So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

2 SAMUEL 24:15KJV
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2 Samuel 24:15 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 24:15 mean?

2 Samuel 24:15 describes how the LORD sent a deadly plague across Israel, lasting from morning until the appointed time, resulting in the deaths of seventy thousand men from the northernmost region of Dan to the southernmost region of Beersheba. This verse shows the severe consequence that came upon the nation as a result of God's judgment.

King David had ordered a census of Israel, which was seen as an act of pride or lack of trust in God. In response, God allowed a pestilence to strike the people. The verse highlights the scale of the disaster, mentioning the entire land from Dan to Beersheba, and the staggering loss of life, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and the reach of God's judgment.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 24:15

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, used here to show that the judgment comes directly from God Himself, not by chance or through another agent.
  • pestilence (דֶּבֶר, dever): This word refers to a deadly plague or disease, often used in the Old Testament to describe divine punishment that brings widespread death.
  • appointed (מוֹעֵד, mo'ed): This word can mean a set time or a fixed period, suggesting that the duration of the plague was determined by God, not random or indefinite.
  • from Dan (דָּן, Dan) to Beersheba (בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, Be'er Sheva): These place names mark the northernmost and southernmost boundaries of Israel, showing that the entire nation was affected.

Why 2 Samuel 24:15 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the disaster was not a random tragedy but a direct response from God to a specific event, showing the seriousness with which God viewed David's actions.
  • By mentioning both Dan and Beersheba, the verse emphasizes that no part of Israel was untouched, highlighting the unity and shared fate of the nation.
  • The use of specific numbers and regions helps the reader grasp the historical reality and scale of the event, making the consequences of disobedience concrete and memorable.

Where else these words appear

“Beersheba” Hebrew H884 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 21:14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
  • Joshua 15:28 And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,
  • 2 Kings 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

“pestilence” Hebrew H1698 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
  • Psalms 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
  • Jeremiah 42:22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

“Dan” Hebrew H1835 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • Deuteronomy 27:13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
  • 2 Samuel 3:10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.

“seventy” Hebrew H7657 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
  • Numbers 7:73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 2 Chronicles 2:2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.