1 Chronicles 21:24 kjv
And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
1 Chronicles 21:24 nkjv
Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing."
1 Chronicles 21:24 niv
But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."
1 Chronicles 21:24 esv
But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing."
1 Chronicles 21:24 nlt
But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!"
1 Chronicles 21 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 22:7-8 | Isaac said to his father Abraham... “God will provide for himself the lamb...” | Principle of costly sacrifice, God's provision. |
| Exod 12:5 | Your lamb shall be without blemish... | Sacrifices must be costly, valuable, and perfect. |
| Lev 1:3 | If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd... at the entrance of the tent of meeting... | Law concerning burnt offerings. |
| Lev 22:25 | Nor shall you offer any of these from a foreigner’s hand... they will not be accepted for you. | Sacrifices must be of personal cost and from one's own. |
| Deut 15:21 | But if it has any blemish... you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. | God demands sacrifices without defect. |
| 2 Sam 24:24 | But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price.” | Parallel account, emphasis on payment. |
| 1 Kgs 19:21 | Then he arose and followed Elijah... and made meat of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. | Cost of dedication, Elisha's sacrifice. |
| Psa 4:5 | Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. | Right sacrifices involve truth and cost. |
| Psa 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart... | Cost of repentance, spiritual sacrifice. |
| Psa 54:6 | With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. | Willing, costly offerings. |
| Prov 3:9-10 | Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits... | Offering best, firstfruits implies cost. |
| Isa 1:11-14 | "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?... I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly." | God rejects empty rituals without heart/cost. |
| Jer 6:20 | "What is the use of frankincense... Or sweet cane... Your burnt offerings are not acceptable..." | God rejects offerings not given rightly or costly. |
| Mal 1:8-10 | "When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not evil?... Bring it near to your governor!..." | Curses against offering defective sacrifices that cost little. |
| Mic 6:6-8 | "With what shall I come before the Lord...?" | Justice, mercy, walking humbly are costly sacrifices. |
| Matt 26:6-13 | A woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it... | Costly worship, offering the very best to Christ. |
| Mark 12:41-44 | Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched... and a poor widow put in two small copper coins. | True cost measured by sacrifice, not amount. |
| Rom 12:1 | Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | Presenting one's life as a continuous, costly sacrifice. |
| Phil 4:18 | I have received full payment, and more... a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. | Giving for the gospel, an acceptable sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:12-14 | He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves... | Christ's blood as the ultimate, costly sacrifice. |
| Heb 13:15-16 | Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise... doing good and sharing... | New Covenant "sacrifices" are costly: praise, good deeds, sharing. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house... spiritual sacrifices... | Offering oneself and life as a spiritual, costly sacrifice. |
| 1 Chron 22:1 | Then David said, “Here is to be the house of the Lord God...” | The costly purchase secures the Temple site. |
1 Chronicles 21 verses
1 Chronicles 21 24 Meaning
King David firmly declared his refusal to accept Ornan's threshing floor, oxen, and threshing implements for free for the purpose of building an altar and offering sacrifices to the Lord. His unyielding stance was that he would only purchase it for the full and fair price. David asserted that he would not present to God an offering or burnt sacrifices that had cost him nothing, underscoring a foundational principle that true worship and sacrifice must involve personal expenditure and genuine value.
1 Chronicles 21 24 Context
The context of 1 Chronicles 21:24 is dire: David has sinned by numbering Israel, leading to a divine plague that killed seventy thousand people. The prophet Gad instructs David to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan (also known as Araunah in 2 Samuel 24) the Jebusite, to stop the plague. When Ornan offers David the threshing floor, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing implements for wood—all for free—David refuses. This refusal forms the core of verse 24. David's choice demonstrates integrity and a profound understanding of true worship. Historically, this site became the Temple Mount, the very place where Solomon's Temple, and later the Second Temple, would stand. Culturally, the act of sacrifice in ancient Israel demanded that the offering be the worshiper's own, given freely and without defect, symbolizing genuine dedication and personal cost. David's insistence on payment was a powerful counter-cultural statement against offering "cheap" sacrifices, ensuring that the foundational act for the future Temple was steeped in personal devotion and financial integrity.
1 Chronicles 21 24 Word analysis
But King David: Signifies a strong, decisive shift in conversation and a clear authoritative voice.
said to Ornan: A direct and firm address, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"No, but I will surely buy it": An emphatic rejection of the free gift, followed by an equally emphatic commitment to purchase. The Hebrew construction for "surely buy" often uses a repetition of the verb (qanah qanah) for strong assurance and unwavering resolve. David demonstrates integrity and personal responsibility.
for the full price. (bimkîr mâlê’ - בְּמִקְנֵה מָלֵא): "Full price" or "complete purchase." This highlights the insistence on a just, complete, and uncompromised payment. It speaks to honesty, integrity, and ensuring that the offering truly represents a cost to the giver, establishing ownership unequivocally. It's not a token or symbolic amount, but the true market value, affirming the transfer of ownership.
For I will not take what is yours for the Lord,: David acknowledges Ornan's ownership and firmly states he will not present an offering that is, in essence, someone else's generosity as his own to God. True sacrifice must originate from the giver's own substance, not simply facilitating another's kindness without personal cost. This principle guards against nominal or disingenuous worship.
nor offer burnt offerings: Refers to ‘olôh (עֹלוֹת), offerings consumed entirely by fire upon the altar, symbolizing complete dedication and devotion to God. The complete consumption signifies total surrender and is among the most sacred forms of sacrifice, necessitating the purest intentions and highest value.
that cost me nothing." (bĕhînām - בְּחִנָּם): This critical phrase means "for free," "without cost," or "gratuitously." It encapsulates the profound theological truth that worship worthy of God must involve a personal sacrifice, expense, or effort from the worshiper. An offering that costs nothing to the giver diminishes its value and the sincerity of the devotion, making it unacceptable in God's eyes. It’s a foundational principle: genuine worship isn’t convenient; it is sacrificial.
"No, but I will surely buy it for the full price.": This phrase emphasizes David's unshakeable principle of integrity and commitment to proper, just transaction, particularly when it pertains to matters of worship. He doesn't want to exploit kindness for a spiritual act.
"For I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.": This is the core theological statement of the verse. It asserts that true worship and sacrifice must be rooted in personal sacrifice and actual cost, not convenience, expediency, or relying on another's generosity without personal outlay. An offering must be truly "yours" and "cost" you something to be truly dedicated to God. This rejects the idea of a cheap or superficial relationship with God.
1 Chronicles 21 24 Bonus section
The location where David purchased the threshing floor of Ornan, also known as Araunah (2 Sam 24), is widely understood to be Mount Moriah, the very place where Abraham had been commanded to offer Isaac (Gen 22:2) and the future site of Solomon's Temple. David's act of purchasing it for the "full price" and making a genuine sacrifice thus consecrates this most sacred site for generations to come. This commitment ensures that the spiritual foundation of the central place of worship for Israel was built not on expedience or a lack of expense, but on an act of profound and costly devotion. It powerfully illustrates that devotion to God involves not just emotional fervor, but also tangible commitment and often, significant personal sacrifice. The emphasis on "costing me nothing" also carries a subtle polemic against perfunctory religion or a superficial relationship with the divine where one seeks blessings without making any genuine commitment or sacrifice oneself.
1 Chronicles 21 24 Commentary
1 Chronicles 21:24 encapsulates a timeless spiritual principle: true worship demands personal cost. David's refusal to accept Ornan's generous gift for free, insisting on paying the "full price," highlights his understanding that offerings to God must originate from the worshiper's own substance and represent a genuine sacrifice. He knew that for a gift to be meaningful to the Lord, it could not be a casual act devoid of personal investment. To offer "what costs nothing" cheapens the act of worship, trivializes God's holiness, and undermines the worshiper's sincerity. This event, occurring at the site chosen by God for His altar and eventually the Temple, sets a precedent: the very foundation of God's house would be built on integrity, genuine payment, and the understanding that approaching God requires true dedication and personal sacrifice, not convenience. It calls believers to evaluate the cost of their own worship and service to God, encouraging them to give not just of their surplus, but of their substance, their time, talents, and resources, willingly and sacrificially.