David's Bloodguilt and Joab's Hundredfold Blessing on Israel

Midrash Shmuel 30:1

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

"Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness" (Psalms 51:16). Deliver me from the blood of Uriah, and so forth — a halakhah [follows]. Because of this, "Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, Go, number Israel" (2 Samuel 24:1). "And He said to the angel that destroyed the people: It is enough," and so forth (ibid. 24:16). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: He hinted to the king that death rules over him, as you say, "And Joab said to the king: May the LORD your God add to the people, however many they are, a hundred times over" (ibid. 24:3) — a hundred [becomes] two hundred, two hundred [becomes] four hundred. Rabbi Levi said: Within twelve months Joab's blessings came [to pass]. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: Moses's blessings have no limit — "May the LORD, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you as He has promised you" (Deuteronomy 1:11).

Themes

PrayerBlessingMusicSinDavid

Biblical References

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