21And [1]Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 2And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.
which the census might promote revealed a transference of trust from God to self, from spirit to numbers, from justice to power. This view accords with our modern moralistic standpoint, but other considerations call for mention. (2) Because, unlike the two numberings in the wilderness (Num. i. 1—16, iii. 39, xxvi. 1—65), it was not made by Divine command (cf. ver. 1, note). This thought may well have been present in the mind of the Chronicler. To it we may add (3) the popular dread of the census as a sinister and unlucky act. The ground of this dread was no doubt mainly practical, being due to the fear that the records might be used for purposes of fresh taxation or more stringent war-levies, but it may have its roots in an instinct, handed down from the thoughts of primitive ages, when written records were an uncanny mystery. Thus S. I. Curtiss, Primitive Semitic Religion To-day, p. 69, remarks that the persistence of this fear among modern Semites is partially chargeable for the lack of correct statistics as to the population of Oriental towns. Frazer (in Anthropological Essays to E. B. Tylor, p. 174) refers to the dread of enumeration felt by the Lapps and by a West African tribe.
1. And Satan stood up against Israel] In 2 Sam. "And again (a former occasion being at the time of the famine, 2 Sam. xxi. 1) the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them." The change is significant of the late date of Chron. In an earlier stage of Hebrew thought human sin and folly are at times naïvely ascribed to the agency of God, e.g. "He hardens Pharaoh's heart" (Ex. x. 1, etc.): "quem Deus vult perdere prius dementat." At a later date the instigation of some subordinate "evil" spirit was adduced, e.g. 1 Kin. xxii. 20—24; and eventually this spirit of temptation was expressly termed "The Satan" or "Satan," i.e. "The Adversary." He was then regarded as a hostile spiritual being, the opposite of a guardian angel such as the Michael of Dan. x. 13, 21, xii. 1. In the book of Job the Satan is very definitely said to act under the guidance and will of God. Here nothing is said of the Satan having been directed by Jehovah.
to number] Only those of military age (ver. 5), over twenty years of age (xxvii 23, 24), were included in the census.
2. to Joab] The object being to number "those who drew sword," the captain of the host was the most suitable person to entrust with the business.
from Beer-sheba even to Dan] From the extreme south to the extreme north of the land.
Dan] The modern Tell el-Kādī, about forty minutes distance from
- ↑ Or, an adversary
