1 Chronicles 21:16 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

16 And David H1732 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stand H5975 between the earth H776 and the heaven, H8064 having a drawn H8025 sword H2719 in his hand H3027 stretched out H5186 over Jerusalem. H3389 Then David H1732 and the elders H2205 of Israel, who were clothed H3680 in sackcloth, H8242 fell H5307 upon their faces. H6440

Cross Reference

Numbers 14:5 STRONG

Then Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 fell H5307 on their faces H6440 before H6440 all the assembly H6951 of the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478

1 Kings 21:27 STRONG

And it came to pass, when Ahab H256 heard H8085 those words, H1697 that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and put H7760 sackcloth H8242 upon his flesh, H1320 and fasted, H6684 and lay H7901 in sackcloth, H8242 and went H1980 softly. H328

Genesis 3:24 STRONG

So he drove out H1644 the man; H120 and he placed H7931 at the east H6924 of the garden H1588 of Eden H5731 Cherubims, H3742 and a flaming H3858 sword H2719 which turned every way, H2015 to keep H8104 the way H1870 of the tree H6086 of life. H2416

Exodus 14:19-20 STRONG

And the angel H4397 of God, H430 which went H1980 before H6440 the camp H4264 of Israel, H3478 removed H5265 and went H3212 behind H310 them; and the pillar H5982 of the cloud H6051 went H5265 from before their face, H6440 and stood H5975 behind H310 them: And it came H935 between the camp H4264 of the Egyptians H4714 and the camp H4264 of Israel; H3478 and it was a cloud H6051 and darkness H2822 to them, but it gave light H215 by night H3915 to these: so that the one came not near H7126 the other H2088 all the night. H3915

Numbers 16:22 STRONG

And they fell H5307 upon their faces, H6440 and said, H559 O God, H410 the God H430 of the spirits H7307 of all flesh, H1320 shall one H259 man H376 sin, H2398 and wilt thou be wroth H7107 with all the congregation? H5712

Numbers 22:31 STRONG

Then the LORD H3068 opened H1540 the eyes H5869 of Balaam, H1109 and he saw H7200 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 standing H5324 in the way, H1870 and his sword H2719 drawn H8025 in his hand: H3027 and he bowed down H6915 his head, and fell flat H7812 on his face. H639

Joshua 5:13-14 STRONG

And it came to pass, when Joshua H3091 was by Jericho, H3405 that he lifted up H5375 his eyes H5869 and looked, H7200 and, behold, there stood H5975 a man H376 over against him with his sword H2719 drawn H8025 in his hand: H3027 and Joshua H3091 went H3212 unto him, and said H559 unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? H6862 And he said, H559 Nay; but as captain H8269 of the host H6635 of the LORD H3068 am I now come. H935 And Joshua H3091 fell H5307 on his face H6440 to the earth, H776 and did worship, H7812 and said H559 unto him, What saith H1696 my lord H113 unto his servant? H5650

2 Kings 6:17 STRONG

And Elisha H477 prayed, H6419 and said, H559 LORD, H3068 I pray thee, open H6491 his eyes, H5869 that he may see. H7200 And the LORD H3068 opened H6491 the eyes H5869 of the young man; H5288 and he saw: H7200 and, behold, the mountain H2022 was full H4390 of horses H5483 and chariots H7393 of fire H784 round about H5439 Elisha. H477

2 Kings 19:1 STRONG

And it came to pass, when king H4428 Hezekiah H2396 heard H8085 it, that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and covered H3680 himself with sackcloth, H8242 and went H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068

Psalms 35:13-14 STRONG

But as for me, when they were sick, H2470 my clothing H3830 was sackcloth: H8242 I humbled H6031 my soul H5315 with fasting; H6685 and my prayer H8605 returned H7725 into mine own bosom. H2436 I behaved H1980 myself as though he had been my friend H7453 or brother: H251 I bowed down H7817 heavily, H6937 as one that mourneth H57 for his mother. H517

Jonah 3:6-8 STRONG

For word H1697 came H5060 unto the king H4428 of Nineveh, H5210 and he arose H6965 from his throne, H3678 and he laid H5674 his robe H155 from him, and covered H3680 him with sackcloth, H8242 and sat H3427 in ashes. H665 And he caused it to be proclaimed H2199 and published H559 through Nineveh H5210 by the decree H2940 of the king H4428 and his nobles, H1419 saying, H559 Let neither man H120 nor beast, H929 herd H1241 nor flock, H6629 taste H2938 any thing: H3972 let them not feed, H7462 nor drink H8354 water: H4325 But let man H120 and beast H929 be covered H3680 with sackcloth, H8242 and cry H7121 mightily H2394 unto God: H430 yea, let them turn H7725 every one H376 from his evil H7451 way, H1870 and from the violence H2555 that is in their hands. H3709

Commentary on 1 Chronicles 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 21

1Ch 21:1-13. David Sins in Numbering the People.

1. Satan stood up against Israel—God, by withdrawing His grace at this time from David (see on 2Sa 24:1), permitted the tempter to prevail over him. As the result of this successful temptation was the entail of a heavy calamity as a punishment from God upon the people, it might be said that "Satan stood up against Israel."

number Israel—In the act of taking the census of a people, there is not only no evil, but much utility. But numbering Israel—that people who were to become as the stars for multitude, implying a distrust of the divine promise, was a sin; and though it had been done with impunity in the time of Moses, at that enumeration each of the people had contributed "half a shekel towards the building of the tabernacle," that there might be no plague among them when he numbered them (Ex 30:12). Hence the numbering of that people was in itself regarded as an undertaking by which the anger of God could be easily aroused; but when the arrangements were made by Moses for the taking of the census, God was not angry because the people were numbered for the express purpose of the tax for the sanctuary, and the money which was thus collected ("the atonement money," Ex 30:16) appeased Him. Everything depended, therefore, upon the design of the census [Bertheau]. The sin of David numbering the people consisted in its being either to gratify his pride to ascertain the number of warriors he could muster for some meditated plan of conquest; or, perhaps, more likely still, to institute a regular and permanent system of taxation, which he deemed necessary to provide an adequate establishment for the monarchy, but which was regarded as a tyrannical and oppressive exaction—an innovation on the liberty of the people—a departure from ancient usage unbecoming a king of Israel.

3. why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?—or bring an occasion of punishment on Israel. In Hebrew, the word "sin" is often used synonymously with the punishment of sin. In the course of Providence, the people frequently suffer for the misconduct of their rulers.

5. Joab gave the sum of the number of the children of Israel—It amounted to one million one hundred thousand men in Israel, capable of bearing arms, inclusive of the three hundred thousand military (1Ch 27:1-9), which, being already enlisted in the royal service, were not reckoned (2Sa 24:9), and to four hundred seventy thousand men in Judah, omitting thirty thousand which formed an army of observation stationed on the Philistine frontier (2Sa 6:1). So large a population at this early period, considering the limited extent of the country and comparing it with the earlier census (Nu 26:1-65), is a striking proof of the fulfilment of the promise (Ge 15:5).

6. Levi and Benjamin counted he not—If this census was ordered with a view to the imposition of taxes, this alone would account for Levi, who were not warriors (1Ch 21:5), not being numbered (see on Nu 1:47-54). The population of Benjamin had been taken (see on 1Ch 7:6-11), and the register preserved in the archives of that tribe. This, however, was taken on another occasion, and by other agency than that of Joab. The non-numbering of these two tribes might have originated in the special and gracious providence of God, partly because Levi was devoted to His service, and Benjamin had become the least of all the tribes (Jud 21:1-25); and partly because God foresaw that they would remain faithful to the house of David in the division of the tribes, and therefore He would not have them diminished [Poole]. From the course followed in this survey (see on 2Sa 24:4-8), it would appear that Judah and Benjamin were the last tribes that were to be visited; and that, after the census in Judah had been finished, Joab, before entering on that of Benjamin, had to return to Jerusalem, where the king, now sensible of his great error, gave orders to stop all further proceedings in the business. Not only the remonstrance of Joab at the first, but his slow progress in the survey (2Sa 24:8) showed the strong repugnance and even horror of the old general at this unconstitutional measure.

9. the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer—Although David was himself endowed with a prophetic gift, yet, in matters relating to himself or his kingdom, he was in the habit of consulting the Lord through the medium of the priests; and when he failed to do so, a prophet was sent on extraordinary occasions to admonish or chastise him. Gad, a private friend, was occasionally employed as the bearer of these prophetic messages.

11, 12. Choose thee, &c.—To the three evils these correspond in beautiful agreement: three years, three months, three days [Bertheau]. (See on 2Sa 24:13).

13. let me fall now into the hand of the Lord … let me not fall into the hand of man—Experience had taught him that human passion and vengeance had no bounds, whereas our wise and gracious Father in heaven knows the kind, and regulates the extent, of chastisement which every one needs.

14, 15. So the Lord … sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it—The infliction only of the pestilence is here noticed, without any account of its duration or its ravages, while a minute description is given of the visible appearance and menacing attitude of the destroying angel.

15. stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite—Ornan was probably his Hebrew or Jewish, Araunah his Jebusite or Canaanitish, name. Whether he was the old king of Jebus, as that title is given to him (2Sa 24:23), or not, he had been converted to the worship of the true God, and was possessed both of property and influence.

16. David and the elders … clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces—They appeared in the garb and assumed the attitude of humble penitents, confessing their sins, and deprecating the wrath of God.

1Ch 21:18-30. He Builds an Altar.

18. the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say—The order about the erection of an altar, as well as the indication of its site, is described (2Sa 24:18) as brought directly by Gad. Here we are informed of the quarter whence the prophet got his commission. It is only in the later stages of Israel's history that we find angels employed in communicating the divine will to the prophets.

20, 21. Ornan was threshing wheat—If the census was entered upon in autumn, the beginning of the civil year, the nine and a half months it occupied would end at wheat harvest. The common way of threshing corn is by spreading it out on a high level area, and driving backwards and forwards upon it two oxen harnessed to a clumsy sledge with three rollers and some sharp spikes. The driver sits on his knees on the box, while another person is employed in drawing back the straw and separating it from the grain underneath. By this operation the chaff is very much chopped, and the grain threshed out.

23. I give thee … the threshing instruments for wood—that is, to burn the sacrifice of the oxen. Very little real import—the haste and the value of the present offered—can be understood in this country. The offering was made for instant use. Ornan, hereby hoping to terminate the pestilence without a moment's delay, "gave all," oxen, the large threshing machine, and the wheat.

25. David gave … for the place six hundred shekels of gold—At first he bought only the cattle and the threshing instruments, for which he paid fifty shekels of silver (2Sa 24:24); afterwards he purchased the whole property, Mount Moriah, on which the future temple stood. High in the center of the mountain platform rises a remarkable rock, now covered by the dome of "the Sakrah." It is irregular in its form, and measures about sixty feet in one direction and fifty feet in the other. It is the natural surface of Mount Moriah and is thought by many to be the rock of the threshing-floor of Araunah, selected by David, and continued by Solomon and Zerubbabel as "the unhewn stone" on which to build the altar [BARTLETT, Walks about Jerusalem; Stanley].

26. David built there an altar—He went in procession with his leading men from the royal palace, down Mount Zion, and through the intervening city. Although he had plenty of space on his own property, he was commanded, under peremptory direction, to go a considerable distance from his home, up Mount Moriah, to erect an altar on premises which he had to buy. It was on or close to the spot where Abraham had offered up Isaac.

answered him by fire from heaven—(See Le 9:24; 1Ki 18:21-23; 2Ki 1:12; 2Ch 7:1).

28. when David saw that the Lord had answered him …, he sacrificed there—or, "he continued to sacrifice there." Perceiving his sacrifice was acceptable, he proceeded to make additional offerings there, and seek favor by prayer and expiatory rites; for the dread of the menacing angel destroying Jerusalem while he was absent in the center of worship at Gibeon, especially reverence for the Divine Being, led him to continue his adorations in that place which God (2Ch 3:1) had hallowed by the tokens of His presence and gracious acceptance.