¹耶和华 又 向以色列 人发怒 ，就激动 大卫 ，使他吩咐 人去 数点 以色列 人和犹大 人。

¹And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

¹ CHAPTER XXIV

David is tempted by Satan to number Israel and Judah, 1.

Joab remonstrates against it, but the king determines that it

shall be done; and Joab and the captains accomplish the work,

and bring the sum total to the king: viz.: eight hundred

thousand warriors in Israel, and five hundred thousand in

Judah, 2-9.

David is convinced that he has done wrong; and the prophet Gad

is sent to him, to give him his choice of three judgments,

one of which God is determined to inflict upon the nation,

10-13.

David humbles himself before God; and a pestilence is sent,

which destroys seventy thousand men, 14, 15.

The angel of the Lord being about to destroy Jerusalem, David

makes intercession, and the plague is stayed, 16, 17.

Gad directs him to build an altar to the Lord on the

threshing-floor of Araunah, where the plague was stayed, 18.

He purchases this place for the purpose, and offers

burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. 19-25.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXIV



Verse 1. He moved David against them] God could not be angry

with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but

in the parallel place (1Ch 21:1) it is expressly said,

Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number

Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and

confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his

dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally

curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire

was sufficient for the work which he had projected. See more on

2Sa 24:10. He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an

exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is

justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props

of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war,

or pestilence.

²大卫就吩咐 跟随他的元帅 约押 说：你去走遍 以色列 众支派 ，从但 直到别是巴 ，数点 百姓 ，我好知道 他们的数目 。

²For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.^a

³约押 对王 说 ：无论百姓 多少 ，愿耶和华 ―你的神 再加增 百倍 ，使我主 我王 亲眼 得见 。我主 我王 何必喜悦 行这事 呢？

³And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

³ Verse 3. Joab said unto the king] This very bad man saw that the

measure now recommended by the king was a wrong one, and might be

ruinous to the people, and therefore he remonstrates against it in

a very sensible speech; but the king was infatuated, and would

hear no reason.

⁴但王 的命令 胜过 约押 和众军 长 。约押 和众军 长 就从王 面前 出去 ，数点 以色列 的百姓 。

⁴Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

⁵他们过了 约但河 ，在迦得 谷 中 、城 的右边 亚罗珥 安营 ，与雅谢 相对，

⁵ ¶ And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:^b

⁵ Verse 5. And pitched in Aroer] This was beyond Jordan, on the

river Arnon, in the tribe of Gad: hence it appears, says Calmet,

that they began their census with the most eastern parts of the

country beyond Jordan.

⁶又到 了基列 和他停合示 地 ，又到 了但雅安 ，绕到 西顿 ，

⁶Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim–hodshi; and they came to Dan–jaan, and about to Zidon,^c

⁶ Verse 6. Tahtim-hodshi] Where this place was is not exactly

known: some think that the words refer to a newly conquered

country, as our margin, the nether land newly inhabited; and if

so, this was probably the country eastward of Gilead, which the

Israelites, in the time of Saul, had conquered from the Hagarites,

and dwelt in themselves. See 1Ch 5:10, where this transaction is

recorded.



To Dan-jaan] Or, to Dan of the woods. This is the place so

frequently mentioned, situated at the foot of Mount Libanus, near

to the source of the Jordan, the most northern city of all the

possessions of the Israelites in what was called the promised

land, as Beer-sheba was the most southern: hence the common form

of speech, From Dan to Beer-sheba, i.e., from north to south.

⁷来到 推罗 的保障 ，并希未人 和迦南人 的各城 ，又到 犹大 南方 的别是巴 。

⁷And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer–sheba.

⁷ Verse 7. The strong hold of Tyre] This must have been the old

city of Tyre, which was built on the main land: the new city was

built on a rock in the sea.

⁸他们走 遍全地 ，过了九 个月 零二十 天 ，就回到 耶路撒冷 。

⁸So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁸ Verse 8. Nine months and twenty days.] This was a considerable

time; but they had much work to do, nor did they complete the

work, as appears from 1Ch 21:6; 27:24.

William the Conqueror made a survey of all England,

particularizing "how many hides or carucates the land is taxed at;

whose it was in the time of his predecessor Edward; who the

present owners and sub-tenants; what and how much arable land,

meadow, pasture, and wood there is, how much in demesne, i.e.,

held and cultivated by the landowners; how much in tenantcy, and

what number of ploughs it will keep; what mills and fisheries; how

many sockmen, freemen, co-liberti, cotarii, bordarii, radmanni,

radchenisters, villains, maid-servants, and bondmen, there are;

how many hogs the woods would support; how many churches, priests,

or parsons; what customary rents, prestations, and services, are

to be paid and rendered out of the lands; what has been added to

the manor; what has been withheld from it, and by whom; what land

is waste, and what the whole was let for in the time of King

Edward; and what the nett rent, and whether it was too dear

rented, and whether it might be improved." This survey was begun

in the year 1080, and was finished in the year 1086, six years

having been employed in the work. This most important document is

still preserved; it is in the Chapter House, Westminster, in two

volumes, one in folio, on three hundred and eighty-two leaves of

vellum. the other in quarto, on four hundred and fifty leaves; and

is in as good preservation as it was seven hundred years ago. This

work was much more difficult than that which was performed by Joab

and his fellows. The work itself is known by the name Domesday

Book.

⁹约押 将 百姓 的总数 奏告于王 ：以色列 拿 刀 的勇士 有八十万 ；犹大 有五十万 。

⁹And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

⁹ Verse 9. In Israel eight hundred thousand-the men of Judah were

five hundred thousand] In the parallel place, 1Ch 21:5, the

sums are widely different: in Israel one million one hundred

thousand, in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand. Neither of

these sums is too great, but they cannot be both correct; and

which is the true number is difficult to say. The former seems the

most likely; but more corruptions have taken place in the numbers

of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other

part of the sacred records. To attempt to reconcile them in every

part is lost labour; better at once acknowledge what cannot be

successfully denied, that although the original writers of the Old

Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we

are not told that the same influence descended on all copiers of

their words, so as absolutely to prevent them from making

mistakes. They might mistake, and they did mistake; but a careful

collation of the different historical books serves to correct all

essential errors of the scribes. See the Dissertations of Dr.

Kennicott mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding chapter.

See Clarke on 2Sa 23:39.

¹⁰大卫 数点 百姓 以后 ，就心 中自责 ，祷告耶和华 说 ：我行 这事大 有罪 了。耶和华 啊，求你除掉 仆人 的罪孽 ，因我所行的甚是 愚昧 。

¹⁰ ¶ And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

¹⁰ Verse 10. David said-I have sinned greatly] We know not exactly

in what this sin consisted. I have already hinted, 2Sa 24:1, that

probably David now began to covet an extension of empire, and

purposed to unite some of the neighbouring states with his own;

and having, through the suggestions of Satan or some other

adversary, (for so the word implies,) given way to this covetous

disposition, he could not well look to God for help, and therefore

wished to know whether the thousands of Israel and Judah might be

deemed equal to the conquests which he meditated. When God is

offended and refuses assistance, vain is the help of man.

¹¹大卫 早晨 起来 ，耶和华 的话 临到先知 迦得 ，就是大卫 的先见 ，说 ：

¹¹For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

¹¹ Verse 11. For when David was up] It is supposed that David's

contrition arose from the reproof given by Gad, and that in the

order of time the reproof came before the confession stated in the

10th verse. 2Sa 24:10



David's seer] A holy man of God, under the Divine influence,

whom David had as a domestic chaplain.

¹²你去 告诉 大卫 ，说 耶和华 如此说：我有 三 样灾，随你选择 一 样，我好降 与你。

¹²Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

¹³于是迦得 来 见大卫 ，对他说 ：你愿意国中 有 七 年 的饑荒 呢？是在你敌人 面前 逃跑 ，被追赶 三 个月 呢？是在你国中 有三 日 的瘟疫 呢？现在你要揣摩思想 ，我好回 覆 那差 我来的。

¹³So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

¹³ Verse 13. Shall seven years of famine] In 1Ch 21:12, the number

is three, not seven; and here the Septuagint has three, the

same as in Chronicles: this is no doubt the true reading, the

letter zain, SEVEN, being mistaken for gimel, THREE. A

mistake of this kind might be easily made from the similarity of

the letters.

¹⁴大卫 对迦得 说 ：我甚 为难 ！我愿落 在耶和华 的手 里，因为他有丰盛的 怜悯 。我不愿落 在人 的手 里。

¹⁴And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.^d

¹⁴ Verse 14. I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand

of the Lord] David acted nobly in this business. Had he chosen

war, his own personal safety was in no danger, because there

was already an ordinance preventing him from going to battle. Had

he chosen famine, his own wealth would have secured his and his

own family's support. But he showed the greatness of his mind in

choosing the pestilence, to the ravages of which himself and

household were exposed equally with the meanest of his subjects.

¹⁵于是，耶和华 降 瘟疫 与以色列 人，自早晨 到所定的 时候 ；从但 直到别是巴 ，民间 死 了七万 人 。

¹⁵ ¶ So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer–sheba seventy thousand men.

¹⁵ Verse 15. From the morning-to the time appointed] That is, from

the morning of the day after David had made his election till the

third day, according to the condition which God had proposed,

and he had accepted: but it seems that the plague was terminated

before the conclusion of the third day, for Jerusalem might have

been destroyed, but it was not. Throughout the land, independently

of the city, seventy thousand persons were slain! This was a

terrible mortality in the space of less than three days.

¹⁶天使 向耶路撒冷 伸 手 要灭 城的时候，耶和华 后悔 ，就不降这灾 了，吩咐灭 民 的天使 说 ：够了 ！住 手 罢！那时耶和华 的使者 在耶布斯人 亚劳拿 的禾场 那里。

¹⁶And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.^e

¹⁶ Verse 16. The angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem] By

what means this destruction took place, we know not: it appears

that an angel was employed in it, and that this minister of Divine

justice actually appeared as an object. of sight; for it is said,

2Sa 24:17,

When David saw the angel that smote the people, he said, &c.;

and both Ornan and his four sons saw him and were affrighted,

1Ch 21:20.



The threshing-place of Araunah] These threshing-places, we have

already seen, were made in the open air. In the parallel place,

1Ch 21:15, 20, &c., this person is called

Ornan. The word that we render Araunah is written in this very

chapter Auarnah, 2Sa 24:16,

Araniah, 2Sa 24:18,

Araunah or Araunah, 2Sa 24:20, and the following: but

in every place in 1Ch 21:1-30 where it occurs it is written

Ornan. It is likely he had both names, Araunah and Ornan: but the

varieties of spelling in 2 Sam. must arise from the blunders of

transcribers.

¹⁷大卫 看见 灭 民 的天使 ，就祷告耶和华 说 ：我犯了罪 ，行了恶 ；但这群羊 做 了甚么呢？愿你的手 攻击我和我的父 家 。

¹⁷And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

¹⁷ Verse 17. But these sheep, what have they done?] It seems that

in the order of Providence there is no way of punishing kings in

their regal capacity, but by afflictions on their land, in which

the people must necessarily suffer. If the king, therefore, by his

own personal offenses, in which the people can have no part, bring

down God's judgments upon his people, (though they suffer

innocently,) grievous will be the account that he must give to

God. The people generally suffer for the miscarriages of their

governors: this has been observed in every age.

Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.

__________________ "When doting monarchs urge

Unsound resolves, their subjects feel the scourge."

HOR. Ep. lib. i., ep. 2, ver. 14.

Against my father's house.] That is, against his own family;

even to cut it off from the face of the earth.

¹⁸当日 ，迦得 来 见大卫 ，对他说 ：你上去 ，在耶布斯人 亚劳拿 的禾场 上为耶和华 筑 一座坛 。

¹⁸ ¶ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.^f

¹⁸ Verse 18. Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord] This place is

supposed to be Mount Moriah: on which, according to the rabbins,

Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices; where Abraham attempted to

sacrifice Isaac, and where the temple of Solomon was afterwards

built.

¹⁹大卫 就照着迦得 奉耶和华 名所说 的话 上去 了。

¹⁹And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

²⁰亚劳拿 观看 ，见 王 和他臣仆 前来 ，就迎接出去 ，脸 伏于地 ，向王 下拜 ，

²⁰And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

²¹说 ：我主 我王 为何来到 仆人 这里呢？大卫 说 ：我要买 你这禾场 ，为耶和华 筑 一座坛 ，使民间 的瘟疫 止住 。

²¹And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

²²亚劳拿 对大卫 说 ：我主 我王 ，你喜悦 用甚么，就拿去 献祭 。看 哪，这里有牛 可以作燔祭 ，有打粮的器具 和套牛的轭 可以当柴 烧。

²²And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

²² Verse 22. Here be oxen for burnt-sacrifice] He felt for the

king; and showed his loyalty to him by this offer. He felt for

the people; and was willing to make any sacrifice to get the

plague stayed. He felt for his own personal safety; and therefore

was willing to give up all to save his life. He felt for the

honour of God; and therefore was glad that he had a sacrifice to

offer, so that God might magnify both his justice and mercy.

²³王 啊，这一切，我亚劳拿 都奉给 你；又对王 说 ：愿耶和华 ―你的神 悦纳 你。

²³All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

²³ Verse 23. As a king, give unto the king.] Literally, All these

did King Araunah give unto the king. That there could not be a

king of the Jebusites on Mount Moriah, is sufficiently evident;

and that there was no other king than David in the land, is

equally so: the word hammelech, "the king," given here to

Araunah, is wanting in the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic; in

three of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and in the parallel

place in Chronicles: and, it is very probable, never made a part

of the text. Perhaps it should be read, All these did Arnunah give

unto the king.



There is, however, a difficulty here. David had taken the

fortress of the Jebusites many years before; yet it is evident

that Araunah was proprietor of the soil at this time. It is not

clear that he was a subject of David; but he paid him respect as a

neighbour and a king. This is merely possible.

²⁴王 对亚劳拿 说 ：不然。我必要按着价值 向你买 ；我不肯用白得 之物作燔祭 献 给耶和华 ―我的神 。大卫 就用五十 舍客勒 银子 买 了那禾场 与牛 。

²⁴And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

²⁴ Verse 24. Neither will I offer burnt-offerings] It is a maxim

from heaven, "Honour the Lord with thy substance." He who has a

religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth

nothing: nor will any man esteem the ordinances of God, if those

ordinances cost him nothing. Had Araunah's noble offer been

accepted, it would have been Araunah's sacrifice, not David's; nor

would it have answered the end of turning away the displeasure of

the Most High. It was David that sinned, not Araunah: therefore

David must offer sacrifice, and at his own expense too.

²⁵大卫 在那里为耶和华 筑 了一座坛 ，献 燔祭 和平安祭 。如此，耶和华 垂听国民 所求 的，瘟疫 在以色列 人中就止住 了。

²⁵And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

²⁵ Verse 25. David-offered burnt-offerings] And that these

sacrifices were pleasing to the Lord, is evident from a

circumstance marked in the parallel place, 1Ch 21:26:

David called upon the Lord, and he answered him from heaven by

fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.



The plague was stalled] Jerusalem did not share in the common

calamity, seventy thousand being the whole that were slain

throughout the land.



THIS book is unfinished, and requires 1 Chr. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,

27, 28, and 29, to complete it. A few things relative to this

history may be found in the beginning of the following book; but

the information in 1 Chr. is much more extensive and satisfactory.





MASORETIC NOTES ON THE TWO BOOKS OF SAMUEL



IN the time of the Masoretes the two books of Samuel were

considered but as one, and thus divided:-



Number of verses in these two books, 1506.



Number of Masoretic sections, 34.



The middle verse is 1Sa 28:24:

And the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted and

killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened

bread thereof.