1 Chronicles 21:14 kjv
So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
1 Chronicles 21:14 nkjv
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
1 Chronicles 21:14 niv
So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
1 Chronicles 21:14 esv
So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell.
1 Chronicles 21:14 nlt
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result.
1 Chronicles 21 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 24:15 | So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time: and there died... seventy thousand men. | Parallel account of David's census and plague |
| Ex 9:3 | Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle which are in the field, upon the horses... with a very grievous murrain. | God sending plagues as judgment |
| Ex 12:29 | At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. | Divine judgment resulting in mass death |
| Num 11:33 | While the meat was still between their teeth... the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague. | Plague for rebellious craving |
| Num 14:12 | I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them. | Divine judgment against rebellion |
| Num 16:49 | Those who died from the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. | Plague as consequence of rebellion |
| Lev 26:25 | I will bring a sword against you that will execute vengeance for the covenant. When you gather in your cities, I will send pestilence among you. | Prophecy of plague for disobedience |
| Deut 28:21 | The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land. | Covenant curses for disloyalty |
| Josh 7:10-12 | Achan's sin led to defeat and the death of 36 men, affecting the whole congregation. | Corporate consequence of individual sin |
| Ps 91:3 | He will deliver you from the deadly pestilence. | God's deliverance from plague |
| Is 37:36 | Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. | Divine agent bringing death |
| Jer 14:12 | When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. | Prophecy of various judgments |
| Ezek 5:12 | A third of you will die by plague, and by famine will be consumed in your midst; and a third will fall by the sword around you; and a third I will scatter to every wind. | Prophecy of pestilence and other judgments |
| Amos 4:10 | I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword. | God's use of plagues as warning |
| 1 Cor 10:8 | Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. | Judgment against immorality and idolatry |
| Heb 12:6 | For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. | Divine discipline |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Consequence of sin |
| Jam 1:15 | Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it brings forth death. | Sin leading to death |
| Gen 12:17 | But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. | Plagues for infringing on God’s chosen |
| 1 Sam 6:19 | And he struck some of the people of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,070 men. | Plague for disrespecting God's holiness |
| Jer 21:7 | I will give Zedekiah... into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar... I will strike them down with the edge of the sword... plague, and famine. | Plague as a tool of divine judgment |
1 Chronicles 21 verses
1 Chronicles 21 14 Meaning
1 Chronicles 21:14 records the direct consequence of King David's sin in numbering Israel: "So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell." This verse powerfully illustrates the immediate and devastating divine judgment meted out upon the nation. It signifies God's absolute sovereignty and His active role in the affairs of humanity, demonstrating that He punishes sin with tangible and severe consequences, even when it results in widespread suffering among the populace. The specific number underscores the immense scale of this judgment.
1 Chronicles 21 14 Context
First Chronicles 21 narrates David's unauthorized census of Israel, which is presented as a significant sin before the Lord, prompted by Satan (in contrast to 2 Samuel 24 where God's anger incites David). This act demonstrated a trust in military strength and numbers over reliance on God's provision and protection, or it showed an improper self-aggrandizement of David's reign. Despite the warning from Joab, David proceeded with the census. As a result, God presented David with three choices of punishment: three years of famine, three months of flight before enemies, or three days of pestilence. David, showing his dependence on God's mercy rather than human instruments, chose to fall "into the hand of the Lord, for His compassions are great." Verse 14 is the immediate fulfillment of this choice, describing the execution of the three-day plague which tragically resulted in the death of seventy thousand Israelite men. This incident immediately precedes David building an altar on Ornan's threshing floor, which later became the site for Solomon's Temple.
1 Chronicles 21 14 Word analysis
- So the Lord: (וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוָה - wayyišlaḥ YHWH). "So" indicates the immediate consequence following David's choice. "The Lord" translates YHWH (יהוה), God's covenant name, emphasizing His active participation as the sovereign and righteous judge. This is not a random occurrence but a direct divine action.
- sent: (וַיִּשְׁלַח - wayyišlaḥ). From the root šālaḥ (שָׁלַח), meaning to send, extend, dispatch. This verb highlights the intentional and direct agency of God in deploying the plague. It portrays the plague not as a natural disaster but as a deliberate instrument of divine judgment.
- a plague: (דֶּבֶר - deḇer). Refers to a pestilence or epidemic, a highly destructive disease that spreads quickly and causes widespread death. In the biblical context, deḇer is frequently associated with divine judgment (e.g., in the plagues upon Egypt) and swift, often unidentifiable, forms of death. Its nature signifies an unavoidable and terrifying judgment.
- on Israel: (עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל - ‘al-Yiśrā’ēl). Indicating the target of the plague: the entire nation of Israel. This shows the principle of corporate punishment, where the sin of a leader (David) can have dire consequences for the whole community he leads.
- and seventy thousand men: (שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ - šib‘îm ’elef ’îš). "Seventy thousand" is a specific and immense number. It emphasizes the overwhelming and horrifying scale of the devastation. "Men" (אִישׁ - ’îš) specifies the casualties were males, likely adult and capable of military service (given the census context), further underscoring the severity of the loss for the nation's strength and future.
- of Israel fell: (מִן-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפֹּל - min-Yiśrā’ēl wayyipōl). "Fell" is a common euphemism in Hebrew Scripture for dying, especially in battle, a plague, or a sudden, divinely appointed death. It implies a collapse, a loss of life force. It conveys the suddenness and finality of death during the plague.
1 Chronicles 21 14 Bonus section
- Comparison with 2 Samuel 24: While 1 Chronicles 21 states that "Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel" (1 Chron 21:1), 2 Samuel 24:1 states that "the anger of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and He incited David against them to say, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.'" These accounts are not contradictory but complementary. God, in His sovereign power, can use an adversary like Satan to fulfill His purposes of judgment and discipline. Satan's incitement and God's permission (or even instigation) highlight the multifaceted nature of divine will and human agency within biblical narratives.
- The Nature of Divine Justice: The indiscriminate nature of the plague (affecting innocent and guilty alike among the population) highlights a facet of Old Testament justice, where the well-being of the nation was tied to the obedience of its leader, and consequences for sin could be borne corporately. This underscores the need for corporate repentance and highlights the weight of leadership.
- Anticipation of Atonement: While the plague is a severe judgment, its cessation and the subsequent building of the altar on Ornan's threshing floor (1 Chron 21:26-27), which later became the site of Solomon's Temple, point towards God's ultimate desire for atonement and reconciliation. The plague, while deadly, served a corrective purpose, driving David and Israel back to seeking God through proper worship and sacrifice, laying the groundwork for a central place of worship and expiation of sins.
1 Chronicles 21 14 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the stark reality of divine judgment. God, in His absolute holiness and righteousness, does not overlook sin. David's census, whether motivated by pride, distrust in God, or a misdirected ambition for military strength, transgressed divine principles. The immediate consequence, a swift and lethal plague, serves as a powerful testament to God's nature. Even in choosing a punishment that invoked God's great compassion, the magnitude of the consequences remained severe. The death of seventy thousand innocent individuals highlights the communal ripple effect of leadership's sin and God's absolute commitment to justice. This event underlines the truth that sin carries a deadly penalty, even when God's mercy is present. It serves as a stark reminder for leaders and communities of the grave responsibility inherent in their actions before the Lord.