📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 27:24
What does 1 Chronicles 27:24 mean?
"Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of king David."
— 1 Chronicles 27:24 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner;
of Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the captains of the tribes of Israel.
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.
Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of king David.
Over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah;
Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub;
and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; and over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite;
Explanation
This verse is a brief aside within a long chapter listing King David's military commanders, tribal leaders, and royal officials. In plain terms, it tells us that Joab, David's army commander, started conducting a census of Israel's fighting men but never completed it, because doing so brought divine judgment ("wrath") upon the nation. As a result, the final numbers were never recorded in the official royal records.
To understand this, we need to look back at the fuller story told in 1 Chronicles 21 (and paralleled in 2 Sam
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