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Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

1 Chronicles 27:23

But David did not take the number of them from the son of twenty years and under, because Jehovah had said He would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel;   Joab;   Rulers;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jaziz;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   David;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Army;   War;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David didn’t count the men aged twenty or under, for the Lord had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.
Hebrew Names Version
But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said he would increase Yisra'el like the stars of the sky.
King James Version
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
English Standard Version
David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.
New Century Version
The Lord had promised to make the Israelites as many as the stars in the sky. So David only counted the men who were twenty years old and older.
New English Translation
David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Amplified Bible
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, for the LORD had said he would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.
New American Standard Bible
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.
World English Bible
But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Dauid tooke not the nober of them from twentie yeere olde and vnder, because the Lord had sayde that he would increase Israel like vnto the starres of the heauens.
Legacy Standard Bible
But David did not take up a count of those twenty years of age and under, because Yahweh had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.
Berean Standard Bible
David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.
Contemporary English Version
When David decided to count the people of Israel, he gave orders not to count anyone under twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised long ago that Israel would have as many people as there are stars in the sky.
Complete Jewish Bible
But David did not include in the registration those twenty years old or less, because Adonai had said he would increase Isra'el's numbers like the stars in the sky.
Darby Translation
And David took not their number from twenty years old and under; for Jehovah had said he would increase Israel as the stars of heaven.
Easy-to-Read Version
David decided to count the men in Israel. There were very many people because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as many as the stars in the sky. So David counted only the men who were 20 years old and older.
George Lamsa Translation
But David did not number those twenty years old and under because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens.
Good News Translation
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Lexham English Bible
And David did not take a census of those twenty years old or under because Yahweh promised to make Israel more numerous than the stars of heaven.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Dauid toke not the nombre of them that were twentye yeare olde and there vnder: for the LORDE had promysed to multiplye Israel as the starres of the ?kie.
American Standard Version
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Jehovah had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.
Bible in Basic English
But David did not take the number of those who were under twenty years old, for the Lord had said that he would make Israel like the stars of heaven in number.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Dauid toke not the number of them vnder twentie yeres, because the Lorde saide he would encrease Israel lyke vnto the starres of the skye.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under; because the LORD had said He would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.
King James Version (1611)
But Dauid tooke not the number of them from twentie yeeres olde and vnder: because the Lord had said, hee would increase Israel like to the starres of the heauens.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But David took not their number from twenty years old and under: because the Lord said that he would multiply Israel as the stars of the heaven.
English Revised Version
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Dauid nolde noumbre hem with ynne twenti yeer, for the Lord seide, that he wolde multiplie Israel as the sterris of heuene.
Update Bible Version
But David did not take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of heaven.
Webster's Bible Translation
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
New King James Version
But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.
New Living Translation
When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven.
New Life Bible
But David did not number those younger than twenty years old because the Lord had promised to make Israel many, as the stars of heaven.
New Revised Standard
David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But David took not the number of them, from twenty years old, and under, - because Yahweh had said, he would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But David would not number them from twenty years old and under: because the lord had said that he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven.
Revised Standard Version
David did not number those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.
Young's Literal Translation
And David hath not taken up their number from a son of twenty years and under, for Jehovah said to multiply Israel as the stars of the heavens.
THE MESSAGE
David didn't keep a count of men under the age of twenty, because God had promised to give Israel a population as numerous as the stars in the sky. Joab son of Zeruiah started out counting the men, but he never finished. God's anger broke out on Israel because of the counting. As it turned out, the numbers were never entered into the court records of King David.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

Contextual Overview

16 And over the tribes of Israel, the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri. Shephatiah the son of Maachah was over the Simeonites. 17 Hashabiah the son of Kemuel was over the Levites; Zadok over the Aaronites. 18 Elihu, of the brothers of David, was over Judah. Omri the son of Michael was over Issachar. 19 Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah was over Zebulun. Jerimoth the son of Azriel was over Naphtali. 20 Hoshea the son of Azaziah was over the sons of Ephraim. Joel the son of Pedaiah was over the half tribe of Manasseh. 21 Iddo the son of Zechariah was over the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. Jaasiel the son of Abner was over Benjamin. 22 Azareel the son of Jeroham was over Dan. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23 But David did not take the number of them from the son of twenty years and under, because Jehovah had said He would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens. 24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he did not finish. And wrath was on Israel for this. And the number did not go up in the account of the Matters of the Days of King David. 25 And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And Jehonathan the son of Uzziah was over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the strongholds.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

David took not: It seems probable, from this passage, that Joab began, by David's order, to number the children, as well as adults, but was prevented from finishing the account, probably because the plague had begun. The numbering of the effective men might have been deemed a political expedient; but pride and ostentation alone could dictate the numbering of minors and infants, especially as God had pronounced the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, innumerable.

from twenty: Numbers 1:18

he would increase: Genesis 15:5, Hebrews 11:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:16 - General Numbers 1:2 - Take ye the sum Deuteronomy 1:10 - your God 2 Samuel 24:1 - number 2 Samuel 24:9 - eight hundred thousand 1 Kings 3:8 - cannot 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number 1 Chronicles 21:2 - bring 1 Chronicles 21:5 - a thousand Nehemiah 9:23 - multipliedst Psalms 80:9 - and it

Cross-References

Genesis 27:11
And Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I a smooth man.
Genesis 27:12
Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be like a deceiver in his eyes, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not blessing.
Genesis 27:16
and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smoothness of his neck.
Hebrews 11:20
By faith concerning things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under,.... Only those that were twenty years and upwards; but, according to Cornelius Bertram k, he numbered them that were under twenty, though but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age, provided they were of robust bodies, and of a tall stature, and able to bear arms; which he takes to be the sin of David, in numbering the people, being contrary to the law of God; yet though he had ordered them to be numbered, and they were, yet he would not take them and put them into the account of his chronicles, as in the next verse, that his sin might not be known, see 2 Samuel 24:9

because the Lord had said, he would increase Israel like to the stars in the heavens; which are not to be numbered, and therefore David sinned in attempting to number the people.

k Lucubrat. Franktall, c. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David’s numbering of the people was therefore a military arrangement in order to fix the amount of his standing army. To the general Oriental prejudice against numbering possessions, etc., there was added in the case of the Jews a special objection - a feeling that it would be irreverent to attempt to count what God had promised should be countless.


 
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