The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 21:2 Explained

1 Chronicles 21:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]. 

What does 1 Chronicles 21:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1 Chronicles 21

1  David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5  The number of the people being brought, David repents of it
9  David having three plagues proposed by God, chooses the pestilence
14  After the death of 70,000, David by repentance prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18  David, by Gad's direction, purchases Ornan's threshing floor;
26  where having built an altar, God gives a sign of his favor by fire
28  David sacrifices there, being restrained from Gibeon by fear of the angel

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 21:2 mean?

So said David to Joab and to and the commanders of the troops go number - Israel from Beersheba and to Dan and bring to me that I may know [it] the number of them
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֤יד אֶל־ יוֹאָב֙ וְאֶל־ שָׂרֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם לְכ֗וּ סִפְרוּ֙ אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבְּאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע וְעַד־ דָּ֑ן וְהָבִ֣יאוּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵדְעָ֖ה מִסְפָּרָֽם

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֤יד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יוֹאָב֙  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שָׂרֵ֣י  and  the  commanders 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הָעָ֔ם  of  the  troops 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְכ֗וּ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
סִפְרוּ֙  number 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
שֶׁ֖בַע  Beersheba 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּאֵר 
Sense: a city at the south edge of Israel.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
דָּ֑ן  Dan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
וְהָבִ֣יאוּ  and  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְאֵדְעָ֖ה  that  I  may  know  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
מִסְפָּרָֽם  the  number  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.