# 1 Chronicles 21.1 **Book:** [1 Chronicles](/codex/1-chronicles/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > **1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.** > > 2. And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them. 3. And Joab said, Jehovah make his people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel? (1 Chronicles 21:1-3, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > **1. Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.** > > 2. David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.” 3. Joab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” (1 Chronicles 21:1-3, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > **1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.** > > 2. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3. And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? (1 Chronicles 21:1-3, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > **1. And there standeth up an adversary against Israel, and persuadeth David to number Israel,** > > 2. And David saith unto Joab, and unto the heads of the people, 'Go, number Israel from Beer-Sheba even unto Dan, and bring unto me, and I know their number.' 3. And Joab saith, 'Jehovah doth add to His people as they are a hundred times; are they not, my lord, O king, all of them to my lord for servants? why doth my lord seek this? why is he for a cause of guilt to Israel?' (1 Chronicles 21:1-3, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** narrator (traditionally Ezra) - **Audience:** post-exilic Jewish community - **Location:** post-exilic Judah - **Time period:** events c. 1000-970 BC (David); composed c. 450-400 BC ## Theological reading ## Key words - [H7854 - satan](/codex/h7854-satan/), *satan* (Strong's H7854). Also appears in: [Numbers 22.22-35](/codex/numbers-22-22-35/), [1 Kings 11.14-16](/codex/1-kings-11-14-16/), [Job 1.6-8](/codex/job-1-6-8/). ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses. ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Davids Census 70000 Dead Objection Defeater](/codex/davids-census-70000-dead-objection-defeater/) - [Why Doesnt God Stop Satan Objection Defeater](/codex/why-doesnt-god-stop-satan-objection-defeater/) **Concepts:** - [Bible Contradictions Objection](/codex/bible-contradictions-objection/) - [External Sources of Thought](/codex/external-sources-of-thought/) - [Satan](/codex/h7854-satan/) - [The Devil](/codex/the-devil/) **Lexicon:** - [G4567 - satanas](/codex/g4567-satanas/) - [H7854 - satan](/codex/h7854-satan/) **Passages:** - [1 Kings 11.14-16](/codex/1-kings-11-14-16/) - [Job 1.6-8](/codex/job-1-6-8/) - [Numbers 22.22-35](/codex/numbers-22-22-35/) - [Zechariah 3.1-2](/codex/zechariah-3-1-2/) - [Zechariah 3.1-6](/codex/zechariah-3-1-6/)