1 And Satan H7854 stood up H5975 against Israel, H3478 and provoked H5496 David H1732 to number H4487 Israel. H3478
2 And David H1732 said H559 to Joab H3097 and to the rulers H8269 of the people, H5971 Go, H3212 number H5608 Israel H3478 from Beersheba H884 even to Dan; H1835 and bring H935 the number H4557 of them to me, that I may know H3045 it.
3 And Joab H3097 answered, H559 The LORD H3068 make his people H5971 an hundred H3967 times H6471 so many more H3254 as they H1992 be: but, my lord H113 the king, H4428 are they not all my lord's H113 servants? H5650 why then doth my lord H113 require H1245 this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass H819 to Israel? H3478
4 Nevertheless the king's H4428 word H1697 prevailed H2388 against Joab. H3097 Wherefore Joab H3097 departed, H3318 and went H1980 throughout all Israel, H3478 and came H935 to Jerusalem. H3389
5 And Joab H3097 gave H5414 the sum H4557 of the number H4662 of the people H5971 unto David. H1732 And all they of Israel H3478 were a thousand H505 thousand H505 and an hundred H3967 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 sword: H2719 and Judah H3063 was four H702 hundred H3967 threescore and ten H7657 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 sword. H2719
6 But Levi H3878 and Benjamin H1144 counted H6485 he not among H8432 them: for the king's H4428 word H1697 was abominable H8581 to Joab. H3097
7 And God H430 was displeased H3415 H5869 with this thing; H1697 therefore he smote H5221 Israel. H3478
8 And David H1732 said H559 unto God, H430 I have sinned H2398 greatly, H3966 because I have done H6213 this thing: H1697 but now, I beseech thee, do away H5674 the iniquity H5771 of thy servant; H5650 for I have done very H3966 foolishly. H5528
9 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Gad, H1410 David's H1732 seer, H2374 saying, H559
10 Go H3212 and tell H1696 David, H1732 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 I offer H5186 thee three H7969 things: choose H977 thee one H259 of them, H2007 that I may do H6213 it unto thee.
11 So Gad H1410 came H935 to David, H1732 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Choose H6901 thee
12 Either three H7969 years' H8141 famine; H7458 or three H7969 months H2320 to be destroyed H5595 before H6440 thy foes, H6862 while that the sword H2719 of thine enemies H341 overtaketh H5381 thee; or H518 else three H7969 days H3117 the sword H2719 of the LORD, H3068 even the pestilence, H1698 in the land, H776 and the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 destroying H7843 throughout all the coasts H1366 of Israel. H3478 Now therefore advise H7200 thyself what word H1697 I shall bring again H7725 to him that sent H7971 me.
13 And David H1732 said H559 unto Gad, H1410 I am in a great H3966 strait: H6887 let me fall H5307 now into the hand H3027 of the LORD; H3068 for very H3966 great H7227 are his mercies: H7356 but let me not fall H5307 into the hand H3027 of man. H120
14 So the LORD H3068 sent H5414 pestilence H1698 upon Israel: H3478 and there fell H5307 of Israel H3478 seventy H7657 thousand H505 men. H376
15 And God H430 sent H7971 an angel H4397 unto Jerusalem H3389 to destroy H7843 it: and as he was destroying, H7843 the LORD H3068 beheld, H7200 and he repented H5162 him of the evil, H7451 and said H559 to the angel H4397 that destroyed, H7843 It is enough, H7227 stay H7503 now thine hand. H3027 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stood H5975 by the threshingfloor H1637 of Ornan H771 the Jebusite. H2983
16 And David H1732 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stand H5975 between the earth H776 and the heaven, H8064 having a drawn H8025 sword H2719 in his hand H3027 stretched out H5186 over Jerusalem. H3389 Then David H1732 and the elders H2205 of Israel, who were clothed H3680 in sackcloth, H8242 fell H5307 upon their faces. H6440
17 And David H1732 said H559 unto God, H430 Is it not I that commanded H559 the people H5971 to be numbered? H4487 even I it is that have sinned H2398 and done evil H7489 indeed; H7489 but as for these sheep, H6629 what have they done? H6213 let thine hand, H3027 I pray thee, O LORD H3068 my God, H430 be on me, and on my father's H1 house; H1004 but not on thy people, H5971 that they should be plagued. H4046
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 21
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 21 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 21
Excepting the three last verses, is contained in 2 Samuel 24:1 with some few variations, which are there observed; see the notes there.
See Chapter Introduction
At that time when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing floor Of Ornan the Jebusite,.... The same with Araunah, 2 Samuel 24:16, with some small variation of the letters, and are of the same signification; both signifying the "ornus", as HillerusF13Onomastic. Sacr. p. 529, 530. observes, the pine tree or ash; see Isaiah 44:14, in whose threshingfloor David now was, and where he had been praying and sacrificing; and God had accepted his prayer, as the Targum, and had answered him, by causing fire to come down on the sacrifice and consume it, and by ordering the angel to put up his sword in its sheath:
then he sacrificed there; again by the priests, and continued to do so, for he had sacrificed there before, 1 Chronicles 21:26 and finding his sacrifices in that place were acceptable, he repeated them, and did not go to Gibeon, as follows.
For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made,.... Or ordered to be made by the command of God, and according to his direction:
and the altar of burnt offerings, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon; which was four or five miles from Jerusalem, and too far for David to go in that time of extremity; though he must have gone thither to sacrifice, had not the Lord bid him build an altar on the threshingfloor; for there was the altar of burnt offering, on which only, according to the law of Moses, sacrifices were to be offered: this high place is, in the Targum, called the sanctuary, it including, as Kimchi observes, the whole house, the tabernacle, and the altar in it; which had been here, and at Nob, fifty seven years, as the Jewish writers sayF14Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim, c. 14. sect. 7. .
But David could not go before it to inquire of God,.... Which yet was the proper place to seek the Lord in: the reason follows:
for he was afraid, because of the sword of the angel of the Lord; which had so terrified him, that he was so weak that he could not go; and he feared that, should he attempt to go, while he was going thither, at such a distance, the angel would make a terrible slaughter in Jerusalem, and therefore he durst not go and leave it; and besides, as the Lord had commanded him to build an altar there, he might fear it would displease him, should he depart from it; and the rather, as hereby he pointed out to him the place where the temple should be built, and sacrifices offered, as appears from what he says in the beginning of the next chapter.