1 Chronicles 21:6
New International Version
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.

New Living Translation
But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

English Standard Version
But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

Berean Standard Bible
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.

King James Bible
But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

New King James Version
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

New American Standard Bible
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

NASB 1995
But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

NASB 1977
But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

Legacy Standard Bible
But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abominable to Joab.

Amplified Bible
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s order was detestable to Joab.

Christian Standard Bible
But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him.

American Standard Version
But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

Contemporary English Version
Joab refused to include anyone from the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he still disagreed with David's orders.

English Revised Version
But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab didn't include Levi and Benjamin in the number because he was disgusted with the king's order.

Good News Translation
Because Joab disapproved of the king's command, he did not take any census of the tribes of Levi and Benjamin.

International Standard Version
Levi and Benjamin were not included in the census, because what the king had commanded was unethical to Joab.

Majority Standard Bible
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king?s command was detestable to him.

NET Bible
Now Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king's edict disgusted him.

New Heart English Bible
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

World English Bible
But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he has not numbered Levi and Benjamin in their midst, for the word of the king was abominable with Joab.

Young's Literal Translation
And Levi and Benjamin he hath not numbered in their midst, for the word of the king was abominable with Joab.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Levi and Benjamin he reviewed not in the midst of them: for the king's word was abhorred with Joab.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Levi and Benjamin he did not number: for Joab unwillingly executed the king's orders.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Levi and Benjamin he did not number. For Joab executed the orders of the king unwillingly.

New American Bible
Levi and Benjamin, however, he did not include in the census, for the king’s command was repugnant to Joab.

New Revised Standard Version
But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But the Levites, the priests, and the tribe of Benjamin were not counted among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab, and Joab was unwilling to number them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Levites and the Priests and the tribe of the house of Benjamin were not numbered with them, because Yuab despised the word of the King, and Yuab chose not to count them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But Levi and Benjamin he did not number among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But he numbered not Levi and Benjamin among them; for the word of the king was painful to Joab.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Military Census
5And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah. 6But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.

Cross References
2 Samuel 24:9
And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.

1 Chronicles 27:23-24
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. / 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.

Numbers 1:47-49
The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers. / For the LORD had said to Moses: / “Do not number the tribe of Levi in the census with the other Israelites.

Numbers 26:62
The registration of the Levites totaled 23,000, every male a month old or more; they were not numbered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.

Exodus 30:11-16
Then the LORD said to Moses, / “When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered. / Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. ...

Numbers 1:1-3
On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said: / “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. / You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

Numbers 2:33
But the Levites were not counted among the other Israelites, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 3:14-15
Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying, / “Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

Numbers 4:1-3
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, / “Take a census of the Kohathites among the Levites by their clans and families, / men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

Numbers 26:1-4
After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, / “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by the houses of their fathers—all those twenty years of age or older who can serve in the army of Israel.” / So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued the instruction, ...

Deuteronomy 10:8-9
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day. / That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.

Joshua 13:14
To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.

Joshua 13:33
To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.

Hebrews 7:5
Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.

Hebrews 7:11-14
Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron? / For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well. / He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ...


Treasury of Scripture

But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

Levi

Numbers 1:47-49
But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them…

Joab

2 Samuel 3:27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

2 Samuel 11:15-21
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die…

2 Samuel 20:9,10
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him…

Jump to Previous
Abhorrent Abominable Benjamin Command Count Counted Disgusted Include Joab Jo'ab King's Levi Midst Numbered Numbering Order Repulsive Word
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Abhorrent Abominable Benjamin Command Count Counted Disgusted Include Joab Jo'ab King's Levi Midst Numbered Numbering Order Repulsive Word
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














But Joab
Joab, the commander of King David's army, is a significant figure in the narrative of Israel's history. His name in Hebrew, יוֹאָב (Yo'av), means "Yahweh is father." Joab's actions often reflect a pragmatic and sometimes ruthless approach to leadership. In this context, Joab's decision not to include certain tribes in the census demonstrates his discernment and moral courage, as he recognizes the king's command as contrary to God's will.

did not include
The Hebrew root for "did not include" is לֹא (lo), meaning "no" or "not," and the verb פָּקַד (paqad), meaning "to count" or "to number." This phrase indicates a deliberate omission, suggesting Joab's conscious decision to act against the king's directive. This act of omission is significant, as it reflects Joab's internal conflict and his prioritization of divine law over royal command.

Levi and Benjamin
The tribes of Levi and Benjamin hold unique positions within the Israelite community. Levi, the priestly tribe, was traditionally exempt from military duties and censuses, as their role was primarily spiritual and religious. Benjamin, the smallest tribe, had a complex history, including its near destruction in the events of Judges 20. Joab's exclusion of these tribes may reflect both traditional exemptions and a strategic decision to avoid further conflict or divine displeasure.

in the count
The "count" refers to the census ordered by King David. In ancient Israel, censuses were often conducted for military or taxation purposes. However, this particular census was seen as an act of pride and self-reliance, contrary to the reliance on God that was expected of Israel's leaders. The Hebrew term for "count" is מִסְפָּר (mispar), which can also imply a reckoning or accounting, further emphasizing the gravity of the act.

because the king’s command
The "king's command" highlights the authority and responsibility of King David. In Hebrew, מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ (mitzvat hamelech) underscores the weight of royal decrees. However, this command is juxtaposed with divine law, illustrating the tension between human authority and God's will. David's command, driven by pride, ultimately leads to consequences for the nation, reminding readers of the importance of humility and obedience to God.

was detestable to him
The word "detestable" in Hebrew is תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah), often used to describe actions that are abominable or repugnant in the sight of God. Joab's reaction indicates a deep moral and spiritual repulsion to the census. This phrase underscores the seriousness of the sin in God's eyes and serves as a warning against actions motivated by pride and self-sufficiency. Joab's discernment and resistance to the king's command highlight the importance of aligning one's actions with divine principles, even in the face of earthly authority.

(6) But Levi . . .--This verse is wanting in Samuel, but it probably existed in the original source. There is nothing in the style to suggest a later hand; while the word "counted" (p?qad), which has not been used before in this chapter, occurs twice in the parallel passage (2Samuel 24:2; 2Samuel 24:4). It is noticeable also that the chronicler writes "the king" (not "David") here, as in Samuel.

As regards the fact stated, we may observe that the sacerdotal tribe of Levi would naturally be exempted from a census taken for military or political purposes. (Comp. Numbers 1:47; Numbers 1:49.) And 1Chronicles 27:24 expressly asserts that the census was not completed; a result with which Joab's disapprobation of the scheme may have had much to do. The order in which the tribes were numbered (2Samuel 24:4-8; see 1Chronicles 21:4) makes it likely that Judah and Benjamin were to have been taken last, and that, after numbering Judah, Joab repaired to the capital, where he was ordered by the king to desist from the undertaking. Josephus (Antiq. vii. 13, 1) speaks as if Joab had not had time to include Benjamin in the census. He may have feared to give offence to the tribe of Saul. . . .

Verse 6. - Averse to his task as Joab was, he may have been indebted to the memory of the exemption of Levi from census for the idea of enlarging upon it and omitting Benjamin as well. The important contents of this short verse are not found in Samuel, so that we can borrow no light thence. But Benjamin was "the least of the tribes" (Judges 21:1-23), and Peele has suggested that God would not permit the numbers of either of these tribes to be lessened, as he foresaw that they would be faithful to the throne of David on the division of the kingdom. Others think that the omission of these tribes in the census may have been due to Joab's recall to Jerusalem before the completion of the work, and to the king's repentance in the interim cutting off the necessity of completing it. This little agrees, however, with the resolute tone and assigned reason contained in this verse. Peele's explanation, meantime, explains nothing in respect of the statement that the king's word was abominable to Joab.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But [Joab] did not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

include
פָקַ֖ד (p̄ā·qaḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

Levi
וְלֵוִי֙ (wə·lê·wî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

and Benjamin
וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן (ū·ḇin·yā·min)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites

in the count,
בְּתוֹכָ֑ם (bə·ṯō·w·ḵām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the king’s
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

command
דְּבַר־ (də·ḇar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

was detestable
נִתְעַ֥ב (niṯ·‘aḇ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8581: To loathe, detest

to
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

him.
יוֹאָֽב׃ (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 21:6 But he didn't count Levi and Benjamin (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 21:5
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