1 Chronicles 21:6 Meaning and Explanation
“But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Joab leaves Levi and Benjamin out of the count, so distasteful did he find the king's order.
What Does 1 Chronicles 21:6 Mean?
Joab quietly resists. He omits Levi, the priestly tribe set apart for the Lord's service, and Benjamin, where the tabernacle's region lay. The command remained, to him, detestable, and he would not carry it out in full.
Even in obedience there can be a holy reluctance. Joab cannot stop the census, but he refuses to count the tribe most clearly belonging to God. His partial compliance is a small protest of conscience. Sometimes faithfulness, hemmed in by circumstances we cannot change, still finds a way to honor what is sacred.
1 Chronicles 21:6 in the Original Language
toebah (תּוֹעֵבָה), 'abominable' -- something detestable, deeply offensive.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Chronicles 21:6
What does 1 Chronicles 21:6 mean?
Joab leaves Levi and Benjamin out of the count, so distasteful did he find the king's order.