2Sa 24:3 | KD | STEP | Joab discountenanced the thing: “Jehovah thy God add to the nation, as it is, a hundredfold as many, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?” The ו before יוסף stands at the commencement, when what is said contains a sequel to something that has gone before (vid., Ges. §255, 1, a .). The thought to which Joab’s words are appended as a sequel, is implied in what David said, “that I may know the number of the people;” and if expressed fully, his words would read somewhat as follows: “If thou hast delight in the greatness of the number of the people, may Jehovah,” etc. Joab evidently saw through the king’s intention, and perceived that the numbering of the people could not be of any essential advantage to David’s government, and might produce dissatisfaction among the people, and therefore endeavoured to dissuade the king from his purpose. וכהם כּהם, “ as they (the Israelites) just are ,” i.e., in this connection, “just as many as there are of them.” From a grammatical point of view, כּהם is to be taken as the object to יוסף, as in the parallel passages, ; 2Sa 12:8. Not only did he desire that God would multiply the nation a hundredfold, but that He would do it during the lifetime of David, so that his eyes might be delighted with the immense numbers.

‏ 2 Samuel 24:3

Joab discountenanced the thing: “Jehovah thy God add to the nation, as it is, a hundredfold as many, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?” The ו before יוסף stands at the commencement, when what is said contains a sequel to something that has gone before (vid., Ges. §255, 1, a.). The thought to which Joab’s words are appended as a sequel, is implied in what David said, “that I may know the number of the people;” and if expressed fully, his words would read somewhat as follows: “If thou hast delight in the greatness of the number of the people, may Jehovah,” etc. Joab evidently saw through the king’s intention, and perceived that the numbering of the people could not be of any essential advantage to David’s government, and might produce dissatisfaction among the people, and therefore endeavoured to dissuade the king from his purpose. וכהם כּהם, “as they (the Israelites) just are,” i.e., in this connection, “just as many as there are of them.” From a grammatical point of view, כּהם is to be taken as the object to יוסף, as in the parallel passages, Deu 1:11; 2Sa 12:8. Not only did he desire that God would multiply the nation a hundredfold, but that He would do it during the lifetime of David, so that his eyes might be delighted with the immense numbers.