2 Samuel 24:3
New International Version
But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

New Living Translation
But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?”

English Standard Version
But Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

Berean Standard Bible
But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

King James Bible
And 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?

New King James Version
And Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?”

New American Standard Bible
But Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

NASB 1995
But Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

NASB 1977
But Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Joab said to the king, “Now may Yahweh your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

Amplified Bible
But Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king want to do this thing?”

Christian Standard Bible
Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they are —while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops 100 times more than they are—while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

American Standard Version
And Joab said unto the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yuab said to the King: “May LORD JEHOVAH your God add to the people a hundred times equal to them, and may the eyes of my Lord the King see it, and why is my Lord the King pleased with this matter?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joab said to the king, Now may the Lord add to the people a hundred-fold as many as they are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king desire this thing?

Contemporary English Version
Joab answered, "I hope the LORD your God will give you 100 times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to the king: The Lord thy God increase thy people, and make them as many more as they are now, and again multiply them a hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king: but what meaneth my lord the king by this kind of thing?

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab responded to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the people a hundred times over, and may Your Majesty [live] to see it. But why does Your Majesty wish to do this?"

Good News Translation
But Joab answered the king, "Your Majesty, may the LORD your God make the people of Israel a hundred times more numerous than they are now, and may you live to see him do it. But why does Your Majesty want to do this?"

International Standard Version
But Joab replied, "May the LORD your God increase the population of the people a hundredfold while your majesty the king is still alive to see it happen! But why does your majesty the king want to do this?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joab said unto the king: 'Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?'

Literal Standard Version
And Joab says to the king, “Indeed, your God YHWH adds to the people, as they are, one hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?”

Majority Standard Bible
But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

New American Bible
But Joab replied to the king: “May the LORD your God increase the number of people a hundredfold for my lord the king to see it with his own eyes. But why does it please my lord to do a thing of this kind?”

NET Bible
Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?"

New Revised Standard Version
But Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God increase the number of the people a hundredfold, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see it! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

New Heart English Bible
Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to the king, Now the LORD thy God add to the people, how many soever they may be, a hundred-fold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

World English Bible
Joab said to the king, “Now may Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith unto the king, 'Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Military Census
2So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.” 3But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 1:11
May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.

2 Samuel 24:4
Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joab said to the king, Now the LORD your God add to the people, how many soever they be, an hundred times, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

2 Chronicles 10:12
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.

1 Chronicles 21:3,4
And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? …

Psalm 115:14
The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

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2 Samuel 24
1. David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5. The captains, in nine months and twenty days, gather 1,300,000 fighting men
10. David repents, and having three plagues proposed by God, chooses pestilence
15. After the death of 70,000, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18. David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor;
25. and the plague stops














(3) Why doth my lord?--Even in the eyes of the unscrupulous Joab David's act was abominable. Joab never gives evidence of being influenced by religious motives, but his natural shrewdness sufficed to show him that David's act was at variance with the fundamental principle of the national existence. Chronicles adds to Joab's words, "Why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?" The strong objection of Joab shows that there was something obviously wrong in the action of David.

And against the captains.--Joab's objections were sustained by his subordinate officers, and David carried through his sinful act by sheer force of self-will.

Verse 3. - Why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? Joab was an unscrupulous and irreligious man; but he was clear headed, and far more statesmanlike than David (2 Samuel 19:5-7). He saw whither the king was drifting, and that the increase of the royal power, resulting from successful war, would be fatal to the liberties of Israel. Probably, too, though he had consented to carry out Uriah's murder, yet he despised David for it. When he had murdered Abner to avenge Asahel, David had deprived him of his command, and he had to endure a long period of disgrace; and now David uses him to murder one altogether innocent. Joab, we may feel sure, noted the degradation of David's character, and drew the conclusion that he was not the man to be trusted at the head of a military despotism. Warned thus by what he saw, his mind reverted to the principles of the theocracy, and their truth and value became more clear to his understanding; and honourably he remonstrates with David for violating them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Joab
יוֹאָ֜ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

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

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

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

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

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

multiply
וְיוֹסֵ֣ף (wə·yō·w·sêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

the troops
הָעָ֜ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

a hundred
מֵאָ֣ה (mê·’āh)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 3967: A hundred

times
פְעָמִ֔ים (p̄ə·‘ā·mîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6471: A beat, foot, anvil, occurrence

over
כָּהֵ֤ם ׀ (kā·hêm)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

and may the eyes
וְעֵינֵ֥י (wə·‘ê·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of my lord
אֲדֹנִֽי־ (’ă·ḏō·nî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

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

see [it].
רֹא֑וֹת (rō·’ō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

But why
לָ֥מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

does my lord
וַאדֹנִ֣י (wa·ḏō·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

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

want
חָפֵ֖ץ (ḥā·p̄êṣ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

to do such
הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

a thing?�
בַּדָּבָ֥ר (bad·dā·ḇār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause


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OT History: 2 Samuel 24:3 Joab said to the king Now Yahweh (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 24:2
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