1David tempted by Satan forceth Joab to number Israel. 7God is displeased: David acknowledgeth his fault. 9Gad being sent from God to propose one out of three plagues to his choice, he chooseth three days' pestilence. 14Seventy thousand in Israel being already cut off, the destroying angel is stayed over Jerusalem: 16David on sight of the angel humbly intercedeth for the people. 18By Gad's direction having bought Ornan's threshingfloor, he buildeth an altar, and sacrificeth: God signifieth his favour by fire from heaven, and stayeth the plague.
1AND aSatan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
a 2Sa. 24.1. Job 1.6-9,12; 2.1-4,6,7. Zec. 3.1. Re. 12.9. Jn. 8.44. Mat. 4.3,10. 2Co. 2.11. Lu. 10.18. 1Co. 7.5.
2And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from bBeer-sheba even to Dan; and cbring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
b Ju. 20.1. 1Ki. 4.25. 2Sa. 17.1; 24.2. c Jos. 9.14. De. 8.13,14. Pr. 18.12.
3And Joab answered, dThe LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be : but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of *trespass to Israel?
*trespass-sin, transgress.
d Ps. 115.14. Is. 26.15.
4Nevertheless ethe king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
e Ga. 1.10. Ac. 5.29; 4.19.
5¶And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel fwere a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
f ch. 27.2-15. 2Sa. 24.9.
6But gLevi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
g ch. 27.23,24.
71And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he hsmote Israel.
1Heb. And it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concerning this thing.
h v.14. Jos. 7.1,5. 1Sa. 6.19.
8And David said unto God, iI have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
i 2Sa. 24.10; 12.13. Je. 3.13. Jos. 7.19. Ps. 38.4; 40.11,12; 32.5; 25.11.
9¶And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's jseer, saying,
j 1Sa. 9.9. 2Sa. 24.11.
10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I 2offer thee three things : choose kthee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
2Heb. stretch out.
k Pr. 16.1; 21.1; 3.12. He. 12.6-11. Re. 3.19. Ps. 94.12.
11So Gad lcame to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 3Choose thee
3Heb. Take to thee.
l Eze. 2.7; 3.17. Je. 1.7,17. 1Co. 4.1,2. Ac. 20.27.
12Either mthree years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee ; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the *coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
*coasts-borders, region, country.
m 2Sa. 24.13. La. 4.9. Re. 3.10.
13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very 4great are his mercies: but nlet me not fall into the hand of man.
4Or, many, Ps. 130.7. La. 3.32,33. Hab. 3.2.
n 2Ch. 28.9. Pr. 12.10.
14¶So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel oseventy thousand men.
o 2Sa. 24.15. Nu. 16.47,49; 25.9. 1Sa. 6.19. Ps. 91.6,7.
15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he prepented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, *stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of 5Ornan the Jebusite.
*stay-stop, hold back.
5Or, Araunah, 2Sa. 24.16,18.
p Ex. 32.14. Ju. 2.18. Ps. 78.38; 106.45,46; 94.14; 90.13; 79.8-11. Ho. 11.8. La. 3.32.
16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the qangel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel , rwho were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
q Is. 37.36. Ac. 12.23. r Jonah 3.5. Ps. 35.13,14. Nu. 14.5.
17And David said unto God, sIs it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for tthese sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
s 2Sa. 24.17. Ps. 51.4; 25.11. v.8. Eze. 16.63. t 1Ki. 22.17. Ps. 44.11. Je. 12.3.
18¶Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD uin the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
u 2Sa. 24.18. 2Ch. 3.1. Ge. 22.2,14.
19And David went up vat the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
v De. 12.32. Mat. 28.20. 2Co. 11.23. Ps. 119.59,60.
206And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
6Or, when Ornan turned back and saw the angel, then he and his four sons with him hid themselves.
21And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22Then David said to Ornan, 7Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that wthe plague may be stayed from the people.
7Heb. Give, 1Ki. 21.2. 2Sa. 24.21.
w Nu. 16.48; 25.8. Ps. 106.30. Col. 1.20.
23And Ornan said unto David, xTake it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the ywheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
x 2Sa. 24.22. 1Ki. 19.21. y v.20.
24And king David said to Ornan, zNay; but I will *verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
*verily-surely, indeed, truly.
z Ge. 14.23; 23.13. Ro. 12.17.
25So aDavid gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
a 2Sa. 24.24.
26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and bhe answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
b Le. 9.24. 2Ch. 7.1. 1Ki. 18.38.
27And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28¶At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he csacrificed there.
c Ge. 22.2,9. v.18,26. 2Ch. 3.1.
29For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at dGibeon.
d 1Ki. 3.4. ch. 16.39. 2Ch. 1.3.
30But David could not go before it eto enquire of God: for he was fafraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
e ch. 15.13. 2Ch. 19.3. f Ps. 119.120. Eze. 9.6. He. 12.28,29.