1 Chronicles 21:18 kjv
Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21:18 nkjv
Therefore, the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21:18 niv
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21:18 esv
Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21:18 nlt
Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 24:18-19 | Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar..." | Parallel account, immediate instruction. |
| 2 Chr 3:1 | Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah... | Threshingfloor of Ornan is the Temple Mount. |
| Gen 22:2-14 | ...to the land of Moriah... there sacrifice him as a burnt offering. | Moriah as a site of sacrifice, foreshadowing. |
| Gen 8:20 | Then Noah built an altar to the LORD... | Early altar building after judgment (flood). |
| Gen 12:7-8 | ...Abram built an altar there to the LORD. | Altar built at sites of divine revelation. |
| Exod 20:24-25 | An altar of earth you shall make for me... in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. | God's command for altars for His presence. |
| Exod 25:9 | Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and all its furniture, so you shall make it. | God gives precise instructions for worship. |
| Num 16:48-50 | ...and he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. | Intercession stops a plague (Aron's role). |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls... | Altar for atonement through sacrifice. |
| Psa 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity... and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. | Confession and divine forgiveness. |
| Psa 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. | True repentance as sacrifice. |
| Isa 53:5-6 | But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities... upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace... | Prophecy of ultimate sacrifice for sin. |
| Rom 12:1 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | NT application of sacrifice: lives for worship. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | Necessity of blood atonement. |
| Heb 13:10-16 | We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat... | Christian altar is Christ Himself. |
| Gen 16:7-13 | The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water... | Appearances of the Angel of the LORD. |
| Exod 3:2-6 | There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire... | The Angel of the LORD (pre-incarnate Christ) and holy ground. |
| Jdg 6:11-12 | Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah... | The Angel of the LORD appearing to call and commission. |
| 1 Kgs 6:1-38 | In the four hundred eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign... he built the house of the LORD. | Construction of the permanent temple. |
| Isa 2:2-3 | In the latter days the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains... | Prophecy of God's dwelling place on His mountain. |
| Mic 4:1-2 | ...the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established... | Similar prophecy about the Lord's house on a mountain. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | ...fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone... | NT Temple: believers built into God's dwelling. |
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its Temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. | Ultimate fulfillment, no physical temple needed. |
1 Chronicles 21 verses
1 Chronicles 21 18 Meaning
This verse details the divine command given to King David through the prophet Gad: to ascend and construct an altar to the Lord on the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. This instruction immediately follows a devastating plague that swept across Israel due to David's sinful census, marking a specific, God-ordained location for an act of worship and atonement to cease the judgment.
1 Chronicles 21 18 Context
1 Chronicles 21 unfolds with King David, driven by unadvised pride or a desire for military strength, commanding a census of Israel and Judah. This act was seen as an expression of reliance on human might rather than on God, leading to divine judgment in the form of a severe plague. Over three days, seventy thousand lives were lost. When the destroying angel reached Jerusalem, God relented and instructed the angel to stop. David, seeing the angel and recognizing his sin and its consequences, cried out to the Lord in repentance. It is in this immediate context of judgment and repentance that Gad the prophet delivers the specific instruction in verse 18, signaling God's mercy and establishing the site for future atonement and permanent worship. This threshingfloor would later become the site for Solomon's Temple.
1 Chronicles 21 18 Word analysis
- Then: Indicates a direct chronological consequence, highlighting the immediate follow-up to God's relenting from the plague (v.15).
- the angel of the LORD (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, malakh Yahweh): A significant theological figure in the Old Testament, often understood as a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, uniquely bearing God's authority and communicating His direct will. Here, He is the immediate instrument of God's stopping the plague and giving the instruction.
- commanded: Implies divine authority and imperative, a direct instruction not to be debated but obeyed.
- Gad: David's seer (prophet), the human intermediary through whom the divine command is delivered. God communicates His will through His chosen servants.
- to say to David: Emphasizes direct and personal communication of God's will to the king.
- that David should go up: Signifies an ascension, suggesting elevation and effort required for an act of worship. "Go up" also implies traveling to Jerusalem or a prominent elevated place within it.
- and rear an altar (וַיָּקֹם מִזְבֵּחַ, vayiqom mizbeach - to set up, raise up an altar): To construct a designated place for sacrifice. Altars were central to Israelite worship and reconciliation, representing a place of meeting between God and man, and particularly for atonement.
- unto the LORD: Clearly states the recipient and focus of worship, affirming exclusive devotion to the one true God.
- in the threshingfloor (בּגֹרֶן, begoren): A flat, open area used for separating grain from chaff. Such places were often common and easily accessible, sometimes outside city walls. Culturally, they were sites of work, but also sometimes where significant events unfolded (e.g., Ruth 3). Its transition to a sacred site underscores divine transformation of the mundane.
- of Ornan the Jebusite: Identifies the owner, a non-Israelite resident of Jerusalem, emphasizing God's sovereignty over all peoples and His choosing of a specific site for a specific purpose, regardless of current ownership. This was the former Jebusite stronghold (Jerusalem) that David had conquered.
- "Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David": This phrase highlights the divine chain of command: God's will conveyed through His direct divine messenger (the Angel of the Lord), then through His prophet (Gad), to His chosen king (David). It underscores the specific and authoritative nature of the instruction.
- "David should go up and rear an altar unto the LORD": This is the core command – an act of humble, obedient worship in response to judgment and for the purpose of seeking God's favor. The action of "going up" suggests intentional effort and elevation of worship.
- "in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite": This precisely identifies the location chosen by God, which, significantly, becomes the permanent site for the Temple of the Lord (2 Chr 3:1). The transition of a mundane agricultural space owned by a foreigner into the holiest ground in Israel emphasizes God's sovereign choice and preparation for His dwelling.
1 Chronicles 21 18 Bonus section
The immediate command to build an altar on Ornan's threshingfloor not only serves as a site for immediate atonement but also prophetically establishes the permanent site for God's dwelling, the Temple in Jerusalem (later confirmed in 2 Chr 3:1). This continuity between a temporary altar for an urgent situation and the foundational spot for a permanent house for God showcases divine foresight and planning. David's willingness to purchase the threshingfloor and oxen from Ornan (v. 22-25) at full price, refusing to offer to God what cost him nothing, further emphasizes the principle of costly worship and genuine devotion in response to God's grace. This incident serves as a powerful reminder that God not only reveals the sin but also graciously provides the way of reconciliation and atonement.
1 Chronicles 21 18 Commentary
1 Chronicles 21:18 marks a pivotal moment in Israelite history, acting as God's merciful response to David's sin and subsequent repentance. The precise command given by the Angel of the Lord through the prophet Gad—to build an altar on Ornan's threshingfloor—is a divine directive for immediate atonement. This altar would serve as a focal point for the cessation of the plague, demonstrating that true repentance, coupled with divinely prescribed sacrifice, brings an end to God's disciplinary judgment. Furthermore, this seemingly humble, common location would be supernaturally consecrated and destined to become the Temple Mount, the very place where God's presence would dwell among His people. It reveals God's meticulous care in planning for sacred spaces and His desire for an appointed place for worship and reconciliation.