warrior exploits in 21:15–22 and again in 23:8–39 (accompanied by a warrior list) and bracketing in the outer circle are a famine story (21:1–14) and a plague story (24:11-25), both were caused by divine anger in response to a transgression by a king (Saul and David, respectively). The episode related to the Gibeonites in 21:1-14 links to the relationship between David and the house of Saul in the preceding chapter. The final section containing the plague story in 2 Samuel 24 links to the building of Solomon's temple, so appropriately placed right before 1 Kings. After these episodes the next story is King Solomon's succession, so then King David can die (1 Kings 1–2). This chapter has the following structure: A. The Lord's anger (24:1) B. David's order, Joab's obedience (24:2-9) C. David acknowledges his sin (24:10) D. The penalty (24:11-13) E. David's choice (24:14) D'. The penalty exacted (24:15-16) C'. David acknowledges his sin (24:17) B'. Gad's order, David's obedience (24:18-25a) A'. The Lord's anger is appeased (24:25b) The center of this chapter is David's choice of his punishment as he left it to God's mercy. This is bracketed by the punishment choices and the punishment exacted (D/D' sections). The C/C' sections contain David's double confession. David's order and Joab's obedience (B section) parallels Gad's order and David's obedience (B' section). The inclusion (A/A' sections) is God's anger that raged at the beginning and was appeased at the end. David’s military census (24:1–9) Verse 1 suggests that David's census was incited so that God could punish Israel for a sin committed previously—from a theological perspective, whereas the Chronicler states that it was Satan who incited David to count the people (1 Chronicles 21:1) from a human perspective. Joab possibly sensed the danger of moving from 'a charismatic levy to a human organization' (verse 3) as there was a 'religious taboo' on counting people (cf. Exodus 30:11-16). The reference to those 'able to draw the sword' (verse 9, cf. Numbers 1:2–3) indicates an enrollment for military service, which may neglect rules of purity (cf. Joshua 3:5; Deuteronomy 23:9-14). Verse 1 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. "Number": "take a census of" Judgment for David’s sin (24:10–17) After David realized that he sinned against God, he was given choice through the prophet Gad