2 Samuel 24:9

“And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king, etc.] Having collected from the several captains employed in this work their several particular numbers, he put them together, and gave in the sum total to David: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; though many of them might be under the age of twenty, yet being robust and tall, and fit to bear arms, though but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age, were mustered, contrary to the law; which, according to Cornelius Bertram f415 was David’s sin, (see <132723>1 Chronicles 27:23,24). In (<132105>1 Chronicles 21:5), they are said to be a million and an hundred…”

“Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king--The amount here stated, compared with Ch1 21:5, gives a difference of three hundred thousand. The discrepancy is only apparent, and admits of an easy reconciliation; thus (see Ch1 27:1-15), there were twelve divisions of generals, who commanded monthly, and whose duty was to keep guard on the royal person, each having a body of troops consisting of twenty-four thousand men, which, together, formed an army of two hundred eighty-eight thousand; and as a separate detachment of twelve thousand was attendant on the twelve princes of the twelve tribes mentioned in the same chapter, so both are equal to three hundred thousand. These…”

“1 Chronicles 27:23 indicates sufficiently why the numbering was sinful. It is also stated in 1 Chronicles 21:6, that Joab purposely omitted Levi and Benjamin from the reckoning. Eight hundred thousand ... five hundred thousand - In Chronicles the numbers are differently given. It is probable therefore that the Chronicler has included in his statement of the sum total some numbers which are not included here. return to 'Top of Page'”

“24:9 The phrase capable warriors shows that the census focused largely on those fit for military service. The total for Judah here might be rounded up from the total in 1 Chr 21:5; the different number for Israel in 1 Chr 21:5 (1,100,000) might come from combining a regular standing army of 300,000 (elsewhere unrecorded) with the 800,000 discovered through the census.”

“eight hundred thousand: Ch1 21:5, Ch1 21:6, Ch1 27:23, Ch1 27:24 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 24:10”