1 Chronicles 21:17
New International Version
David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

New Living Translation
And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O LORD my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”

English Standard Version
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house. But do not let the plague be on your people.”

Berean Standard Bible
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

King James Bible
And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? 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 father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

New King James Version
And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

New American Standard Bible
And David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? LORD, my God, just let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, and not against Your people as a plague.”

NASB 1995
David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

NASB 1977
And David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Thy hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Thy people that they should be plagued.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to number the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done a great evil; but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

Amplified Bible
David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded the people to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done evil; but as for these sheep [the people of Israel], what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

Christian Standard Bible
David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? LORD my God, please let your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against your people.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My LORD God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against Your people.”

American Standard Version
And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O Jehovah my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to LORD JEHOVAH: “I am he who said, “Number the people”, and I am he who has sinned, and the evil that I have committed is very great, but these innocent sheep, what have they done? LORD JEHOVAH, my God, let your hand be against me and against the house of my father, and let the plague be stopped from the people!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to God, Was it not I that gave orders to number the people? and I am the guilty one; I have greatly sinned: but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord God, let thy hand be upon me, and upon my father's house, and not on thy people for destruction, O Lord!

Contemporary English Version
and David prayed, "It's my fault! I sinned by ordering the people to be counted. They have done nothing wrong--they are innocent sheep. LORD God, please punish me and my family. Don't let the disease wipe out your people."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to God: Am not I he that commanded the people to be numbered? It is I that have sinned: it is I that have done the evil: but as for this flock, what hath it deserved? O Lord my God, let thy hand be turned, I beseech thee, upon me, and upon my father's house: and let not thy people be destroyed.

English Revised Version
And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David said to God, "I'm the one who ordered the people to be counted. I am the one who sinned and did wrong. What have these sheep done? LORD my God, let your punishment be against me and my father's family, but don't punish your people with a plague."

Good News Translation
David prayed, "O God, I am the one who did wrong. I am the one who ordered the census. What have these poor people done? LORD, my God, punish me and my family, and spare your people."

International Standard Version
David told God, "Wasn't I the one who ordered the census of the population? Wasn't it I who sinned and acted wickedly? Now as for these sheep, what have they done? LORD God, please let your hand be against me and my ancestral household, but don't let your people be ravaged by plague!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said unto God: 'Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against Thy people, that they should be plagued.'

Literal Standard Version
And David says to God, “Did I not command to number the people? Indeed, it [is] I who have sinned, and done great evil: and these, the flock, what did they do? O YHWH, my God, please let Your hand be on me, and on the house of my father, and not on Your people—to be plagued.”

Majority Standard Bible
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

New American Bible
and David prayed to God: “Was it not I who ordered the census of the people? I am the one who sinned, I did this wicked thing. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD, my God, strike me and my father’s family, but do not afflict your people with this plague!”

NET Bible
David said to God, "Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep--what have they done? O LORD my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!"

New Revised Standard Version
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the command to count the people? It is I who have sinned and done very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but do not let your people be plagued!”

New Heart English Bible
David said to God, "Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued."

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be afflicted.

World English Bible
David said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto God, 'Did not I -- I say to number the people? Yea, I it is who have sinned, and done great evil: and these, the flock, what did they? O Jehovah, my God, let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father, and not on Thy people -- to be plagued.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Plague on Israel
16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. 17And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

Cross References
2 Samuel 7:8
Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.

Psalm 74:1
Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger burn against the sheep of Your pasture?

Jonah 1:12
"Pick me up," he answered, "and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you."


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let your hand, I pray you, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on your people, that they should be plagued.

It is not I

1 Chronicles 21:8
And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

2 Samuel 24:17
And 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.

Psalm 51:4
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

these sheep

1 Kings 22:17
And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

Psalm 44:11
Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

what have

2 Samuel 24:1
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

let thine

Genesis 44:33
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

Exodus 32:32,33
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written…

John 10:11,12
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…

on my father's

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

2 Samuel 12:10
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Psalm 51:14
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

that they should

Joshua 22:18
But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

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1 Chronicles 21
1. David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5. The number of the people being brought, David repents of it
9. David having three plagues proposed by God, chooses the pestilence
14. After the death of 70,000, David by repentance prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18. David, by Gad's direction, purchases Ornan's threshing floor;
26. where having built an altar, God gives a sign of his favor by fire.
28. David sacrifices there, being restrained from Gibeon by fear of the angel














(17) And David said unto God.--Sam., "Jehovah." Samuel adds, "when he saw the angel that smote the people" (see our 1Chronicles 21:16); "and he said."

Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered?--Literally, to number the people. In Samuel these words are wanting. They may have been added by the chronicler for the sake of clearness. "though they may also have formed part of the original narrative.

Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed.--Samuel reads, "Lo, I" (different pronoun) "have sinned, and I have dealt crookedly." Our text here may be paraphrastic, but hardly a corruption of the older one.

But as for these sheep, what . . . father's house.--Verbatim as in Samuel, save that the appeal, "O Lord my God," is wanting there. (Literally, But these, the sheep. The king was the shepherd.)

But not on thy people, that they should be plagued.--Literally, and on thy people, not for a plague. The strangeness of this order makes it likely that these words comprise two marginal notes, or glosses, which have crept into the text. They are not read in Samuel.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and David
דָּוִ֣יד (dā·wîḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

said
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶֽל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

God,
הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

“Was it not
הֲלֹא֩ (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

I
אֲנִ֨י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

who gave the order
אָמַ֜רְתִּי (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to count
לִמְנ֣וֹת (lim·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4487: To weigh out, to allot, constitute officially, to enumerate, enroll

the people?
בָּעָ֗ם (bā·‘ām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

I, [the shepherd],
וַאֲנִי־ (wa·’ă·nî-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the one
ה֤וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

has sinned
חָטָ֙אתִי֙ (ḥā·ṭā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

and
וְהָרֵ֣עַ (wə·hā·rê·a‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

acted wickedly.
הֲרֵע֔וֹתִי (hă·rê·‘ō·w·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

But these
וְאֵ֥לֶּה (wə·’êl·leh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

sheep,
הַצֹּ֖אן (haṣ·ṣōn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

what
מֶ֣ה (meh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have they done?
עָשׂ֑וּ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

O LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

my God,
אֱלֹהַ֗י (’ĕ·lō·hay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

please
נָ֤א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

let Your hand
יָֽדְךָ֙ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

fall upon
תְּהִ֨י (tə·hî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

me
בִּ֚י (bî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 0: 0

and my father�s
אָבִ֔י (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

house,
וּבְבֵ֣ית (ū·ḇə·ḇêṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

but do not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

let this plague
לְמַגֵּפָֽה׃ (lə·mag·gê·p̄āh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4046: A blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence

remain upon Your people.�
וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ (ū·ḇə·‘am·mə·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 21:17 David said to God Isn't it (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 21:16
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