But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
Levi and Benjamin counted he not. If this census was ordered with a view to the imposition of taxes, this alone would account for Levi, who were not warriors (1 Chronicles 21:5), not being numbered (see the notes at Numbers 1:47-54). The population of Benjamin had been taken (see the notes at 1 Chronicles 7:6-11), and the register preserved in the archives of that tribe. This, however, was taken on another occasion, and by other agency than that of Joab. The non-numbering of these two tribes might have originated in the special and gracious providence of God, partly because Levi was devoted to His service, and Benjamin had become the least of all the tribes (Judges 21:1-25); and partly because God foresaw that they would remain faithful to the house of David in the division of the tribes, and therefore would not have them diminished. From the course followed in this survey (see the notes at 2 Samuel 24:4-8), it would appear that Judah and Benjamin were the last tribes that were to be visited, and that, after the census in Judah bed been finished, Joab, before entering on that of Benjamin, had to return to Jerusalem, where the king, now sensible of his great error, gave orders to stop all further proceedings in the business. Not only the remonstrance of Joab at the first, but his slow progress in the survey (2 Samuel 24:8), showed the strong repugnance, and even horror, of the old general at this unconstitutional measure.