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
But the Levites H3881 after the tribe H4294 of their fathers H1 were not numbered H6485 among H8432 them. For the LORD H3068 had spoken H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Only thou shalt not number H6485 the tribe H4294 of Levi, H3878 neither take H5375 the sum H7218 of them among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478
And he wrote H3789 in the letter, H5612 saying, H559 Set H3051 ye Uriah H223 in the forefront H6440 H4136 of the hottest H2389 battle, H4421 and retire H7725 ye from him, H310 that he may be smitten, H5221 and die. H4191 And it came to pass, when Joab H3097 observed H8104 the city, H5892 that he assigned H5414 Uriah H223 unto a place H4725 where he knew H3045 that valiant H2428 men H582 were. And the men H582 of the city H5892 went out, H3318 and fought H3898 with Joab: H3097 and there fell H5307 some of the people H5971 of the servants H5650 of David; H1732 and Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 died H4191 also. Then Joab H3097 sent H7971 and told H5046 David H1732 all the things H1697 concerning the war; H4421 And charged H6680 the messenger, H4397 saying, H559 When thou hast made an end H3615 of telling H1696 the matters H1697 of the war H4421 unto the king, H4428 And if so be that the king's H4428 wrath H2534 arise, H5927 and he say H559 unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh H5066 unto the city H5892 when ye did fight? H3898 knew H3045 ye not that they would shoot H3384 from the wall? H2346 Who smote H5221 Abimelech H40 the son H1121 of Jerubbesheth? H3380 did not a woman H802 cast H7993 a piece H6400 of a millstone H7393 upon him from the wall, H2346 that he died H4191 in Thebez? H8405 why went ye nigh H5066 the wall? H2346 then say H559 thou, Thy servant H5650 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 is dead H4191 also.
And Joab H3097 said H559 to Amasa, H6021 Art thou in health, H7965 my brother? H251 And Joab H3097 took H270 Amasa H6021 by the beard H2206 with the right H3225 hand H3027 to kiss H5401 him. But Amasa H6021 took no heed H8104 to the sword H2719 that was in Joab's H3097 hand: H3027 so he smote H5221 him therewith in the fifth H2570 rib, and shed out H8210 his bowels H4578 to the ground, H776 and struck him not again; H8138 and he died. H4191 So Joab H3097 and Abishai H52 his brother H251 pursued H7291 after H310 Sheba H7652 the son H1121 of Bichri. H1075
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.