Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel,.... It had been kindled, and appeared before in sending a three years' famine among them for Saul's ill usage of the Gibeonites, Sa2 21:1; and now it broke forth again, either for some secret sins committed, as Kimchi suggests, or for the rebellion of Absalom, and the insurrection of Sheba, in which multitudes of...
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. (a) Before they were plagued with famine, . (b) The Lord permitted Satan, as in .
He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place (Ch1 21:1) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.