Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Samuel 24

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel - This sentence is the heading for the entire chapter, which describes the sin that kindled this anger: the numbering of the people (1 Chronicles 21:7–8; 1 Chronicles 27:24). There is no indication of time, except that the word “again” shows that these events happened after those in 2 Samuel 21. (Compare also 2 Samuel 24:25 and 2 Samuel 21:14.)

And he moved David - In 1 Chronicles 21:1, the statement is that “an adversary... stood up against Israel and moved David.” The word is “an adversary” (not “Satan,” as in the King James Version) because the definite article is not used, as it is in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1. In the same way, 1 Kings 11:14, 11:23, and 11:25 describe first Hadad and then Rezon as “an adversary” to Solomon and to Israel. Therefore, our text should be rendered, “For one moved David against them.” We are not told whose advice it was, but someone, who proved to be an enemy to the best interests of David and Israel, urged the king to number the people.

1 Chronicles 21:2 supplies some missing words. This passage should read, as in 2 Samuel 24:4, And the king said to Joab and to the princes of the host who were with him, etc. (Compare to 1 Chronicles 27:22). They were employed with Joab as his assistants in the numbering, exactly as in the previous numbering in Numbers 1:4, when a prince was appointed from each tribe to be with Moses and Aaron.

Aroer - Aroer on the Arnon (Deuteronomy 2:36 note). Aroer itself stood on the very edge of the precipitous cliff of the valley; and in the valley beneath, possibly on an island in the stream, stood another city which is alluded to here.

River - Rather, “the valley” (margin). They passed from Aroer, northward to Gad, and so camped at Jazer (see the marginal references), which is on the frontier of Gad and Reuben.

To Gilead - Jazer was in the plain. They passed from there to the mountain district of Gilead.

The land of Tahtim-hodshi - The text here is corrupt, as no such land is known. Possibly the right reading is "the land of the Hittites" (Judges 1:26); "hodshi" may be a fragment of a sentence that mentioned in what month (חדשׁ, chodesh) they arrived there, just as 2 Samuel 24:8 relates that they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine "months."

Dan-jaan - The versions read "Dan-jaar," i.e., Dan in the wood. Whatever is the meaning of "Jaan," there can be little doubt that Dan (the ancient Laish) is meant, both from its position and importance as the northern boundary of Israel, and from its connection with Zidon.

The strong hold of Tyre—"The fenced city," as it is generally rendered throughout the historical books.

The cities of the Hivites—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim, and perhaps Shechem, besides those at the foot of Hermon and Lebanon, of which we do not know the names. This continuance of distinct communities of Hivites as late as the end of David’s reign is remarkable.