Then Satan rose up against IsraelThis phrase introduces the adversary, Satan, as the instigator of the events that follow. In the Hebrew Bible, "Satan" means "adversary" or "accuser." This is one of the few Old Testament instances where Satan is explicitly named, highlighting his role in opposing God's people. The context suggests a spiritual battle, as Satan's actions are against the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. This reflects the ongoing cosmic struggle between good and evil, seen throughout Scripture, such as in
Job 1:6-12 and
Zechariah 3:1-2.
and incited David
David, the king of Israel, is portrayed as being influenced by Satan. This highlights the vulnerability of even the most faithful leaders to temptation and sin. The incitement suggests a stirring of pride or reliance on human strength rather than trust in God. This incident parallels the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), where Satan attempts to lead Jesus astray, but Jesus resists, unlike David in this instance.
to take a census of Israel
The census itself was not inherently sinful, as censuses were conducted for various reasons in Israel's history (e.g.,Numbers 1:2-3). However, this particular census was motivated by pride and a desire to measure military strength, reflecting a lack of trust in God's provision and protection. The act of numbering the people without God's command was seen as a reliance on human resources rather than divine support, similar to the warnings inDeuteronomy 17:16-17 against kings amassing power for themselves. This event foreshadows the New Testament teaching in2 Corinthians 10:3-4 about the spiritual nature of warfare and the need to rely on God's power rather than human strength.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SatanThe adversary who opposes God and His people. In this context, Satan is the instigator of David's decision to conduct a census, which was against God's will.
2.
DavidThe King of Israel, a man after God's own heart, who is incited by Satan to take a census of Israel, leading to consequences for the nation.
3.
IsraelThe nation chosen by God, consisting of the twelve tribes. The census was meant to count the fighting men, reflecting a reliance on military strength rather than on God.
4.
CensusThe act of counting the population, particularly the fighting men of Israel. This event is significant because it reflects a moment of disobedience and lack of trust in God.
5.
God's JudgmentFollowing the census, God sends a plague as a consequence of David's actions, demonstrating His justice and the seriousness of sin.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Spiritual WarfareSatan actively seeks to lead God's people astray. Believers must be vigilant and discerning to resist his schemes.
The Importance of Trusting GodDavid's reliance on military strength rather than God's provision serves as a cautionary tale. Trust in God should supersede reliance on human resources.
The Consequences of DisobedienceSin has serious consequences, not only for the individual but also for the community. This underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands.
The Role of Repentance and MercyDespite David's sin, his repentance leads to God's mercy. This highlights the importance of a contrite heart and God's readiness to forgive.
Leadership and ResponsibilityLeaders bear significant responsibility for their actions, as their decisions can impact many. This calls for humility and seeking God's guidance in leadership roles.
Lists and Questions
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Why does 1 Chronicles 21:1 say Satan incited David, whereas 2 Samuel 24:1 implies God did?(1-6) The Census.
(1)And Satan stood up against Israel.--Perhaps,And an adversary (hostile influence)arose against Israel. So in2Samuel 19:23 the sons of Zeruiah are called "adversaries" (Heb., aSatan) to David. (Comp.1Kings 11:14;1Kings 11:25.) Whenthe adversary, the enemy of mankind, is meant, the word takes the article, which it has not here. (Comp. Job 1, 2 andZechariah 3:1-2.)
And provoked David.--Pricked him on, incited him. 2 Samuel 24 begins: "And again the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel, and He (orit) incited David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah." It thus appears that theadversary of our text, the influence hostile to Israel, was the wrath of God. The wrath of God is the Scriptural name for that aspect of the Divine nature under which it pursues to destruction whatever is really opposed to its own perfection (Delitzsch); and it is only sin, i.e., breach of the Divine law, which can necessarily direct that aspect towards man. If Divine wrath urged David to number Israel, it can only have been in consequence of evil thoughts of pride and self-sufficiency, which had intruded into a heart hitherto humbly reliant upon its Maker. One evil thought led to another, quitenaturally; i.e., by the laws which God has imposed upon human nature. God did not interpose, but allowed David's corrupt motive to work out its own penal results. (Comp.Romans 1:18;Romans 1:24;Romans 1:26;Romans 1:28.) The true reading in Samuel may well be, "And an adversary incited David," &c., the word Satan having fallen out of the text. Yet the expression "Jehovah provokedor incited against . . ." occurs (1Samuel 26:19). . . .
Verse 1. -
Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. This remarkable sentence takes the place of the statements in the parallel, "And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah." Our own passage seems to confine the temptation and sin to David. David also seems to be spoken of as the object of malignant attack on the part of Satan, though Israel is spoken of as the object of malignant envy and animosity. It is also to be noticed that in ver. 17 David takes all the blame to himself, and speaks of the people as "innocent sheep." A people and whole nation have, indeed, often suffered the smart of one ruler's sin. Yet here the light thrown upon the whole event by the account in the Book of Samuel must be accepted as revealing the fact that there had been previously something amiss on the part of the people - perhaps something of illest significance lurking in their constitution. This alone could "kindle the anger of the Lord against Israel." It is the opposite of this which kindles the anger of Satan - when he witnesses excellence, surpassing excellence, as when he witnesses "the
weakest saint," yet in that strongest position,"
on his knees." The apparent inconsistency in Satan being spoken of as resisting Israel, and the anger of the Lord being spoken of as kindled against Israel, is but apparent and superficial. In the first place, these histories do only purport to state the facts
overt. And in this sense either alternative statement gives the
prima facie facts. Either is true, and both may be true in different chronological order. And further, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel is no disproof that Satan will see and seize his opportunity. It looks the contrary way. There was a time and an occasion in Eden when Satan thought he saw an opportunity, tried it, and found it, when the anger of the Lord was
not kindled against Adam and Eve for certain. But much more prompt will be the
executive of Satan at another and less doubtful time. The paths in written history are often awhile rugged and broken up; the written history of Scripture is no exception. And in thus being the more in analogy with history
itself, those unevennesses and breaks are the better attestation of both the reality of the Scripture history and the veracity of its writers. The word (
שָׂטַן) occurs twenty-four times in the Old Testament. On all occasions of its occurrence in the Book of Job and in the prophecies of Zechariah, it shows the prefixed definite article; in all other places it is, with the present passage, unaccompanied by the article. Its translation here might appear strictly as that of a proper name. But this cannot be said of the other instances of its use, when without the article (
Numbers 22:22, 32;
1 Samuel 29:4). This constitutes with some the ground of the very opposite opinion and opposite translation. If we regard the name as utterly expressing the personality of Satan, the passage is very noteworthy, and will be most safely regarded as the language of the compiler, and not as copied from the original source. The signification of the word "Satan," as is well known, is "adversary," or "accuser." The sin of David in giving the order of this verse was of a technical and ceremonial character, in the first place, whatever his motives were, and however intensified by other causes of a moral and more individual complexion. We learn (
Exodus 30:12-16) the special enactments respecting what was to be observed when "the sum of the children of Israel after their number" was to be taken. However, the same passage does not say, it fails to say, when such a numbering would be legitimate or when not. It is left us, therefore, to deduce this from observation. And we notice, in the first place, that, on the occasion of its undoubted rightness, it is the work of the distinct commandment of God (
Numbers 1:1-3;
Numbers 26:1-4). Next, we notice the religious contribution, "the ransom," that was required with it (
Exodus 30:12-16;
Exodus 38:25, 26;
Numbers 31:48-54). Again, we notice that the numberings narrated both in the beginning of the Book of Numbers (1.) and toward the close (26.) had specific moral objects as assigned by God - among them the forcible teaching of the loss entailed by the successive rebellions of the people (
Numbers 26:64, 65;
Deuteronomy 2:14, 15). And though last, not least, all these indications are lighted up by the express and emphatic announcements in God's original promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that their seed should become
past numbering, multitudinous as the stars, and as the sands of the seashore. From all which we may conclude that only
that numbering was held legitimate which was for God's service in some form, and as
against human pride and boastfulness - by God's command as against a human king's fancy - and which was attended by the payment of that solemn "ransom" money, the
bekah, or half-shekel (
Exodus 30:12). Other numbering had snares about it, and it was no doubt because it had such
intrinsically that it was divinely discountenanced, and in this case severely punished. It seems gratuitous with some to tax David with having other motives than those of some sort of vanity now at work, sinister designs of preparing, unaided and unpermitted, some fresh military exploits, or stealing a march on the nation itself in the matter of some new system of taxation. The context offers no corroboration of either of these notions, while several lesser indications point to the simplest explanation (
1 Chronicles 27:23).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Then Satanשָׂטָ֖ן(śā·ṭān)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7854:An opponent -- Satan, the arch-enemy of goodrose upוַיַּֽעֲמֹ֥ד(way·ya·‘ă·mōḏ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5975:To stand, in various relationsagainstעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל(yiś·rā·’êl)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478:Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his descand incitedוַיָּ֙סֶת֙(way·yā·seṯ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5496:To prick, stimulate, to seduceDavidדָּוִ֔יד(dā·wîḏ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732:David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesseto take a censusלִמְנ֖וֹת(lim·nō·wṯ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4487:To weigh out, to allot, constitute officially, to enumerate, enrollof Israel.יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃(yiś·rā·’êl)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478:Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc
Links
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OT History: 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan stood up against Israel and moved (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr) 
