1 Chronicles 21: David's census, the plague, and the threshing floor of Ornan
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Satan (or: an adversary) stands up against Israel and moves David to count Israel. Joab objects, but the king's word wins, and the count is given: one million one hundred thousand men who draw a sword in Israel and four hundred seventy thousand in Judah. God is displeased and strikes Israel; David confesses, and through Gad Yahweh offers him three things: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before his foes, or three days of the sword of Yahweh, which is pestilence. David chooses Yahweh's hand, seventy thousand men fall, and Yahweh tells the destroying angel to let his hand drop at the threshing floor of Ornan, where David buys the place, builds an altar and offers sacrifices, and Yahweh answers with fire. The chapter ends with the tabernacle at the high place in Gibeon and David afraid of the sword of Yahweh's angel.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 2 of the 30 verses: Yahweh's word to Gad in verse 10, and Yahweh's words to the destroying angel in verse 15. Verse 9 only says that Yahweh spoke to Gad, and verse 27 only says that Yahweh commanded the angel, so neither has words in gold. In verses 11 and 12 Gad speaks to David, giving him Yahweh's offer; those are Gad's words, so they are not in gold. David speaks in verses 2, 8, 13, 17, 22 and 24. Joab speaks in verse 3. Ornan speaks in verse 23. In verse 18, Yahweh's angel commands Gad, and the words are not quoted. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.
In plain English: Satan (or: An adversary) stood up against Israel and moved David to count Israel.
The Hebrew words: "Satan" is satan, which the dictionary gives as "an opponent; especially (with the article prefixed) Satan, the arch-enemy of good". In this verse the word is written without the article. In the 23 verses of the Bible that use the word, this Bible says "Satan" in 14, "adversary" in 8 and "adversaries" in 1. "Take a census" is manah, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to weigh out; by implication, to allot or constitute officially; also to enumerate or enroll". The word David uses in verse 2 is a different one, saphar, "count".
What changes: Read as "an adversary", the verse says someone or something stood against Israel and moved David. Read as "Satan", the verse names Satan as the one who stood up and moved David. tells it differently: "Again Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, 'Go, count Israel and Judah.'" This verse does not say which is meant, and the text does not explain how the two verses fit.
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2David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”
In plain English: David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring it to me, so that I may know their number."
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3Joab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”
In plain English: Joab said, "May Yahweh add to his people a hundred times as many as they are. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why does my lord ask for this? Why should it become guilt for Israel?"
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4Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, then came to Jerusalem.
In plain English: But the king's word was stronger than Joab. So Joab went out and went through all Israel, and then came to Jerusalem.
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5Joab gave the sum of the census of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew a sword; and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword.
In plain English: Joab gave David the number of the people who were counted. All Israel came to one thousand thousand and one hundred thousand men who drew a sword (that is, one million one hundred thousand), and Judah to four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword.
Good to know: gives the numbers as "eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword" in Israel and "five hundred thousand men" in Judah. This verse has one million one hundred thousand and four hundred seventy thousand. The text does not explain the difference.
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6But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
In plain English: He did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king's word was hateful to Joab.
Good to know: This verse gives the reason Levi and Benjamin were not counted: the king's word was hateful to Joab. says the king's word prevailed against Joab, as does. 2 Samuel 24 does not mention Levi or Benjamin, and the text does not explain the difference.
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7God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.
In plain English: This thing was displeasing in God's eyes, and he struck Israel.
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8David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
In plain English: David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in doing this thing. But now, please take away the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."
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9Yahweh spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Gad, David's seer. He said:
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10“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”God speaks
In plain English: "Go and speak to David. Say, 'Yahweh says this: I am holding out three things to you. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.'"
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11So Gad came to David and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Take your choice:
In plain English: Gad came to David and said to him, "Yahweh says this: 'Take your choice:
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12either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and Yahweh’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”
In plain English: either three years of famine, or three months of being swept away before your opponents while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or three days of the sword of Yahweh, which is pestilence in the land, with Yahweh's angel destroying in all the territory of Israel.' So now, think about what answer I should take back to the one who sent me."
Good to know: has Gad ask, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?" This verse has three years of famine. The three months and the three days are the same in both. The text does not explain the difference.
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13David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into Yahweh’s hand, for his mercies are very great. Don’t let me fall into man’s hand.”
In plain English: David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of Yahweh, for his compassion is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of a human."
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14So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
In plain English: So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
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15God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” Yahweh’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.God speaks
In plain English: God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As the angel was destroying it (or: was about to destroy it), Yahweh saw, and he relented (or: was sorry) about the disaster. He said to the destroying angel, "Enough! Now let your hand drop." Yahweh's angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
The Hebrew word: "Relented" is nacham, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry". In the 100 verses of the Bible that use the word, this Bible uses a form of "comfort" in 58, of "relent" in 13 and of "repent" in 12. It is the word in , where David sends messengers "to comfort" Hanun.
Good to know: The threshing floor is called "Ornan" here, in 9 verses of this chapter and in . 2 Samuel 24 calls him "Araunah" in 7 verses, beginning with . The spelling differs, and the text does not say why.
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16David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
In plain English: David lifted up his eyes and saw Yahweh's angel standing between earth and sky, with his sword drawn in his hand and stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
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17David said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”
In plain English: David said to God, "Was it not I who said to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and done very wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Yahweh my God, please let your hand be on me and on my father's house, but not on your people, to plague them."
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18Then Yahweh’s angel commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
In plain English: Yahweh's angel told Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
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19David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in Yahweh’s name.
In plain English: David went up at the word of Gad, which Gad had spoken in the name of Yahweh.
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20Ornan turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
In plain English: Ornan turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Ornan was threshing wheat.
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21As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
In plain English: David came to Ornan. Ornan looked and saw David, and he went out from the threshing floor and bowed down to David with his face to the ground.
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22Then David said to Ornan, “Sell me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to Yahweh on it. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”
In plain English: David said to Ornan, "Give me the place of the threshing floor, so that I may build an altar on it to Yahweh. Give it to me for its full price, so that the plague may be held back from the people."
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23Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.”
In plain English: Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I give it all."
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24King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will most certainly buy it for the full price. For I will not take that which is yours for Yahweh, nor offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
In plain English: King David said to Ornan, "No. I will certainly buy it for the full price. I will not take what belongs to you for Yahweh, or offer a burnt offering for nothing."
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25So David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
In plain English: David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
Good to know: says "David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver". This verse says David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. The two verses name different amounts and metals, and the text does not explain the difference.
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26David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
In plain English: David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called out to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire from the heavens (or: sky) on the altar of burnt offering.
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27Then Yahweh commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to the angel, and the angel put his sword back into its sheath.
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28At that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
In plain English: At that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
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29For Yahweh’s tabernacle, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
In plain English: The tabernacle of Yahweh, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
The Hebrew word: "Tabernacle" is mishkan, which the dictionary gives as "a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple); specifically, the Tabernacle". In the 129 verses of the Bible that use the word, this Bible uses a form of "tabernacle" in 99 and of "dwelling" in 15.
Good to know: says of Gibeon: "God's Tent of Meeting was there, which Yahweh's servant Moses had made in the wilderness."
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30But David couldn’t go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of Yahweh’s angel.
In plain English: But David could not go before it to seek God, because he was terrified of the sword of Yahweh's angel.
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