John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And they passed over Jordan , etc.] To take the number of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh first: and pitched in Aroer ; for it seems that Joab and the captains had the army with them, and the several captains under their command, partly to assist in numbering the people, and partly to keep them in awe, lest they should oppose them, not knowing what was the design of all this Aroer was a city given to the tribe of Gad, and rebuilt by them, ( Numbers 32:34); on the right side of the city ; that is, of Aroer, the south side of it, as the Targum, did Joab and his army pitch: that [lieth] in the midst of the river of Gad ; which was the river Arnon, so called now from the tribe of Gad, which possessed it, and so the Targum, in the midst of the river of the tribe of Gad; for in the midst of the river Arnon Aroer lay, (see Joshua 13:9); and toward Jazer ; another city given to the Gadites, ( Numbers 32:3,35); and, according to Bunting f411 , was sixteen miles from Aroer.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - For the people's sin David was left to act wrong, and in his chastisement they received punishment. This example throws light upo God's government of the world, and furnishes a useful lesson. The prid of David's heart, was his sin in numbering of the people. He though thereby to appear the more formidable, trusting in an arm of flesh mor than he should have done, and though he had written so much of trustin in God only. God judges not of sin as we do. What appears to u harmless, or, at least, but a small offence, may be a great sin in the eye of God, who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. Eve ungodly men can discern evil tempers and wrong conduct in believers, of which they themselves often remain unconscious. But God seldom allow those whom he loves the pleasures they sinfully covet.
Original Hebrew ויעברו5674 את853 הירדן3383 ויחנו2583 בערוער6177 ימין3225 העיר5892 אשׁר834 בתוך8432 הנחל5158 הגד1410 ואל413 יעזר׃3270
