1 Chronicles 21:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Satan stood up— An adversary stood up. Le Clerc. See the note on 2 Samuel 24:1; 2 Samuel 24:25. Bishop Warburton observes (perhaps the reader will think with rather too much refinement) upon this passage as follows: "This evil Being [Satan] was little known to the Jewish people till about this time: their great lawgiver, where he so frequently enumerates and warns them of the snares and temptations which would draw them to transgress the law of God, never once mentions this capital enemy of heaven: but as the fulness of time drew near, they were made more and more acquainted with this their capital enemy. When Ahab was suffered to be infatuated, (see on 1 Kings 22:19; 1 Kings 22:53.) Satan is not recorded by name. On the return from the captivity we find him better known, and things are then ascribed to him as the immediate and proper author, which were before given in an improper sense to the first and ultimate cause of all things. Thus in 2 Samuel 24:1 it seems to be said that God moved David to number the people: the anger of the Lord was kindled—and he moved, &c. But in the passage before us, which was written after the captivity, Satan is said to have moved David to this folly: for his history having an inseparable connection with the redemption of mankind, the knowledge of them was to be conveyed together; and now their later prophets had given very lively descriptions of the Redeemer, and the other attendant truths." Div. Leg.