1 Chronicles 21:16

1Ch 21:16 And 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 in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

Ver. 16. Having a drawn sword in his hand.] This must needs be terrible to the beholders. Commodus, the emperor, set his own statue before the senate house, in form of an archer ready to shoot, that he might strike a terror into the people. {a}

{a} Herodian.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21:16-17 These verses provide a more detailed description of the angel and of David’s response than the parallel text (2 Sam 24:17). The sight of the angel carrying out his mission inspired David to plead on behalf of the people.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(16) This verse is not read in Samuel, which, however, mentions the essential fact that David “saw the angel that smote the people” (2Sa_24:17). There is nothing in the style to suggest suspicion of a later hand; and it is as likely that the compiler of Samuel has abridged the original account as that the chronicler has embellished it.

Having a drawn sword in his hand.—Comp. Num_22:23, where the same phrase occurs. Literally, and his sword drawn in his hand.

Stretched out.—See Isa_5:25; Isa_9:12, &c., for this term so used of the menace of Divine wrath.

Then David and the elders.—Literally, and David fell, and the elders, covered with the sackcloth. on their faces. The elders have not been mentioned before, but wherever the king went he would naturally be accompanied by a retinue of nobles, and their presence on this occasion agrees with the statement of 2Sa_24:20, that Araunah saw the king and his servants coming towards him. (See 1Ch_21:21, below.)

Fell upon their faces.—See Num_22:31; Jos_5:14; Jdg_13:20.

Clothed in sackcloth.—The garb of mourners and penitents.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. lift up] The old form of the past changed in modern editions to lifted up; cp. Gen_22:4, etc.

saw the angel] The full description of the vision is peculiar to Chron.; cp. 2Sa_24:17.

and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth] The words supplied in A.V. are unnecessary, and are omitted in R.V. The wearing of sackcloth was doubtless accompanied with fasting; cp. Jon_3:5.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here a picture of awful grandeur takes the place of the bare statement of the earlier historian 2Sa 24:17. And here, as elsewhere, the author probably extracts from the ancient documents such circumstances as harmonize with his general plan. As the sanctity of the temple was among the points whereon he was most anxious to lay stress, he gives in full all the miraculous circumstances attending this first designation of what became the temple site (marginal reference “k”) as a place “holy to the Lord.”

David and the elders ... clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces - Facts additional to the narrative of Samuel; But facts natural in themselves, and in harmony with that narrative. Similarly, the narrative in 1Ch 21:20 is additional to the account in Samuel; but its parts hang together; and there is no sufficient ground for suspecting it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In sackcloth, i.e. in mourning garments, humbling themselves before God for their sins, and deprecating his wrath against the people.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 16, 17. These verses offer instances, especially the former, of the shorter narratives not being with Chronicles, but with Samuel And the longer narrative being with Chronicles is found uniformly in the cases in which reference is had, whether more or less directly, to the ecclesiastical or permanent institution of the Israelites.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sackcloth - In mourning garments, humbling themselves before God for their sins, and deprecating his wrath against the people.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

angel

(See Scofield Heb 1:4).

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

standing between earth and heaven

This is symbolic language to indicate that the angel was sent from Yahweh in heaven to judge the people on the earth. (See: Symbolic Language)

having a drawn sword in his hand raised over Jerusalem

The angel holding a sword in his hand is a symbolic action that shows he is ready to attack Jerusalem. This is symbolic, because the judgment was sickness. AT: "holding a sword in his hand as if ready to attack Jerusalem" (See: Symbolic Action)

clothed in sackcloth, lay facedown on the ground

These were symbols of repentance. (See: Symbolic Action)

Is it not I that commanded that the army be numbered?

David uses this question to emphasize that his is the one who sinned by counting the people. AT: "I am the one who commanded that the army be numbered." (See: Rhetorical Question)

But these sheep

David speaks of the people of Israel as if they were sheep, who are known for trusting and following their leader. (See: Metaphor)

what have they done?

David uses this question to asks God not to punish the people. This rhetorical question can be translated as a statement. AT: "they certainly have done nothing that deserves punishment." (See: Rhetorical Question)

Let your hand strike me and my family

Here "hand" represents Yahweh's power to punish. AT: "Punish me and my family" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

earth

heaven

Jerusalem

elder

sackcloth

God

command

evil

ewe

hand

family

plague

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

extended over Jerusalem In Joshua (5:13), it says: “... and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, etc. ’Are you for us or for our adversaries?” Joshua was standing with his back opposite his adversaries, and the angel came opposite him; therefore, he wondered and asked him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” [Have you come] to help us since you are standing opposite me, or to help our enemies, because you are standing also opposite them? But here, since he saw the sword of the angel, which was extended over Jerusalem, he knew by himself that he had come to strike Israel.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.