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.

◄ 2 Samuel 24:9 ►

New International Version
Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

New Living Translation
Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah.

English Standard Version
And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And 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.

New King James Version
Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

New American Standard Bible
And Joab gave the number of the census of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

NASB 1995
And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

NASB 1977
And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joab gave the total count of the census of the people to the king; and there were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men.

Amplified Bible
And Joab gave the sum of the census of the people to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.

Christian Standard Bible
Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were eight hundred thousand valiant armed men from Israel and five hundred thousand men from Judah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were 800,000 fighting men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah.

American Standard Version
And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering 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.

Contemporary English Version
Joab came and told David, "In Israel there are 800,000 who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are 500,000."

English Revised Version
And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab reported the census figures to the king: In Israel there were 800,000 able-bodied men who could serve in the army, and in Judah there were 500,000.

Good News Translation
They reported to the king the total number of men capable of military service: 800,000 in Israel and 500,000 in Judah.

International Standard Version
Joab reported the total number of men to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 men trained for war. In Judah there were 500,000.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Joab reported the number of warriors to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.

New Heart English Bible
Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab presented the sum of the number of the people to 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.

World English Bible
Joab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and Joab gives the account of the inspection of the people to the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valor, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.

Young's Literal Translation
and Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joab will give the number of the reviewing of the people to the king: and there will be of Israel eight hundred thousand men of strength drawing sword; and the men of Judah, five hundred thousand men.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king, and there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword: and of Juda five hundred thousand fighting men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Joab gave the number of the description of the people to the king. And there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand able-bodied men, who might draw the sword; and of Judah, five hundred thousand fighting men.

New American Bible
Joab then reported the census figures to the king: of men capable of wielding a sword, there were in Israel eight hundred thousand, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

New Revised Standard Version
Joab reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand soldiers able to draw the sword, and those of Judah were five hundred thousand.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Joab brought the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yuab brought the number and computation of the people to the King, and the number of the house of Israel was eight hundred thousand men, mighty men of the army drawing a sword, and the men of Yehuda were five hundred thousand men

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering 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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joab gave in the number of the census of the people to the king: and Israel consisted of eight hundred thousand men of might that drew sword; and the men of Juda, five hundred thousand fighting men.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

David's Military Census
…8At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem. 9And 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.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Chronicles 21:5
And 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.

Exodus 30:12
“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.

Numbers 1:2-3
“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 26:2
“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.”

1 Samuel 15:29
Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”

1 Kings 20:15
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.

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.

Genesis 46:27
And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.

Deuteronomy 1:10
The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Judges 20:2
The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.

1 Samuel 11:8
And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.

1 Samuel 24:10
Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’

2 Samuel 8:1-18
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines. / David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute. / David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River. ...

2 Samuel 21:1
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

2 Kings 13:7
Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.

Treasury of Scripture

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to 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.

eight hundred thousand

1 Chronicles 21:5,6
And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword…

1 Chronicles 27:23,24
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…

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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

Berean Study Bible

And Joab reported to the king
Joab, the commander of King David's army, plays a crucial role in this narrative. His name in Hebrew, יוֹאָב (Yo'av), means "Yahweh is father." Joab's reporting to the king signifies the completion of a task that was both burdensome and controversial. Historically, Joab was a loyal yet complex figure, often caught between his duty to the king and his own moral compass. His report to David is a moment of accountability and transparency, reflecting the hierarchical structure of ancient Israelite society where military leaders were directly answerable to the king.

the total number of the mighty men
The phrase "mighty men" refers to the elite warriors of Israel, known in Hebrew as גִּבּוֹרִים (gibborim). These were not just ordinary soldiers but were renowned for their strength, bravery, and skill in battle. The concept of "mighty men" is deeply rooted in the ancient Near Eastern tradition of valor and heroism. In the biblical context, these men were seen as divinely empowered to protect and expand the kingdom of Israel, serving as instruments of God's will through their military prowess.

In Israel there were 800,000 valiant warriors
The number 800,000 is significant, indicating the vastness and strength of Israel's military force. The term "valiant warriors" in Hebrew is אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל (anshei chayil), which can also be translated as "men of valor" or "men of strength." This highlights not only their physical capabilities but also their courage and determination. The large number underscores the prosperity and power of Israel during David's reign, a period marked by territorial expansion and consolidation of power.

who drew the sword
This phrase emphasizes the readiness and capability of these warriors to engage in combat. The act of drawing the sword is symbolic of preparedness and willingness to defend the nation. In the ancient world, the sword was a primary weapon of warfare, representing both offensive and defensive capabilities. The imagery of drawing the sword conveys a sense of imminent action and the seriousness of the military census that David ordered.

and in Judah there were 500,000
Judah, the southern kingdom, is counted separately, highlighting its distinct identity even within the united monarchy. The number 500,000 reflects Judah's significant contribution to the military strength of the nation. Historically, Judah held a special place as the tribe from which David hailed, and it would later become the central kingdom after the division of Israel. This separate enumeration underscores the importance of Judah in the biblical narrative and foreshadows its future prominence.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) In Israel eight hundred thousand.--The numbers here differ greatly from those given in 1Chronicles 21:5-6; but there is no reason to suppose any corruption of the text in either case. Joab undertook the work unwillingly, and performed it imperfectly. According to 1Chronicles 21:6 he refused altogether to number Levi and Benjamin; and according to 1Chronicles 27:24 "he finished not," and no official record was made of the result; "neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David." The numbers were, therefore, in part mere estimates. Here Israel is said to be 800,000, in Chronicles 1,100,000; but the latter probably includes an estimate of the omitted tribes of Benjamin and Levi, and perhaps of portions of other tribes. On the other hand, Judah is here 500,000 (a round number like all the rest), and in Chronicles 470,000. The difference is due perhaps to an estimate of the officiating priests and Levities reckoned to Judah. Another supposition is that the regular army of 288,000 (twelve divisions of 24,000 each) is included in Israel in one case and excluded in the other, and that in the same way in regard to Judah "the thirty" may have had command of a special body of 30,000. Possibly in one case the descendants of the old Canaanites were reckoned (since it appears from 2Chronicles 2:17 that David "had numbered them"), and in the other were excluded. There is no reason to doubt the general reliability of the numbers, which would give a probable total population of five or six millions, or from 415 to 500 to a geographical square mile--a number not at all impossible in so fertile a country. (Robinson's estimate of the area of the country is about 12,000 geographical square miles.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. In Chronicles the numbers are, "of Israel eleven hundred thousand men, and of Judah four hundred and sixty-five thousand men." These discrepancies are a remarkable confirmation of the truth of what is said in 1 Chronicles 27:24 that because of the outbreak of the Divine wrath, "the number was not put in the account of the Chronicles of King David." Neither the writer of the Books of Samuel nor of Chronicles had any official document to refer to; and as the numbers are lump sums, and derived probably from what was said by the enumerators, the more exact four hundred and sixty-five thousand men of the Chronicles might easily in round numbers be called a half million. The other is a much larger discrepancy, and no satisfactory explanation of it has been given. It is, however, quite possible that the additional three hundred thousand men were made up of the thirty-eight thousand Levites, as numbered on a later occasion by David, of the Benjamites, and of the aborigines, who belonged to the northern part of the kingdom, and might be included among "all they of Israel" (1 Chronicles 21:5). The numbers are further attacked on the ground of exaggeration. A million and a half of fighting men means a general population of six or seven millions. Now, Palestine at most does not contain more than eleven thousand square miles, and a population of six millions means five hundred and forty-five persons to every square mile, or one to every acre. The country was undoubtedly very fertile in ancient times, and the ruins of populous cities are found where now there is a waste. But there were vast forests and pasture lands and downs, where there were the means of subsistence for only a few. But we must remember that the enumerators went as far north as Tyre, and counted the inhabitants, therefore, of the seaboard between it and Sidon. Probably they also acted in the same way in the south, where the limits of Simeon were very uncertain. Besides this, there is a very remarkable undesigned coincidence. We read in 1 Chronicles 27. that David had a force of two hundred and eighty-eight thousand men, who formed his regular army, and of whom twenty-four thousand were called up for training every month. But there are reasons for believing that David took for this purpose each fifth man of those of the military age (see Sime, 'Kingdom of All Israel,' p. 389); and thus the whole number of such men would be one million four hundred and forty thousand. This, as Mr. Sime has shown (ibid., p. 378), holds a middle place between the one million three hundred thousand of the Book of Samuel, and the one million five hundred and seventy thousand of Chronicles, and shows that these numbers are not to be rejected on the score of exaggeration.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

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

reported
וַיִּתֵּ֥ן (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

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

the total
מִסְפַּ֥ר (mis·par)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration

number
מִפְקַד־ (mip̄·qaḏ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4662: An appointment, mandate, a designated spot, a census

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

In Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

there were
וַתְּהִ֣י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

800,000
שְׁמֹנֶה֩ (šə·mō·neh)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8083: A cardinal number, eight, eighth

valiant warriors
אִֽישׁ־ (’îš-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who drew
שֹׁ֣לֵֽף (šō·lêp̄)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8025: To pull out, up, off

the sword,
חֶ֔רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

and in Judah
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

there were 500,000.
חֲמֵשׁ־ (ḥă·mêš-)
Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2568: Five

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OT History: 2 Samuel 24:9 Joab gave up the sum (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)