1 Chronicles 21:18

We have here the controversy concluded, and, upon David's repentance, his peace made with God. Though thou wast angry with me, thy anger is turned away. 1. A stop was put to the progress of the execution, Ch1 21:15. When David repented of the sin God repented of the judgment, and ordered the destroying angel to stay his hand and sheath his sword, Ch1 21:27. 2. Direction was given to David to rear an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan, Ch1 21:18. The angel commanded the prophet Gad to bring David this direction. The same angel that had, in God's name, carried on the war, is here forward to set on foot the treaty of peace; for angels do not desire the woeful day. The angel could have given this order to David himself; but he chose to do it by his seer, that he might put an honour upon the prophetic office. Thus the revelation of Jesus Christ was notified by the angel to John, and by him to the churches. The commanding of David to build an altar was a blessed token of reconciliation; for, if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have appointed, because he would not have accepted, a sacrifice at his hands. 3. David immediately made a bargain with Ornan for the threshing-floor; for he would not serve God at other people's charge. Ornan generously offered it to him gratis, not only in complaisance to the king, but because he had himself seen the angel (Ch1 21:20), which so terrified him that he and his four sons hid themselves, as unable to bear the brightness of his glory and afraid of his drawn sword. Under these apprehensions he was willing to do anything towards making the atonement. Those that are duly sensible of the terrors of the Lord will do all they can, in their places, to promote religion, and encourage all the methods of reconciliation for the turning away of God's wrath. 4. God testified his acceptance of David's offerings on this altar; He answered him from heaven by fire, Ch1 21:26. To signify that God's anger was turned away from him, the fire that might justly have fastened upon the sinner fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed that; and, upon this, the destroying sword was returned into its sheath. Thus Christ was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him God might be to us, not a consuming fire, but a reconciled Father. 5. He continued to offer his sacrifices upon this altar. The brazen altar which Moses made was at Gibeon (Ch1 21:29), and there all the sacrifices of Israel were offered; but David was so terrified at the sight of the sword of the angel that he could not go thither, Ch1 21:30. The business required haste, when the plague was begun. Aaron must go quickly, nay, he must run, to make atonement, Num 16:46, Num 16:47. And the case here was no less urgent; so that David had not time to go to Gibeon: nor durst he leave the angel with his sword drawn over Jerusalem, lest the fatal stroke should be given before he came back. And therefore God, in tenderness to him, bade him build an altar in that place, dispensing with his own law concerning one altar because of the present distress, and accepting the sacrifices offered on this new altar, which was not set up in opposition to that, but in concurrence with it. The symbols of unity were not so much insisted on as unity itself. Nay, when the present distress was over (as it should seem), David, as long as he lived, sacrificed there, though the altar at Gibeon was still kept up; for God had owned the sacrifices that were here offered and had testified his acceptance of them, Ch1 21:28. On those administrations in which we have experienced the tokens of God's presence, and have found that he is with us of a truth, it is good to continue our attendance. "Here God had graciously met me, and therefore I will still expect to meet with him."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

HE BUILDS AN ALTAR. (Ch1 21:18-30)

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 (Sa2 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.

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

1Ch 21:18 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.

Ver. 18. Then the angel of the Lord.] Not the destroying angel, saith Diodate, but the Son of God himself, who did appear to the prophets. Eπεχω.

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.

1Ch 21:18. The angel commanded that David should go and set up an altar — This command was a blessed token of reconciliation. For if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have commanded, because he would not have accepted, a sacrifice at his hands.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(18) Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David.—Rather, Now the angel had told Gad to tell David. In Samuel, the mediation of the angel is not mentioned. There we read, “And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up,” &c. No doubt it is only in the later prophetical books of the Canon that angels are introduced as the medium of communication between God and His prophets. (See Dan_8:16, ix, 21; Zec_1:9; Zec_1:12, &c.; but comp. Jdg_6:11; Jdg_6:14; Jdg_6:16, &c., and Gen_18:1-2; Gen_18:13; Gen_32:24; Gen_32:30.)

(18-27) The purchase of Ornan’s threshingfloor as a place of sacrifice.

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

18. go up, and set up] R.V. go up, and rear; cp. 2Sa_24:18.

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.

It has been observed that it is only in books of a late period that Angels are brought forward as intermediaries between God and the prophets. This, no doubt, is true; and it is certainly unlikely that the records, from which the author of Chronicles drew, spoke of Gad as receiving his knowledge of God’s will from an angel. The touch may be regarded as coming from the writer of Chronicles himself, who expresses the fact related by his authorities in the language of his own day (see Zec 1:9, Zec 1:14, Zec 1:19; Zec 2:3; Zec 4:1; Zec 5:5; etc.); language, however, which we are not to regard as rhetorical, but as strictly in accordance with truth, since Angels were doubtless employed as media between God and the prophet as much in the time of David as in that of Zechariah.

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

Altar. Hence it appears that holy men erected altars by God’s command. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The angel. The Hebrew shows no article (see Num_22:34, Num_22:35; 1Ki_13:18 1Ki_19:5; Zec_1:9) The place where the altar was now about to be erected was that made famous by the sacrifice of Abraham, (Gen_22:2, Gen_22:9) and, though less certainly, that known to the priesthood of Melchizedek. (Gen_14:17-20)

Vers. 18-27, ch. Ge 23) this apparent generosity, accompanied with so much Eastern courtesy and politeness, is only a thin guise to cover larger expectations from those to whom it is made. This Abraham well knew when he so resolutely declined the offer of the sons of Herb. This was not the case with Ornan. His was the offspring from the noble and generous heart of one who loved and served God. The inspired penman gives us the true interpretation of Ornan"s offer when he says, (2Sa_24:23) "All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king." But however kingly Araunah"s conduct was here, David felt be could not accept it. God must not be put off with that which costs us nothing. "Thou hast offered me no sweet cane with money," was God"s charge of old against Israel "Ye offer the blind and the lame for sacrifice. Is it not evil?" said Malachi. It is the law of life. That which costs us nothing is not worth having; how much less when offered to God! The widow"s two mites are of more value than all the gifts of gold in the temple chest. So David would only have the threshing-floor for the Lord"s temple at the" full price." And mark the typical character of this threshing-floor. It was there the sword of vengeance was sheathed. It was there God"s voice was heard," Stay now thine hand, it is enough." It was there the hallowed fire descended in token of God"s acceptance of the victim on the altar; and there consequently the future temple was to be erected which exceeded in glory all that Israel had ever seen. So, centuries after, the cross of Christ was the substance of which all this was only the shadow. In that cross we see the sword of God"s wrath against sin for ever sheathed. We hear God"s voice saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" In the midnight darkness, the earthquake, the rent rocks, the opened graves, and the rent veil, we hear God"s voice again from heaven, testifying to the majesty of that Sacrifice, and drawing from the lilts of even heathen bystanders, "Surely this was the Son of God." And on that Sacrifice, that one Offering once offered, we see built the great spiritual temple of Christ"s body, the Church. "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Christ Jesus." May we take up David"s language and say," This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. W.

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

Set up an altar, &c. - The commanding of David to build an altar, was a blessed token of reconciliation. For if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have commanded, because he would not have accepted a sacrifice at his hands.

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.

The Sacrifice on Ornan’s Threshing-Floor. —

v. 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 threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, this being located on the summit of what was afterward known as Mount Zion, the place where the Temple was built.

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

v. 20. And Oman turned back, he turned around while busy with his work, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now, Ornan was threshing wheat, on an open threshing-floor, as is the custom in the Orient.

v. 21. And as 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, showing his sovereign all proper respect according to the Fourth Commandment.

v. 22. And David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshing-floor, he needed the entire area for what he had in mind, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord. Thou shalt grant it me for the full price that the plague may be stayed from the people.

v. 23. And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes, this offer agreeing with the Oriental custom of doing business; lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing-instruments, the rough sledge with its rollers, for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; I give it all. Ornan was anxious to have the plague stayed as soon as possible, and so his offer was made for instant use.

v. 24. And King David said to Ornan, Nay; 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. It was David’s transgression, and he wanted to bear the full expense of the sacrifice.

v. 25. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight (almost $6,000), paying fifty shekels of silver for the cattle and the threshing-sledge alone, 2Sa 24:24.

v. 26. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, both in atonement for his sin and to restore the proper fellowship with the Lord, and called upon the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. Cf Lev 9:24; 1Ki 18:21-23; 2Ki 1:12.

v. 27. And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof, thus staying the plague.

v. 28. At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there, brought offerings of thanksgiving and dedicated this spot to the Lord, the Temple being erected there afterward.

v. 29. For 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 Gibeon, 1Ch 16:39, and one of the high priests officiated there until after the dedication of Solomon’s Temple.

v. 30. But David could not go before it to enquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord; the appearance of the angel and the great toll of the slain had left an impression of awful holiness of the place where the Lord usually revealed Himself. Note: The believers of the New Testament have a better sacrifice of atonement than that of David; for the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sins, takes away the guilt of our transgressions, and stays the plague of eternal damnation.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

David should go up ... went up

This is a reference to elevation. This threshing floor which became the future site of the temple was the highest point in Jerusalem.

Ornan

See how you translated this man's name in 1 Chronicles 21:15.

as Gad instructed him to do in the name of Yahweh

Speaking "in the name of Yahweh" means speaking with his power and authority, or as his representative. AT: "as Gad, speaking for Yahweh, instructed David to do" (See: Metonymy)

hid themselves

They were afraid of the angel. This can be made explicit. AT: "hid themselves because they were afraid of the angel" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

angel

Yahweh

command

Gad

altar

thresh

Jebus

name

wheat

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