1 Chronicles 27:23
New International Version
David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

New Living Translation
When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the LORD had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven.

English Standard Version
David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.

Berean Standard Bible
David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.

King James Bible
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

New King James Version
But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.

New American Standard Bible
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

NASB 1995
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

NASB 1977
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

Legacy Standard Bible
But David did not take up a count of those twenty years of age and under, because Yahweh had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

Amplified Bible
But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, for the LORD had said he would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

Christian Standard Bible
David didn’t count the men aged twenty or under, for the LORD had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David didn’t count the men aged 20 or under, for the LORD had said He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.

American Standard Version
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Jehovah had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David did not take the number of them, from a son of twenty years and under, because LORD JEHOVAH said that he would multiply Israel as the stars that are in Heaven.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But David took not their number from twenty years old and under: because the Lord said that he would multiply Israel as the stars of the heaven.

Contemporary English Version
When David decided to count the people of Israel, he gave orders not to count anyone under 20 years of age, because the LORD had promised long ago that Israel would have as many people as there are stars in the sky.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But David would not number them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said that he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven.

English Revised Version
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David didn't count those under 20 years old, because the LORD had promised that the people of Israel would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Good News Translation
King David did not take a census of the people who were under the age of twenty, because of the LORD's promise to make the people of Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

International Standard Version
David did not complete a census of those younger than 20 years of age, since the LORD had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under; because the LORD had said He would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven.

Literal Standard Version
But David has not taken up their number from a son of twenty years and under, for YHWH had said [He would] multiply Israel as the stars of the heavens.

Majority Standard Bible
David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.

New American Bible
David did not count those who were twenty years of age or younger, for the LORD had promised to multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.

NET Bible
David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

New Revised Standard Version
David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.

New Heart English Bible
But David did not take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.

Webster's Bible Translation
But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

World English Bible
But David didn’t take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.

Young's Literal Translation
And David hath not taken up their number from a son of twenty years and under, for Jehovah said to multiply Israel as the stars of the heavens.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Leaders of the Twelve Tribes
22and over Dan was Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky. 24Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. For because of this census wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not entered in the Book of the Chronicles of King David.…

Cross References
Genesis 15:5
And the LORD took him outside and said, "Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able." Then He told him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 22:17
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.

Genesis 26:4
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,

2 Samuel 24:1
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."

1 Chronicles 21:2
So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number."


Treasury of Scripture

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

from twenty

Numbers 1:18
And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

he would increase

Genesis 15:5
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Hebrews 11:12
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Jump to Previous
Age Below Count David Heaven Heavens Increase Israel Less Multiply Numerous Promised Sky Stars Twenty
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Age Below Count David Heaven Heavens Increase Israel Less Multiply Numerous Promised Sky Stars Twenty
1 Chronicles 27
1. The twelve captains for each month
16. The princes of the twelve tribes
23. The numbering of the people is hindered
25. David's several officers














(23) But David took (Numbers 3:40, n?s?'mispar) not the number of them.--This and the next verse contain concluding remarks on the two lists communicated in 1Chronicles 27:1-22. The heading of the chapter professes that the "sons of Israel, according to their number," is the subject in hand. This appended note limits that statement to those who were above "twenty years old," that is, to those who were of the military age. The reference is undoubtedly to the census, of which 1 Chronicles 21 gave the account; and it is evident that one of the main objects of that census was the military and political organisation here so scantily and obscurely described.

Because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.--The reason why David restricted the census to those who were capable of bearing arms (see Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17). The idea implied seems to be that to attempt to number Israel would be to evince a distrust of Jehovah's faithfulness; and, perhaps, that such an attempt could not possibly succeed.

Verse 23. - The contents of this and the following verse may be supposed to be suggested by the distinct reference to the matter of number in the first verse of the chapter, and in the latter halves of the following fourteen verses, contrasting with the utter absence of any allusion to the same matter, when the whole body of the tribes and their princes are the subject, in vers. 16-22. The deeper significance of the latter part of this verse probably comes to this; that God had already given his people the proudest name for their numbers, in saying that they should be numberless, like to the stars of the heavens, and perpetually on the increase.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
David
דָוִיד֙ (ḏā·wîḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

did not
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

count
נָשָׂ֤א (nā·śā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the men
לְמִבֶּ֛ן (lə·mib·ben)
Preposition-l, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

aged
שָׁנָ֖ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

twenty
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

or under,
וּלְמָ֑טָּה (ū·lə·māṭ·ṭāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Adverb
Strong's 4295: Downward, below, beneath

because
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

had said that
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

He would make Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

as numerous
לְהַרְבּ֥וֹת (lə·har·bō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

as the stars
כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י (kə·ḵō·wḵ·ḇê)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3556: A star, a prince

of the sky.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (haš·šā·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 27:23 But David didn't take the number (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 27:22
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