2 Samuel 24:3,4 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And Joab said, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, &c. Thus we see that this action of David was thought a very wrong step, even by Joab himself, who remonstrated against it, as apprehensive of the bad consequences that might attend it: and therefore Joab counted not Levi and Benjamin, (1 Chronicles 21:6,) because the king's word was abominable to him. Probably we do not understand all the circumstances of this affair; but Joab's sense of it, who was no scrupulous man, shows that David's conduct in it was extremely imprudent, and might subject his people to very great inconveniences. Against Joab, and against the captains of the host Who joined, it seems, with Joab to divert the king from his purpose; in which, however, he was fixed and immoveable.