their Sins.
• c 1.6

  Partly for the following Reason; and principally by Gods spe∣cial and gracious Providence to these two Tribes, to Levi, because they were devoted to his Service; and to Benjamin, because they were the least of all the Tribes having been almost extinct, Iudg. 21. and because God foresaw that they would be faithful to the House of David in the division of the Tribes, and therefore he would not have them diminished. And Ioab presumed to leave these two Tribes unnumbred, because he had specious Pretences for it; for Levi, because they were no Warriours, and the Kings Command reached onely to those that drew sword, as appears from v. 5. And for Benjamin, because they, being so small a Tribe and bordering upon Ierusalem their Chief City, might easily be num∣bred afterward.
• † 1.7

  Heb. and it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concern∣ning this thing.
• d 1.8

  Because this was done without any colour of necessity, and out of meer Curiosity, and Oftentation, and carnal Confidence, as Da∣vids own Conscience told him, which therefore smote him, as it is related, 2 Sam. 24. 10.
• e 1.9

  Which is particularly related in the fol∣lowing verses.
• * 1.10

  2 Sam. 24. 10.
• * 1.11

  2 Sam. 12. 13.
• † 1.12

  Heb. stretch out.
• † 1.13

  Heb. take to thee.
• ‖ 1.14

  Or, many.
• * 1.15

  2 Sam. 24. 16.
• ‖ 1.16

  Or, Ara•…•…nah, 2 Sam. 24. 18.
• f 1.17

  i. e. In mourning Garments, humbling themselves before God for their Sins and deprecating his Wrath against the People.
• † 1.18

  Heb. an an∣gel.
• * 1.19

  2 Chr. 3. 1.
• ‖ 1.20

  Or, when Or•…•…∣nan turned back and saw the an∣gel, then he and his four sons with him hid themselves.
• g 1.21

  Or, And Ornan turned back (i. e. turned his face from the Angel) for or when (for the Hebrew vau is frequently used both those ways) he saw the angel, and (so did) his four sons with him hiding themselves; partly because of the Glory and Majesty in which the Angel appeared, which mens weak and sinful natures are not able to bear; and partly from the fear of Gods Vengeance which was at this time riding circuit in the Land, and now seemed to be coming to their Family.
• † 1.22

  Heb. give.
• * 1.23

  2 Sam. 24. 24.
• h 1.24

  Heb. by fire sent from Heaven: which was the sign of Gods Acceptance. See Levit. 9. 24. 1 King. 18. 24, 38. 2 Chron. 7. 1.
• i 1.25

  When he perceived that his Sacrifice there offered was accept∣able to God, he proceeded to offer more Sacrifices in that place, and did not go to Gibeon, as otherwise he should have done.
• * 1.26

  1 King. 3. 4. Ch. 16. 39. 2 Chr. 1. 3.
• k 1.27

  i. e. Durst not.
• l 1.28

  i. e. Before the Tabernacle, where the Al∣tar stood.
• m 1.29

  Heb. to seek God, i. e. humbly to beg his Favour by Prayer and Sacrifice.
• n 1.30

  i. e. When he saw the Angel stand with his drawn Sword over Ierusalem, as is related above, v. 15, 16. he durst not go away thence to Gibeon, lest the Angel in the mean time should destroy Ierusalem; for the prevention whereof he thought it most proper to continue to worship God in that place, which he had consecrated by his special Presence and gracious Ac∣ceptance.