The Meaning of 2 Samuel 24:10 Explained

2 Samuel 24:10

KJV: And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

YLT: And the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, 'I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.'

Darby: And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, Jehovah, put away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

ASV: And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, O Jehovah, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David's  heart  smote  him after  that he had numbered  the people.  And David  said  unto the LORD,  I have sinned  greatly  in that I have done:  and now, I beseech thee, O LORD,  take away  the iniquity  of thy servant;  for I have done very  foolishly. 

What does 2 Samuel 24:10 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 24:1-14 - A Proud Heart Humbled
The sin of numbering the people lay in its motive. David was animated by a spirit of pride and vainglory. He was eager to make a fine showing among the surrounding nations, and to impress them with such a conception of Israel's greatness that they would not dare to attack any point of the long frontier line. He yielded to the temptation of trusting in chariots and horses, instead of in the victories of faith.
When the enumeration was nearly complete, David's heart smote him. He saw how far he had swerved from the idea of the theocracy, in which God's will was the sole guide of national policy. He had substituted his own wisdom for the divine edict. A night of anguish followed on this self-discovery, but David submitted himself to God's dealings.
It was wise to choose to fall into the hands of God. They are very loving and tender hands, but David viewed them as punitive and not redemptive; and the plague, which devastated the people, cut him to the quick. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 24

1  David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5  The captains, in nine months and twenty days, gather 1,300,000 fighting men
10  David repents, and having three plagues proposed by God, chooses pestilence
15  After the death of 70,000, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18  David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor;
25  and the plague stops

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 24:10 mean?

And condemned heart of David him after after he had numbered - the people - So said David to Yahweh I have sinned greatly in what I have done But now Yahweh take away I pray the iniquity of Your servant for I have done foolishly very
וַיַּ֤ךְ לֵב־ דָּוִד֙ אֹת֔וֹ אַחֲרֵי־ כֵ֖ן סָפַ֣ר אֶת־ הָעָ֑ם ס וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־ יְהוָ֗ה חָטָ֤אתִי מְאֹד֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הַֽעֲבֶר־ נָא֙ עֲוֺ֣ן עַבְדְּךָ֔ כִּ֥י נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי מְאֹֽד

וַיַּ֤ךְ  And  condemned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
לֵב־  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
דָּוִד֙  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אַחֲרֵי־  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵ֖ן  after 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
סָפַ֣ר  he  had  numbered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
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.
הָעָ֑ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
חָטָ֤אתִי  I  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
מְאֹד֙  greatly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  in  what 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשִׂ֔יתִי  I  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְעַתָּ֣ה  But  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַֽעֲבֶר־  take  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
נָא֙  I  pray 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
עֲוֺ֣ן  the  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
עַבְדְּךָ֔  of  Your  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי  I  have  done  foolishly 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: סָכַל  
Sense: to be foolish, be a fool.
מְאֹֽד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.