2 Samuel 24:16-25

16 And when the angel of the Lord had held forth his hand over Jerusalem, that he should destroy it, the Lord had mercy on the tormenting; and said to the angel smiting the people, It sufficeth now; withhold thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was beside the cornfloor of Araunah (the) Jebusite. (And when the angel of the Lord had put forth his hand over Jerusalem, to destroy it, the Lord had mercy on the tormenting; and he said to the angel striking the people, That is enough; withdraw thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)
17 And David said to the Lord, when he had seen the angel slaying the people, I am he that have sinned, and I have done wickedly; what have these done, that be sheep? I beseech, thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father. (And David said to the Lord, when he had seen the angel killing the people, I am the one who hath sinned, and I have done wickedly; what have these people done, yea, they who be but sheep? I beseech thee, let thy hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father.)
18 Forsooth Gad, the prophet, came to David in that day, and said to him, Go thou up, and ordain an altar to the Lord in the cornfloor of Araunah (the) Jebusite. (And that same day, the prophet Gad came to David, and said to him, Go thou up, and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)
19 And David went up, after the word of Gad, which the Lord had commanded to him.
20 And Araunah beheld, and perceived, that the king and his servants passed over to him; and he went out, and worshipped the king with low cheer to the earth; (And Araunah looked up, and saw the king and his servants coming over to him; and he went over, and bowed before the king, with his face low to the ground;)
21 and said, What is the cause, that my lord the king cometh to his servant? To whom David said, That I buy of thee the cornfloor, and build an altar to the Lord, and the slaying cease, that is cruel in the people. (and he said, What is the reason that my lord the king cometh to his servant? To whom David said, To buy the threshing floor from thee, and to build on it an altar to the Lord, so that the slaughter that is so cruel upon the people will cease.)
22 And Araunah said to David, My lord the king take, and offer, as it pleaseth to him; thou hast oxen into burnt sacrifice, and a wain and yokes of oxen into uses of wood. (And Araunah said to David, My lord the king take it, and offer, as it pleaseth thee; lo! thou hast here oxen for a burnt sacrifice, and a wagon, and the yokes of the oxen for wood.)
23 Araunah gave, that is, would give, all (these) things to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Thy Lord God receive thy vow. (And so Araunah would gladly have given all these things to the king. And Araunah said to the king, May the Lord thy God receive thy vow.)
24 To whom the king answered, and said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall buy it of thee for (a) price, and I shall not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices given freely. Therefore David bought the cornfloor for six hundred shekels of gold , and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. (To whom the king answered, No, not as thou wilt, but I shall buy it from thee for a price; for I shall not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices that cost nothing. And then David bought the threshing floor for six hundred shekels of gold, and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.)
25 And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices; and the Lord did mercy to the land, and the vengeance was refrained from Israel. (And David built an altar there to the Lord, and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings; and then the Lord gave mercy to the land, and the plague in Israel was stopped.)

2 Samuel 24:16-25 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.