Definition: Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from 1 Chronicles 27:24. It's a bit complex, but we can understand it with a few key ideas: The Basic Idea: This verse describes a situation where Joab, a soldier, was assigned a task – to count the soldiers in the army – but he didn’t finish. And there was a problem that delayed him. Let's unpack it word by word: “Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number…” This tells us we're talking about Joab, a soldier, and he started to count. “…but he finished not…” This is the crucial part. He didn’t complete the task. It wasn't finished. “because there fell wrath for it against Israel…” This is where the problem starts. “Wrath” means anger or punishment. The verse says that the anger of God (or the people) towards Israel – meaning towards the Israelites – was a reason for this delay. It felt like God was displeased with Joab’s actions. “neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.” This is the final part that adds more context. "Chronicles" means records or histories. The "number" – which likely refers to the troop size – wasn't recorded properly, and it wasn’t included in a record kept by King David’s administration. Putting it all together: Joab was assigned to count soldiers. However, because of the anger of God towards Israel, there was a delay. The fact that this task wasn't completed – and wasn’t recorded properly – shows that something was amiss, and God wasn’t pleased with the situation. What does it mean in terms of our understanding? This verse is often interpreted as a reminder that: God cares about his people: The anger of God is a significant reason for things to be delayed or not completed. Accountability and responsibility are important: It highlights the need to complete tasks and be responsible for them. Things aren’t always perfect: Sometimes, even when we try our best, things can go wrong, and it's important to acknowledge those problems. In short, it describes a situation where a task was delayed due to God's displeasure, and this delay has a ripple effect that wasn't fully recorded. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse? Discuss the historical context of this passage?