1 Chronicles 21:14

THE MESSAGE

So God unleashed an epidemic in Israel—seventy thousand Israelites died. God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap. David prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I'm the one at fault. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, me and my family; don't take it out on them." The angel of God ordered Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to God on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David did what Gad told him in obedience to God 's command. Meanwhile Araunah had quit threshing the wheat and was watching the angel; his four sons took cover and hid. David came up to Araunah. When Araunah saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed deeply before David, honoring the king. David said to Araunah, "Give me the site of the threshing floor so I can build an altar to God . Charge me the market price; we're going to put an end to this disaster." "O Master, my king," said Araunah, "just take it; do whatever you want with it! Look, here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles for the fuel and wheat for the meal offering—it's all yours!" David replied to Araunah, "No. I'm buying it from you, and at the full market price. I'm not going to offer God sacrifices that are no sacrifice." So David bought the place from Araunah for six hundred shekels of gold. He built an altar to God there and sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings. He called out to God and God answered by striking the altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with lightning. Then God told the angel to put his sword back into its scabbard. And that's the story of what happened when David saw that God answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite at the time he offered the sacrifice. At this time the Tabernacle that Moses had constructed in the desert, and with it the Altar of Burnt Offering, were set up at the worship center at Gibeon. But David, terrified by the angel's sword, wouldn't go there to

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelite men died.

Hebrew Names Version
So the LORD sent a pestilence on Yisra'el; and there fell of Yisra'el seventy thousand men.

King James Version
So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

English Standard Version
So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell.

New Century Version
So the Lord sent a terrible disease on Israel, and seventy thousand people died.

New English Translation
So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.

Amplified Bible
So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell.

New American Standard Bible
So the LORD sent a plague on Israel; seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

World English Bible
So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel, and there fell of Israel seuentie thousande men.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Yahweh sent a pestilence against Israel; and 70,000 men of Israel fell.

Berean Standard Bible
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

Contemporary English Version
So the Lord sent a horrible disease on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.

Complete Jewish Bible
So Adonai sent a plague on Isra'el; 70,000 of the people of Isra'el died.

Darby Translation
And Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Easy-to-Read Version
So the Lord sent terrible sicknesses to Israel, and 70,000 people died.

George Lamsa Translation
So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Good News Translation
So the Lord sent an epidemic on the people of Israel, and seventy thousand of them died.

Lexham English Bible
So Yahweh sent a pestilence through Israel, and seventy thousand men from Israel fell.

Literal Translation
And Jehovah sent a pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then dyd the LORDE cause pestilence to come into Israel, so that there fell of Israel thre score & ten thousande me.

American Standard Version
So Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Bible in Basic English
So the Lord sent disease on Israel, causing the death of seventy thousand men.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
So the Lorde sent pestilence vpon Israel: and there were ouerthrowen of Israel threescore and ten thousande men.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

King James Version (1611)
So the Lord sent pestilence vpon Israel: and there fell of Israel, seuentie thousand men.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So the Lord brought pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

English Revised Version
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the Lord sente pestilence in to Israel, and seuenti thousynde of men felden doun of Israel.

Update Bible Version
So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Webster's Bible Translation
So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

New King James Version
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

New Living Translation
So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result.

New Life Bible
So the Lord sent a disease upon Israel. And 70,000 men of Israel died.

New Revised Standard
So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel; and seventy thousand persons fell in Israel.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Yahweh laid pestilence, upon Israel, - and there fell, of Israel, seventy thousand men.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Revised Standard Version
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell seventy thousand men of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah giveth a pestilence in Israel, and there fall of Israel seventy thousand men,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell.

Contextual Overview

⁸ Then David prayed, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I've been really stupid." ⁹ God answered by speaking to Gad, David's pastor: "Go and give David this message: ‘ God 's word: You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I'll do the rest.'" ¹¹Gad delivered the message to David: "Do you want three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of God —an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of God ? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the One who sent me?" ¹³ David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands." ¹⁴So God unleashed an epidemic in Israel—seventy thousand Israelites died. God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap. David prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I'm the one at fault. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, me and my family; don't take it out on them." The angel of God ordered Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to God on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David did what Gad told him in obedience to God 's command. Meanwhile Araunah had quit threshing the wheat and was watching the angel; his four sons took cover and hid. David came up to Araunah. When Araunah saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed deeply before David, honoring the king. David said to Araunah, "Give me the site of the threshing floor so I can build an altar to God . Charge me the market price; we're going to put an end to this disaster." "O Master, my king," said Araunah, "just take it; do whatever you want with it! Look, here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles for the fuel and wheat for the meal offering—it's all yours!" David replied to Araunah, "No. I'm buying it from you, and at the full market price. I'm not going to offer God sacrifices that are no sacrifice." So David bought the place from Araunah for six hundred shekels of gold. He built an altar to God there and sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings. He called out to God and God answered by striking the altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with lightning. Then God told the angel to put his sword back into its scabbard. And that's the story of what happened when David saw that God answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite at the time he offered the sacrifice. At this time the Tabernacle that Moses had constructed in the desert, and with it the Altar of Burnt Offering, were set up at the worship center at Gibeon. But David, terrified by the angel's sword, wouldn't go there to ¹⁶David, Satan, and Araunah Now Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a census of Israel. David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number." Joab resisted: "May God multiply his people by hundreds! Don't they all belong to my master the king? But why on earth would you do a thing like this—why risk getting Israel into trouble with God?" But David wouldn't take no for an answer, so Joab went off and did it—canvassed the country and then came back to Jerusalem and reported the results of the census: There were 1,100,000 fighting men; of that total, Judah accounted for 470,000. Joab, disgusted by the command—it, in fact, turned his stomach!—protested by leaving Levi and Benjamin out of the census-taking. And God, offended by the whole thing, punished Israel. Then David prayed, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I've been really stupid." God answered by speaking to Gad, David's pastor: "Go and give David this message: ‘ God 's word: You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I'll do the rest.'" Gad delivered the message to David: "Do you want three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of God —an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of God ? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the One who sent me?" David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands." So God unleashed an epidemic in Israel—seventy thousand Israelites died. God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap. ¹⁷ David prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I'm the one at fault. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, me and my family; don't take it out on them."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: Numbers 16:46-49, 2 Samuel 24:15

seventy: Exodus 12:30, Numbers 25:9, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Kings 19:35

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:12 - no plague Numbers 16:49 - fourteen thousand Joshua 22:18 - he will be 1 Chronicles 21:7 - he smote Acts 12:23 - the angel

Cross-References

Genesis 16:7
An angel of God found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. He said, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?" She said, "I'm running away from Sarai my mistress."

Genesis 19:27
Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place he had so recently stood with God . He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace.

Genesis 21:7
She also said, Whoever would have suggested to Abraham that Sarah would one day nurse a baby! Yet here I am! I've given the old man a son!

Genesis 21:25
At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken. Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it."

Genesis 21:31
That's how the place got named Beersheba (the Oath-Well), because the two of them swore a covenant oath there. After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, left and went back to Philistine territory.

Genesis 21:33
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped God there, praying to the Eternal God. Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time.

Genesis 22:3
Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you."

Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.

Genesis 37:15
A man met him as he was wandering through the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?"

Genesis 46:1
So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

See Gill "1Ch 21:1".