1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:1–5

¹Then Satan^a rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. ²So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”

³But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

⁴Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem. 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.

Footnotes

a 21:1 That is, the Accuser or the Adversary

Read all of 1 Chronicles 21

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Chronicles 21:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Satan	שָׂטָ֖ן	śā·ṭān	Noun - masculine singular	H7854 adversary
rose up	וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֥ד	way·ya·‘ă·mōḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5975 take one's stand, stand
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and incited	וַיָּ֙סֶת֙	way·yā·seṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5496 incite, allure, instigate
David	דָּוִ֔יד	dā·wîḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
to take a census	לִמְנ֖וֹת	lim·nō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H4487 count, number, reckon, assign
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel

1 Chronicles 21:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So David	דָּוִ֤יד	dā·wîḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Joab	יוֹאָב֙	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
and	וְאֶל־	wə·’el-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
the commanders	שָׂרֵ֣י	śā·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
of the troops	הָעָ֔ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
Go	לְכ֗וּ	lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
count	סִפְרוּ֙	sip̄·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H5608 count
the Israelites	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
from	מִבְּאֵ֥ר	mib·bə·’êr	Preposition	H884 Beersheba
Beersheba	שֶׁ֖בַע	še·ḇa‘	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H884 Beersheba
to	וְעַד־	wə·‘aḏ-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
Dan	דָּ֑ן	dān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1835 Dan
and bring me	וְהָבִ֣יאוּ	wə·hā·ḇî·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
so that I may know	וְאֵדְעָ֖ה	wə·’ê·ḏə·‘āh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H3045 know
their number	מִסְפָּרָֽם׃	mis·pā·rām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H4557 number, tale

1 Chronicles 21:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Joab	יוֹאָ֗ב	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
replied	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
May the LORD	יְהוָ֨ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
multiply	יוֹסֵף֩	yō·w·sêp̄	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H3254 add
His troops	עַמּ֤וֹ׀	‘am·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5971 people
a hundred	מֵאָ֣ה	mê·’āh	Number - feminine singular	H3967 hundred
times	פְעָמִ֔ים	p̄ə·‘ā·mîm	Noun - feminine plural	H6471 beat, foot, anvil, occurrence
over	כָּהֵם֙	kā·hêm	Preposition-k; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
My lord	אֲדֹנִ֣י	’ă·ḏō·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H113 lord
the king	הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
are they not	הֲלֹא֙	hă·lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
all	כֻּלָּ֥ם	kul·lām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3605 the whole, all
servants	לַעֲבָדִ֑ים	la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H5650 slave, servant
of my lord	לַאדֹנִ֖י	la·ḏō·nî	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H113 lord
Why	לָ֣מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
does my lord	אֲדֹנִ֔י	’ă·ḏō·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H113 lord
want	יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ	yə·ḇaq·qêš	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1245 seek
to do this	זֹאת֙	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
Why	לָ֛מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
should he bring	יִהְיֶ֥ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
guilt	לְאַשְׁמָ֖ה	lə·’aš·māh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H819 wrong-doing, guiltiness
on Israel	לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	lə·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel

1 Chronicles 21:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Nevertheless	הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
the king’s	הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
word	וּדְבַר־	ū·ḏə·ḇar-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
prevailed	חָזַ֣ק	ḥā·zaq	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Joab	יוֹאָ֑ב	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
So Joab	יוֹאָ֗ב	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
departed	וַיֵּצֵ֣א	way·yê·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
and traveled	וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙	way·yiṯ·hal·lêḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
throughout	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and then he returned	וַיָּבֹ֖א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to Jerusalem	יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃	yə·rū·šā·lim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3389 Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 21:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Joab	יוֹאָ֛ב	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
reported	וַיִּתֵּ֥ן	way·yit·tên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
David	דָּוִ֑יד	dā·wîḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
the total	מִסְפַּ֥ר	mis·par	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4557 number, tale
number	מִפְקַד־	mip̄·qaḏ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4662 muster, appointment, appointed place
of the troops	הָעָ֖ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
In all	כָֽל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
there were	וַיְהִ֣י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
1,100,000	אֶ֣לֶף	’e·lep̄	Number - masculine singular	H505 thousand
men	אִישׁ֙	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
who drew	שֹׁ֣לֵֽף	šō·lêp̄	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H8025 draw out, off
the sword	חֶ֔רֶב	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
including 470,000	אַרְבַּע֩	’ar·ba‘	Number - feminine singular	H702 four
in Judah	וִֽיהוּדָ֕ה	wî·hū·ḏāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah