2 Samuel 24:1 And again the displeasure of YHWH burned against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ against them to say, “Go, number Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah.”

And Joab asked (verse 3), “But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” and David’s conscience plagued him (verse 10), “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people.” YHWH was obviously angry with Israel. David and Joab both didn’t understand what was happening or why David was doing this. David’s spirit was so troubled, that he took the guilt and sin upon himself.

2 Samuel 24:2 in english says, “and number (1) ye the people, that I may know the number (2) of the people”. Twice in english it says number, which we understand the context off, to take a census. However the first “number” in Hebrew is PAGAD H6485 – pāqaḏ, and the second “number in Hebrew is MISPAR H4557 – mispār.

MISPAR means more to number, count. It is more in the context of sum, meaning a lot (innumerable, abundance) or a few.

But PAGAD is a very interesting word, as it means the following things : to appoint, punish, visit, commit, judgment, oversee, govern. This word was used in the following Scriptures:

• Gen 21:1, And YHWH visited H6485 Sarah as he had said, and YHWH did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
• Gen 39:4, And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer H6485 over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
• Exo 3:16, Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, YHWH Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have H6485 surely H6485 visited H6485 you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt. -> Here the word is repeated, actual just 2 times in Hebrew: YHWH PAGAD PAGAD!
• Num 1:19, so he numbered them H6485 in the wilderness of Sinai.

PAGAD is not just a “counting” or census. It is YHWH’s way of visiting and judging. He is the Elohim that may increase to as many as the stars, as promised to Abraham, gather and disperse, and judge. It symbolize YHWH’s sovereignty and ownership. He alone can order a “counting”, PAGAD. Where for practical purposes such as military strenght, resource allocation or community responsibilities. Or for individual significance or symbolic importance, however men of misunderstand this purpose and who is really in control, and use these numbers for their own pride and power.

Here are some of the instances of “counting” or censuses that were done in Scripture:

• Exodus 30:12 : Setting up of the Tabernacle, “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered.
• Numbers 1 : lists the number of fighting men (20 years old or older) for each of the 12 tribes of Israel, organized by their clans and families
• Numbers 2 : This census details the organization of the Israelite camp, with each tribe’s encampment arranged by its tribal flag and position
• Numbers 3 / 1 Chronicles 23 : Census of Levites
• Numbers 26 : A second census of the Israelites, taken 38 years after the first, shows a significant population shift due to deaths and new births
• 2 Samuel 24 : A census (judgement) of the population of Israel and Judah, which leads to a plague (repeated in 1 Chronicles 21)
• 1 Kings 5 : Census of Solomon’s foreign workforce
• Luke 2 : The Gospel of Luke mentions a census taken by Quirinius that led to Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem for the birth of Yeshua

1 Chronicles 27:23-24 is profound, and was probably part of this story of 2 Samuel 24, “But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because YHWH had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.”

Other verses with MISPAR:

• Psa 147:4, He telleth the number H4557 of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
• Psa 147:5, Great is our Elohim, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. H4557
• Hos 1:10, Yet the number H4557 of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living Elohim.

The root word for MISPAR is SAPAR H5608 – sāp̄ar, to declare/tell, write/scribe, count/account. See this beautiful verse in one of the Psalms for the sons of Korah:

Psalm 87:6, “YHWH shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.”