1 Chronicles 21 11

1 Chronicles 21:11 kjv

So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

1 Chronicles 21:11 nkjv

So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Choose for yourself,

1 Chronicles 21:11 niv

So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice:

1 Chronicles 21:11 esv

So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Choose what you will:

1 Chronicles 21:11 nlt

So Gad came to David and said, "These are the choices the LORD has given you.

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 11 Meaning

This verse introduces the prophet Gad, sent by the Lord, to King David. It signals the beginning of God's divine pronouncement and judgment upon David for his sin of numbering Israel. Specifically, the phrase "Choose for yourself" presents David with a choice of three different forms of punishment, highlighting the immediacy and personal nature of the consequences he faces. It underscores that while God brings judgment, He also offers David agency in selecting the particular manner of that judgment, thereby emphasizing accountability.

1 Chronicles 21 11 Context

1 Chronicles 21:11 is embedded within the narrative of David's sin in numbering Israel and its subsequent consequences. Immediately prior, the chapter reveals that "Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel" (1 Chr 21:1), an action displeasing to God. Despite Joab's reluctance and warning (1 Chr 21:3), David insisted. Because of this disobedience, God "struck Israel" (1 Chr 21:7). The prophet Gad, known as "David's seer," is then commissioned by God to deliver a divine message to the king (1 Chr 21:9-10). Verse 11 introduces this critical confrontation where Gad presents David with God's ultimatum, giving him a stark choice of punishment. This incident serves to illustrate God's holy character, His displeasure with self-reliance, and His commitment to hold even His anointed leaders accountable for sin, while also demonstrating His ordered and purposeful judgment.

1 Chronicles 21 11 Word analysis

• So Gad came to David and said to him: This is a common formulaic introduction for prophetic encounter, establishing the messenger (Gad), the recipient (David), and the divine origin of the communication. Gad was a prophet known to David, often called "David's seer" (1 Chr 29:29), indicating his established role as a divine communicator to the king. His coming implies a direct, divinely ordained confrontation.
• "Thus says the Lord": (Hebrew: Kōh ’āmar YHWH)
  • "Thus": (Kōh) - This adverb emphasizes that the following words are not Gad's own opinions but an exact, dictated message from the divine authority.
  • "says": (’āmar) - The verb for speaking or saying. In this context, it signifies a direct utterance from God.
  • "the Lord": (YHWH, or Yahweh) - The personal covenant name of God, indicating His direct involvement and immutable character. This phrase is the standard authoritative prophetic declaration throughout the Old Testament, imbuing the message with ultimate divine weight and command. It means the word is not up for debate or alteration; it is God's own declaration.
• “Choose for yourself": (Hebrew: bĕḥar-lāk - literally, "choose for you" or "choose for yourself")
  • "Choose": (bāḥar) - This verb means to select, elect, or decide. In this imperative form, it is a direct command to David. It implies agency, even within a judgment. David is not being given an escape from punishment, but a choice in the type of severe consequence. This highlights God's justice, not random infliction, but a measured response, yet with David bearing responsibility for the specific outcome of the judgment.
  • "for yourself": (lāk) - This dative pronoun emphasizes the personal nature of the choice. It underscores David's individual responsibility for the sin and its subsequent consequence, as well as the immediate and direct impact on him. This phrasing forces David to internalize the weight of the decision and the consequences.

1 Chronicles 21 11 Bonus section

• The parallel account in 2 Samuel 24 begins with "the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them to say, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.'" This presents a different initial source for David's sin (God vs. Satan), highlighting different theological perspectives (God's ultimate sovereignty vs. Satan's malicious instigation) without necessarily being contradictory from a complete Biblical viewpoint. Chronicles emphasizes Satan's direct agency in inciting, foregrounding the spiritual battle.
• The phrase "Thus says the Lord" (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה) is used over 400 times in the Old Testament, primarily in the prophetic books, establishing the undeniable authority of the message as coming directly from God Himself, not human interpretation or opinion.
• David's later choice in 1 Chronicles 21:13 to "fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man" reflects profound theological insight. He recognized that God's justice, even in severe judgment, is tempered by abundant mercy, superior to the caprice or severity of human judgment. This highlights a critical lesson: choosing God's way, even in affliction, leads to His compassion.

1 Chronicles 21 11 Commentary

1 Chronicles 21:11 marks a crucial turning point in David's story within the Chronicles narrative. After his inexplicable act of numbering Israel, which the text explicitly states was incited by Satan and displeased God, the divine judgment becomes inevitable. Gad's pronouncement, introduced by the powerful phrase "Thus says the Lord," leaves no doubt as to the origin or authority of the message. It is a direct word from Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.

The core of the verse, "Choose for yourself," places the burden of choice squarely on David's shoulders. This is not a choice between sin and righteousness, which he failed earlier, but a choice among different divine judgments. God, in His sovereign justice, ordained that a penalty must be paid for David's disobedience and pride, but in a display of divine grace mingled with judgment, He allowed David a measure of agency in selecting the specific consequence. This act simultaneously emphasizes David's personal responsibility for the transgression and God's methodical nature in administering discipline, avoiding arbitrary destruction. David's choice, though grim, would reveal his heart and understanding of God's character (as seen in his later decision in 1 Chr 21:13). The act of numbering indicated reliance on human strength over divine providence, and the consequence brings the people back to dependence on God alone.