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
But the midwives H3205 feared H3372 God, H430 and did H6213 not as the king H4428 of Egypt H4714 commanded H1696 them, but saved H2421 the men children H3206 alive. H2421
And Joab H3097 said H559 unto the king, H4428 Now the LORD H3068 thy God H430 add H3254 unto the people, H5971 how many soever H1992 they be, an hundredfold, H3967 H6471 and that the eyes H5869 of my lord H113 the king H4428 may see H7200 it: but why doth my lord H113 the king H4428 delight H2654 in this thing? H1697 Notwithstanding the king's H4428 word H1697 prevailed H2388 against Joab, H3097 and against the captains H8269 of the host. H2428 And Joab H3097 and the captains H8269 of the host H2428 went out H3318 from the presence H6440 of the king, H4428 to number H6485 the people H5971 of Israel. H3478 And they passed over H5674 Jordan, H3383 and pitched H2583 in Aroer, H6177 on the right side H3225 of the city H5892 that lieth in the midst H8432 of the river H5158 of Gad, H1410 and toward Jazer: H3270 Then they came H935 to Gilead, H1568 and to the land H776 of Tahtimhodshi; H8483 and they came H935 to Danjaan, H1842 and about H5439 to Zidon, H6721 And came H935 to the strong hold H4013 of Tyre, H6865 and to all the cities H5892 of the Hivites, H2340 and of the Canaanites: H3669 and they went out H3318 to the south H5045 of Judah, H3063 even to Beersheba. H884 So when they had gone H7751 through all the land, H776 they came H935 to Jerusalem H3389 at the end H7097 of nine H8672 months H2320 and twenty H6242 days. H3117
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.