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.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but finished not; and there came wrath for this upon Israel; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.

Joab the son of Sarvia began to number, but he finished not: because upon this there fell wrath upon Israel: and therefore the number of them that were numbered, was not registered in the chronicles of king David.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he did not finish; and there fell wrath for it upon Israel; and the number was not put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

Joab son of Zeruiah hath begun to number, and hath not finished, and there is for this wrath against Israel, and the number hath not gone up in the account of the Chronicles of king David.

The numbering was started by Joab, the son of Zeruiah, but he did not go on to the end; and because of it, wrath came on Israel and the number was not recorded in the history of King David.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but did not finish; and there came wrath for this on Israel; neither was the number entered in the scroll of the chronicles of King David.

Joab, the son of Zeruiah, had begun to number, but he did not finish. For because of this, wrath had fallen upon Israel. And therefore the number of those who had been counted was not related in the official records of king David.

Because there fell wrath - literally, "And there fell wrath." The falling of God's wrath was not the cause of Joab's ceasing. His motive is clearly stated in 1-Chronicles 21:6. See also the marginal references.
Neither was the number - The meaning is, that in the portion of the chronicles of King David which treated of numbers - the number of the standing army, of the Levitical and priestly courses, the singers, etc. - the return of the number of the people made by Joab was not entered. The disastrous circumstances which followed on the taking of the census perhaps produced a feeling that God might he further provoked by its being put on record in the state archives. The numbers which have come down to us must therefore have been derived from private sources.

Neither was the number put in the account - Joab did not return the whole number; probably the plague began before he had finished: or, he did not choose to give it in, as he had entered on this work with extreme reluctance; and he did not choose to tell the king how numerous they were.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, (e) because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the (f) chronicles of king David.
(e) The commandment of the king was abominable to Joab, (1-Chronicles 21:6).
(f) The Hebrews make both these books of Chronicles but one, and at this verse make the middle of the book concerning the number of verses.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number,.... By the order of David, but entirely against his own will, see 1-Chronicles 21:2,
but he finished not; the two tribes of Benjamin and Levi not being counted by him, 1-Chronicles 21:6.
because there fell wrath for it against Israel; the plague being broke forth before he had done numbering, which put a stop to it, 1-Chronicles 21:14.
neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of David; that which was brought in by Joab, though imperfect, was not entered into the diary, journal, or annals which David ordered to be written of all memorable events and transactions in his reign; and which were afterwards carried on by the kings of Judah, often referred to in the preceding books; and this was done, not because of the imperfection of the account, but because David did not choose this sin of his should be transmitted to posterity, though it has been, notwithstanding this precaution of his.

neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of King David--either because the undertaking was not completed, Levi and Benjamin not having been numbered (1-Chronicles 21:6), or the full details in the hands of the enumerating officers were not reported to David, and, consequently, not registered in the public archives.
the chronicles--were the daily records or annals of the king's reign. No notice was taken of this census in the historical register, as from the public calamity with which it was associated it would have stood as a painful record of the divine judgment against the king and the nation.