1 Chronicles 21:17

1Ch 21:17 And David said unto God, [Is it] not I [that] commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but [as for] these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

Ver. 17. See on 2Sa 24:17.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus he both showeth a true repentance and a fatherly care toward his people, which desireth God to spare them, and to punish him and his.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(17) And David said unto God.—Sam., “Jehovah.” Samuel adds, “when he saw the angel that smote the people” (see our 1Ch_21:16); “and he said.”

Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered?—Literally, to number the people. In Samuel these words are wanting. They may have been added by the chronicler for the sake of clearness. “though they may also have formed part of the original narrative.

Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed.—Samuel reads, “Lo, I” (different pronoun) “have sinned, and I have dealt crookedly.” Our text here may be paraphrastic, but hardly a corruption of the older one.

But as for these sheep, what . . . father’s house.—Verbatim as in Samuel, save that the appeal, “O Lord my God,” is wanting there. (Literally, But these, the sheep. The king was the shepherd.)

But not on thy people, that they should be plagued.—Literally, and on thy people, not for a plague. The strangeness of this order makes it likely that these words comprise two marginal notes, or glosses, which have crept into the text. They are not read in Samuel.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. let thine hand … be on me] Cp. Moses’ intercession in Exo_32:32; but Moses was innocent, David guilty.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sin taken home.

It is a most pathetic scene. The angel of the Lord, who had smitten with his destroying sword "throughout all the coasts of Israel," was passing by the threshing-floor of the Jebusite. His drawn sword was stretched out over Jerusalem; yet it fell not, for he was bidden to "stay his hand." The king and his princes and counsellors, clad in sackcloth, were prostrate in penitence and supplication before the vision before the Lord. And David was taking the sin to himself, and invoking the penalty upon himself, as he bowed low before the righteous Judge and Avenger. We observe in David"s language

I A SPIRIT DIFFERENT FROM THAT OFTEN OBSERVABLE IN MEN"S CONFESSIONS. There is no sign of:

1. A disposition to shift the sin upon others.

2. Or of a willingness that others should bear the penalty of the sin,

3. Or of a tendency to extenuate the guile of sinful action. We observe

II A FRANK AND FULL CONFESSION OF PERSONAL GUILT. This includes:

1. An acknowledgment of his own offence.

2. A submission to the Divine wisdom and justice. He is willing that thehand of God, that is, the chastening and afflicting hand, should fall upon him and inflict the strokes which he is well aware he merits.

III COMPASSION AND INTERCESSION FOR THE UNOFFENDING SUFFERERS. How truly is this David"s language! Under the influence of deep emotion he speaks, as men are wont to do in such circumstances, the language of his youth. His poor subjects are, to his view, like guileless, helpless sheep, scattered and smitten. He implores that in compassion it may please the Lord to save them.

IV THE RECOGNITION BY THE LORD OF THIS SPIRIT AND LANGUAGE. David"s attitude was pleasing to the Lord. Reconciliation ensued. An altar was built, and sacrifices offered and accepted. And the angel of the Lord "put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. T.

Conviction of personal sin.

For the particular character of David"s sin reference may be made to the sketch given on ver. 2. And for the kind of conviction which David cherished when acts of sin were brought home to him, illustration may be taken from Psalm 51. His sin might have been the sin of David the man; as was his sin in the matter of Bathsheba. Or it might have been the sin of David the king; and so God regarded it, adjusting his judgments accordingly. When convicted, it is a point of exceeding nobility in David that he seeks to bring the whole responsibility upon himself, asking God to treat the sin as that of the man, not of the king. We may fix attention upon this point. In this instance David stood for and acted for the nation, without the nation"s consent. It is a most solemn thing for parents, masters, magistrates, etc., that they cannot always separate the official character from their acts; and they are responsible for the well-being of the children, the servants, or the citizens, whom they represent. Placed in such relations, men may act in ways that do not carry the feeling or wish of those for whom they stand; and so they may be the means of bringing upon them undeserved Divine judgments. The case of Jonah may be compared. The sailors" lives were imperilled by his act, though in it they had taken no share.

I MAN MAY BE OFFICIALLY Or even by his temporary relations THE CAUSE OF THE INNOCENT SUFFERING,

II SUCH CASES MUST ALWAYS BE REGARDED AS EXCEEDINGLY PERPLEXING AND PAINFUL. See Asaph"s psalms, and the discussions in the Book of Job.

III. THE RIGHT-HEARTED MAN WILL EARNESTLY SEEK TO HAVE THE SUFFERING LIMITED TO HIMSELF, and to this end will be ready fully to acknowledge his personal guilt.

Impress that our relationships give the overwhelmingly painful character to our sins. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

but these sheep, what have they done for they are like sheep brought to the slaughter, who cannot be saved from slaughter because they are destined for it.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.