1 Chronicles 21 20

1 Chronicles 21:20 kjv

And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

1 Chronicles 21:20 nkjv

Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat.

1 Chronicles 21:20 niv

While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

1 Chronicles 21:20 esv

Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

1 Chronicles 21:20 nlt

Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid.

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 20 Meaning

This verse provides a pivotal moment in the narrative of David's census and the ensuing plague. It reveals that Ornan, a Jebusite, personally witnessed the angel of the LORD, who was inflicting the plague upon Israel. While Ornan observed this terrifying divine agent, his four sons, who were with him, were overwhelmed with fear and hid themselves. The verse also sets the scene by noting that Ornan was engaged in the ordinary work of threshing wheat, highlighting the abrupt intrusion of the extraordinary divine judgment into everyday life and the significance of his threshing floor.

1 Chronicles 21 20 Context

Chapter 21 of 1 Chronicles narrates King David's unauthorized census, an act that displeased God and brought divine judgment upon Israel in the form of a devastating plague. Verses 1-19 detail the census, the ensuing pestilence that kills seventy thousand men, and David's desperate plea for the plague to cease. In response, the angel of the LORD is instructed to stop, and Gad the prophet commands David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Verse 20 specifically highlights Ornan's encounter with the same terrifying angel David saw, demonstrating that even a non-Israelite could witness and be impacted by the manifest presence of God's judgment. This prefaces David's arrival at Ornan's threshing floor to build the altar, a location chosen by divine command that later became the site for Solomon's Temple.

1 Chronicles 21 20 Word analysis

• And Ornan (וְאָרְנָן, we'ornan): Ornan (in 2 Sam 24:18-24, he is called Araunah) is identified as a Jebusite. The Jebusites were the original inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jebus) before David conquered it. His willing sale of the threshing floor for an altar underscores a rare moment of cooperation between Israelite and Jebusite, pivotal for the sacred future of the Temple Mount.
• turned back (וַיָּשָׁב, wayyāshāḇ): This verb suggests a deliberate reorientation, implying he was alerted to something, perhaps by a noise or movement, causing him to turn and specifically behold the sight. It indicates awareness and a direct gaze, not just a casual glance.
• and saw (וַיַּרְא, wayyar’): Signifies a direct visual perception. This wasn't a vision or a dream, but a manifest, terrifying sight of the angel. It emphasizes the physical reality of the divine intervention.
• the angel (מַלְאָךְ, mal'āḵ): While the full phrase "angel of the LORD" (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, mal'akh Yahweh) is used elsewhere in the chapter (e.g., v.16), here it is simply "the angel," clearly referring to the divine messenger previously mentioned who was destroying the people. This highlights its awesome and fearful nature, a direct agent of God's wrath.
• and his four sons with him hid themselves (וְאַרְבַּעַת בָּנָיו עִמּוֹ הִתְחַבְּאוּ, we'arba‘at bānāyw ‘immô hitḥabbə’û): The verb hitḥabbə’û (hid themselves) suggests an instinctual reaction of terror and self-preservation. Their fear highlights the dreadfulness of the angel's appearance and the natural human response to overwhelming divine presence, contrasting with Ornan's ability to "see" and perhaps indicating his immediate comprehension of the gravity of the situation.
• Now Ornan was threshing wheat (וְאָרְנָן אֹדֶה חִטִּים, we'ornan ‘ōḏeh ḥiṭṭîm): This detail establishes the ordinary context in which the extraordinary event occurred. Threshing floors were flat, open areas, often elevated, suitable for catching the wind to separate grain from chaff. Such a mundane setting for a divine manifestation emphasizes God's sovereign intrusion into everyday life. The "threshing floor" later becomes the sacred site of the altar and the Temple, linking this moment of judgment and revelation to future worship and atonement.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel;": This phrase highlights Ornan's direct encounter with the divine agent of judgment. His unique ability to see the angel (where his sons hide) marks him as a key figure in God's redemptive plan for Israel following the plague. It emphasizes his awareness and response.
• "and his four sons with him hid themselves.": This portrays the profound terror evoked by the angel. The hiding signifies an instinctive flight response to an overwhelming, terrifying, and possibly fatal presence. It sets a stark contrast with Ornan's reaction, perhaps suggesting a level of fortitude or spiritual readiness on Ornan's part.
• "Now Ornan was threshing wheat.": This detail provides a stark contrast between the ordinary and the divine. The daily agricultural labor, essential for sustenance, is suddenly interrupted by a terrifying manifestation of God's power and judgment. It situates the momentous divine encounter within a humble, practical setting that is about to become sacred. The threshing floor, often a place of harvest and separation, now also becomes a site of atonement and new beginnings for Israel.

1 Chronicles 21 20 Bonus section

The depiction of Ornan as a Jebusite witnessing the angel, distinct from David who also saw the angel, is significant. It subtly conveys God's sovereignty over all peoples and His ability to reveal Himself outside the immediate Israelite covenant. The willingness of Ornan to surrender his property for God's altar and ultimately the Temple foreshadows God's plan for His dwelling place to be a "house of prayer for all nations" (Isa 56:7). The threshing floor itself, commonly a place of labor, separating grain from chaff, holds rich biblical symbolism for judgment, purification, and provision, making it an apt site for an act of atonement to stop a plague and eventually for the permanent dwelling of God's presence.

1 Chronicles 21 20 Commentary

1 Chronicles 21:20 is critical because it visually confirms the presence and nature of the destructive angel, establishing Ornan as an independent witness to the divine judgment afflicting Israel. Ornan's unique ability to perceive the angel, while his sons instinctively hide, underscores the awesome and terrifying power of God's wrath made manifest. This validates David's prior vision and the prophet Gad's instructions, ensuring that the selection of Ornan's threshing floor as the site for the altar—and ultimately the Temple—is clearly understood as divinely appointed and confirmed by a direct, undeniable supernatural encounter. It roots the sanctity of the future Temple site not merely in David's experience, but also in Ornan's personal, fearful, yet clear perception of God's mighty presence.For practical usage, this verse can illustrate:

• God's intervention into human affairs is real and can be terrifying.
• Even ordinary places (a threshing floor) can become profoundly sacred through divine encounter.
• Different individuals may react differently (see vs. hide) to divine manifestations.