THE FIRST BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES

1 Chronicles 21

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.


1AND1 Satan stood up against Israel, and 2provoked David to number Israel.

1 See the further annotations on this chapter in 2 Samuel 24.

2 Other, stirred up, moved, instigated.

2And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel 3from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3 Namely, from the south to the north, from the one end of the kingdom to the other. Also likewise Judges 20:1, and more elsewhere.

3And Joab answered, The 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 4my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

4 That is, thou, my lord the king.

4Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and 5went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5 Joab spent in and about this employment nine months and twenty days, as appears in 2 Sam. 24:8.

5¶And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And 6all they of Israel were 7a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

6 See 2 Sam. 24:9.

7 Or, eleven hundred thousand. Hebr. thousand thousands, and an hundred thousand.

6But Levi and Benjamin counted he not 8among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

8 Hebr. not in the midst of them.

7And God was displeased with 9this thing; therefore he 10smote Israel.

9 Namely, that David had caused the people to be numbered.

10 Namely, with the pestilence.

8And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: 11but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity 12of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 See 2 Sam. 12 on verse 13.

12 That is, of mine.

9¶And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s 13seer, saying,

13 That is, prophet and teacher, who was with David where ever he went. Of the word seer, see 1 Sam. 9:9.

10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

11So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

12Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days 14the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and 15the 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.

14 The angel of the Lord smote and slew the Israelites with the pestilence as with a sword. See verses 16, 27.

15 That is, that shall kill and destroy many of the inhabitants of the land with pestilence.

13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: 16let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

16 That is, I choose the pestilence, and not war. Let me only fall into the hand of the Lord.

14¶So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and 17he repented 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 18Ornan the Jebusite.

17 That is, He ceased to destroy with the pestilence; this is spoken of God after the manner of men. See Gen. 6:6.

18 Other, Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16, where is also shown why he is called a Jebusite.

16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel 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, who were clothed 19in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

19 That is, with mourning garments. See the annotation on Gen. 37:34.

17And David said unto God, Is it not I that 20commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and 21done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, 22what have they done? 23let 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.

20 Or, have said.

21 Hebr. doing ill, have done ill.

22 It is true indeed that the subjects had not offended in or by numbering the people, yet, notwithstanding, they were justly punished of God for their other sins.

23 As if David would say: Slay me and my father’s house with the pestilence; that is, my friends and kindred.

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 in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

20And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

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, 24Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me 25for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

24 That is, sell it me, as later follows.

25 As Gen. 23:9.

23And Ornan said unto David, 26Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee 27the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.

26 Hebr. Take to thee, or for thee.

27 Namely, wherewith I thresh at this moment; for, in those times they were wont to cause the oxen to tread out the corn.

24And king David said to Ornan, 28Nay; 29but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine 30for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

28 As if David said: I will in no wise receive anything as a free gift which you offer to me.

29 Hebr. buying shall I buy.

30 That is, to give unto the Lord.

25So David gave to Ornan for the place 31six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

31 If these were common shekels, then every shekel weighs two drams or French crowns; so that David gave for that place 1200 French crowns. For the oxen and the other equipment he gave fifty shekels of silver. See further the annotation Gen. 24 on verse 22 and 2 Sam. 24 on verse 24.

26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; 32and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

32 That is, God caused fire to fall from heaven upon the burnt offering, thereby witnessing, that He had answered David’s prayer. Compare herewith what is recorded in Lev. 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Chron. 7:1.

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 sacrificed there.

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 33at Gibeon.

33 See 1 Chron. 16:39; 2 Chron. 1:3.

30But David could not go before 34it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

34 Namely, the altar of burnt offering; or, the tabernacle, which was at Gibeon.