1 Chronicles 21:30

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was terrified of the sword of the Lord’s angel.

Hebrew Names Version
But David couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

King James Version
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 .

English Standard Version
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord .

New Century Version
But David could not go to the Holy Tent to speak with God, because he was afraid of the angel of the Lord and his sword.

New English Translation
But David could not go before it to seek God's will, for he was afraid of the sword of the Lord 's messenger.

Amplified Bible
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.

World English Bible
But David couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid could not go before it to aske counsel at God: for he was afraide of the sworde of the Angel of the Lorde.)

Legacy Standard Bible
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

Berean Standard Bible
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

Complete Jewish Bible
But David could not go into its presence to consult God, because the sword of the angel of Adonai had struck him with terror.

Darby Translation
But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
David could not go to the Holy Tent to speak with God because he was afraid. He was afraid of the angel of the Lord and his sword.)

George Lamsa Translation
At that time David was exceedingly afraid, and could not go to pray before the LORD for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

Good News Translation
but David was not able to go there to worship God, because he was afraid of the sword of the Lord 's angel.

Lexham English Bible
But David was not able to go before it to seek God, for he was afraid on account of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

Literal Translation
and David was not able to go before it to seek God, for he was terrified from the face of the Angel of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Dauid coulde not go thither to seke God before it, for he feared the swerde of the LORDES angell.

American Standard Version
But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
But David was not able to go before it to get directions from the Lord, so great was his fear of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid coulde not go before it, to aske counsell at God, for he was afrayde of the sword of the angel of the Lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was terrified because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
But Dauid could not goe before it to euquire of God; for he was afraid, because of the sword of the Angel of the Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David could not go before it to enquire of God; for he hasted not because of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

English Revised Version
But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Dauid myyte not go to the auter, to biseche God there, for he was aferd bi ful greet drede, seynge the swerd of the `aungel of the Lord.

Update Bible Version
But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

New King James Version
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

New Living Translation
But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord .

New Life Bible
But David could not go in front of it to pray to God. For he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and David could not go before it, to seek God, - for he had been terrified, because of the sword of the messenger of Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David could not go to the altar there to pray to God: for he was seized with an exceeding great fear, seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

Young's Literal Translation
and David is not able to go before it to seek God, for he hath been afraid because of the sword of the messenger of Jehovah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸The 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. ²⁰Meanwhile 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. ²² 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." ²³ "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!" ²⁴David 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. ²⁸ 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. ²⁹At 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

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he was afraid: 1 Chronicles 21:16, 1 Chronicles 13:12, Deuteronomy 10:12, 2 Samuel 6:9, Job 13:21, Job 21:6, Job 23:15, Psalms 90:11, Psalms 119:120, Jeremiah 5:22, Jeremiah 10:7, Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 12:29, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 15:4

Reciprocal: Joshua 5:13 - his sword

Cross-References

Genesis 21:27
So the two of them made a covenant. Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. Abraham set aside seven sheep from his flock.

Joshua 24:27
Joshua spoke to all the people: "This stone is a witness against us. It has heard every word that God has said to us. It is a standing witness against you lest you cheat on your God."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But David could not go before it to inquire of God,.... Which yet was the proper place to seek the Lord in: the reason follows,

for he was afraid, because of the sword of the angel of the Lord; which had so terrified him, that he was so weak that he could not go; and he feared that, should he attempt to go, while he was going thither, at such a distance, the angel would make a terrible slaughter in Jerusalem, and therefore he durst not go and leave it; and besides, as the Lord had commanded him to build an altar there, he might fear it would displease him, should he depart from it; and the rather, as hereby he pointed out to him the place where the temple should be built, and sacrifices offered, as appears from what he says in the beginning of the next chapter.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David, knowing that by sacrifice on this altar he had caused the angel to stay his hand, was afraid to transfer his offerings elsewhere, lest the Angel should resume his task and pestilence again break out.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 21:30. Because of the sword of the angel — This is given as a reason why David built an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan: he was afraid to go to Gibeon, because of the sword of the destroying angel, or he was afraid of delaying the offerings so long as his going thither would require, lest the destroying angel should in the mean while exterminate the people; therefore he hastily built an altar in that place, and on it made the requisite offerings, and by the fire from heaven God showed that he had accepted his act and his devotion. Such interventions as these must necessarily maintain in the minds of the people a full persuasion of the truth and Divine origin of their religion.

For a more circumstantial account of these transactions, see the notes on 2 Samuel 24:1, Ac., in which several difficulties of the text are removed.