1 Chronicles 21:25

(25) So David gave to Oman for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.—Literally, shekels of gold—a weight of six hundred. Samuel has, “And David purchased the threshingfloor and the oxen for silver, fifty shekels.” The two estimates are obviously discordant. We have no means of calculating what would have been a fair price, for we know neither the extent of the purchase nor the value of the sums mentioned. But comparing Gen_23:16, where four hundred shekels of silver are paid for the field and cave of Machpelah, fifty shekels of silver would seem to be too little. On the other hand, six hundred shekels of gold appears to be far too high a price for the threshingfloor. Perhaps for “gold” we should read “silver.” It has, indeed, been suggested that “the authors were writing of two different things,” and that Samuel assigns only the price of the threshingfloor and oxen; whereas the chronicler, when he speaks of “the place,” means the entire Mount of the Temple (Moriah), on which the floor was situate. But a comparison of the two narratives seems to identify the things purchased—“the place” (1Ch_21:25) is “the place of the threshingfloor” (1Ch_21:22); and in both cases Samuel has “the threshingfloor.” Tradition may have varied on the subject; and as “there is no positive mention of the use of gold money among the Hebrews” apart from this passage (Madden), ours is probably the later form of the story. However this may be, the chronicler has doubtless preserved for us what he found in his original. It is interesting to compare with this sale some of those the records of which are preserved in the Babylonian Contract Tablets. One of these relates how Dân-sum-iddin sold a house and grounds in Borsippa for eleven and a-half minæ of silver, i.e., 690 shekels. This was in the second year of Nabonidus the last king of Babylon.

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

1Ch 21:25. David gave six hundred shekels of gold, &c. — How this is reconciled with 2Sa 24:24, where it is said, David bought the thrashing-floor, &c, for fifty shekels of silver, see note there.

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

six hundred shekels of gold

A discrepancy has been imagined in the two accounts, 2Sa 24:24,; 1Ch 21:25; 2Sa 24:24 records the price of the threshingfloor (heb. goren); 1Ch 21:25 of the place (Heb. magom, lit. "home," 1Sa 2:20) same word or area on which afterward the great temple, with its spacious courts was built. 2Ch 3:1.

David gave fifty shekels of sliver for the "goren"; six hundred shekels of gold for the "magom."

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

Read 2 Sam. 24:24.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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 (Sa2 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].

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

25. gave … for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight] In 2Sa_24:24, bought the threshing floor and the oxen for money, even fifty shekels (so to be rendered).

A large discrepancy appears here between Chron. and 2 Sam. The former seems to say that 600 shekels were paid for the threshing floor alone, the latter that only 50 shekels were paid for the floor and oxen taken together. But the text of 2 Sam. is probably corrupt and should perhaps run, bought the threshing floor for money, even six hundred shekels, and the oxen for money, even fifty shekels. The “threshing floor” seems to have included the Temple Mount (1Ch_22:1), and we may compare the 600 shekels paid for it with the 400 paid by Abraham for the cave and field of Machpelah (Gen_23:15-17). In describing the 600 shekels as shekels of gold the Chronicler perhaps goes beyond his authority, for the sum then becomes improbably large.

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.

Compare the marginal reference and note. It may also be conjectured that we should read “six” for “six hundred” here; since, according to the later Jewish system, six gold shekels were nearly equal in value to fifty silver ones.

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

Six hundred sicles, &c. This was the price of the whole place on which the temple was afterwards built: but the price of the oxen was fifty sicles of silver, 2 Kings xxiv. 24. (Challoner) --- Or the fifty sicles were given for the threshing-floor alone. (Calmet) (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).

Six hundred shekels of gold by weight. The only way to reconcile this statement with that of the parallel place, which (speaks 2Sa_24:24) of "fifty shekels of silver" (i.e. taking the shekel at 2s. 8d., equal to about f6 13s. 4d.) as the price of "the threshing-floor and the oxen," is to suppose that the fifty shekels speak of the purchase money of the oxen indeed, but not of the floor itself, which was valuable, not only for size and situation, but also for its prepared construction; or again, keeping to the literal language of Samuel, that "the floor and the oxen" are intended, while our expression, "the place," may designate the whole hill. The value of gold as compared with silver was as sixteen to one. If this be the solution, we should have again an instance of the compiler of this book seizing for perpetuation the point of greatest and most permanent interest, i.e. the purchase of the whole place.

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

Six hundred - We read, 2 Sam. xxiv, 24, he gave fifty shekels of gold: that is, he gave in gold the value of six hundred shekels of silver. 26. By fire - Hebrew. by fire sent from heaven: which was the sign of God's acceptance. The fire that might justly have fastened on the sinner, fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed it. 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.

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

six hundred shekels of gold

"600 shekels of gold" (See: Numbers)

shekels

a unit of weight equal to about 11 grams (See: Biblical Money)

for the place

"to buy the threshing floor"

He called on Yahweh

"He prayed for help to Yahweh"

who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings

"who answered him by sending fire from heaven to the alter where David would offer the burnt offerings"

the angel put his sword back into its sheath

The angel putting his sword back in the sheath is a symbolic action to show that he would not continue to kill the people. AT: the angel put his sword in its sheath to show that he would stop killing the people" (See: Symbolic Action)

sheath

cover for a sword or knife

translationWords

David

gold

Yahweh

fellowship offering

heaven

angel

sword

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

shekels of gold, weighing six hundred but at the end of Samuel (II 24:24), it is written: “for fifty shekels of silver.” How is this possible? He took fifty shekels from each tribe, totaling six hundred shekels, so that all Israel should have a share in the altar.

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.