But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

1 CHRONICLES 21:6KJV
Know the Bible

1 Chronicles 21:6 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 21:6 mean?

1 Chronicles 21:6 states that Joab, who was carrying out King David’s order to count the people of Israel, did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he found the king’s command offensive or detestable. The verse highlights Joab’s reluctance to fully obey David’s order due to his strong personal objection.

In this verse, Joab is the commander of David’s army, and he is responding to King David’s command to conduct a census of Israel. The setting is a moment when David’s decision to count the people is seen as problematic or even sinful, and Joab’s refusal to count Levi and Benjamin shows his discomfort with the task. The verse underscores the seriousness of the king’s word and Joab’s moral resistance.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 21:6

  • "Abominable" (תָּעֵב, taʿev): This word means something detestable or morally repugnant. The verse uses it to describe how Joab felt about David’s command, showing that Joab saw the census as deeply wrong, not just a minor disagreement.
  • "Counted" (פָּקַד, paqad): This verb means to number, appoint, or take account of. Joab’s refusal to "count" Levi and Benjamin signals a deliberate act of resistance, not just an oversight.
  • "Word" (דָּבָר, davar): This term can mean word, matter, or command. Here, it refers to David’s specific order, emphasizing that Joab’s objection was to the king’s direct instruction, not just the general idea of a census.

Why 1 Chronicles 21:6 matters

  • The verse clarifies that Joab’s omission of Levi and Benjamin was intentional, not accidental, and rooted in a strong moral objection to David’s command.
  • It highlights a moment of tension between the king’s authority and the conscience of his military leader, showing that even powerful orders could be resisted on ethical grounds.
  • The detail about Levi and Benjamin not being counted helps explain later lists and numbers in the Bible, and it connects to the special status of the tribe of Levi (often not counted in censuses due to their priestly role).

Where else these words appear

“abominable” Hebrew H8581 · used in 20 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
  • Job 30:10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
  • Psalms 119:163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

“Levi” Hebrew H3878 · used in 61 verses

  • Genesis 29:34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
  • Numbers 16:10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
  • 1 Chronicles 6:38 The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

“Joab” Hebrew H3097 · used in 124 verses

  • 1 Samuel 26:6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
  • 2 Samuel 14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
  • 2 Samuel 24:3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?