2 Samuel 24:11

24:11 When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken ¹  to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

2 Samuel 24:1

David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census

24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” ² 

2 Samuel 9:9

9:9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson.

2 Samuel 9:1

David Finds Mephibosheth

9:1 ³ Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family ⁴  of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”

2 Samuel 1:5

1:5 David said to the young man ⁵  who was telling him this, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ 

[24:11]  ¹ tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came.”

[24:1]  ² sn The parallel text in 1 Chr 21:1 says, “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had.” The Samuel version gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective. The adversary in 1 Chr 21:1 is likely a human enemy, probably a nearby nation whose hostility against Israel pressured David into numbering the people so he could assess his military strength. See the note at 1 Chr 21:1.

[9:1]  ³ sn 2 Samuel 9–20 is known as the Succession Narrative. It is a literary unit that describes David’s efforts at consolidating his own kingdom following the demise of King Saul; it also provides the transition to subsequent leadership on the part of David’s successor Solomon.

[9:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[1:5]  ⁵ tn In v. 2 he is called simply a “man.” The word used here in v. 5 (so also in vv. 6, 13, 15), though usually referring to a young man or servant, may in this context designate a “fighting” man, i.e., a soldier.

[1:5]  ⁶ tc Instead of the MT “who was recounting this to him, ‘How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?’” the Syriac Peshitta reads “declare to me how Saul and his son Jonathan died.”