2 Samuel 24:15-25

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough: stay now thine hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel who smote the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, be against me and against my father's house."
18 And Gad came that day to David and said unto him, "Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
21 And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from thee to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people."
22 And Araunah said unto David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him. Behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood."
23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, "The LORD thy God accept thee."
24 And the king said unto Araunah, "Nay; but I will surely buy it from thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

2 Samuel 24:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 24

In this chapter an account is given of David's numbering of the people, 2Sa 24:1-9; of the sense he had of his sin, and of his acknowledgment of it; and of the Lord's displeasure at it, who sent the prophet Gad to him, to propose three things to him, one of which he was to choose as a punishment for it, 2Sa 24:10-13; when he chose the pestilence, which carried off a great number of the people, 2Sa 24:14-17; and David was directed to build an altar to the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite, with whom he agreed for it, and built one on it, and offered upon it, and so the plague was stayed, 2Sa 24:18-25.

Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.