1 Chronicles 21:27 kjv
And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
1 Chronicles 21:27 nkjv
So the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
1 Chronicles 21:27 niv
Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
1 Chronicles 21:27 esv
Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
1 Chronicles 21:27 nlt
Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.
1 Chronicles 21 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Command & Sovereignty | ||
| Psa 33:9 | For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. | God's word is ultimate authority. |
| Gen 1:3 | Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. | God creates by command. |
| Psa 107:29 | He stills the storm... so that its waves are still. | God controls natural forces. |
| Matt 8:27 | ...even the winds and the sea obey Him! | Jesus's divine authority. |
| Psa 147:18 | He sends out His word and melts them... | God's word ends winter. |
| Angel of the LORD & Judgment | ||
| 2 Sam 24:16 | And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem... the LORD relented... | Parallel account, God relents. |
| Num 22:31 | Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing... with His drawn sword. | Angel with a drawn sword for judgment. |
| Josh 5:13 | ...a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn... the Commander of the army of the LORD. | Angel as divine warrior. |
| Ex 12:23 | For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood... the LORD will pass over. | Angel passing over during judgment. |
| Psa 78:49 | He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending angels of destruction. | Angels as agents of destruction. |
| Rev 14:15 | ...thrust in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come... | Angels as agents of judgment at end times. |
| Repentance & Mercy | ||
| 2 Chr 7:14 | if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves... then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. | God's response to humility. |
| Joel 2:13 | ...for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness... | God's character of mercy. |
| Jon 3:10 | Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster... | God relenting after repentance. |
| Psa 106:43-45 | Many times He delivered them... He remembered His covenant... and relented. | God's recurring mercy. |
| Lam 3:32 | Though He brings grief, yet He will have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. | God's ultimate compassion. |
| Sacrifice & Atonement | ||
| Lev 16:30 | For on that day atonement shall be made for you... | Day of Atonement principle. |
| Heb 9:22 | ...without shedding of blood there is no remission. | Necessity of blood for atonement. |
| Isa 53:5 | But He was wounded for our transgressions... the chastisement for our peace was upon Him... | Atonement through suffering. |
| Heb 10:14 | For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. | Christ's perfect atonement. |
| The Chosen Site | ||
| 2 Chr 3:1 | Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, in the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. | Location of the future Temple. |
| Gen 22:14 | And Abraham called the name of the place, The LORD Will Provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." | Mt. Moriah's sacrificial significance. |
1 Chronicles 21 verses
1 Chronicles 21 27 Meaning
This verse signifies the immediate and conclusive cessation of God's judgment upon Israel, brought about by David's repentance and atoning sacrifice. The "LORD commanded the angel" underscores God's absolute sovereignty and control over both judgment and mercy. The angel's action of "put up his sword again into the sheath thereof" visually represents the withdrawal of divine wrath and the return to peace, indicating that the atonement for David's sin and the people's transgression had been accepted.
1 Chronicles 21 27 Context
This verse concludes the narrative of God's judgment upon Israel, brought about by King David's unauthorized census, an act likely born of pride or distrust in God's ability to provide victory. As a consequence, a plague was unleashed upon the land, with the "Angel of the LORD" visible over Jerusalem with a drawn sword, poised to destroy. David's profound repentance, confession, and his instruction from the prophet Gad to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah in 2 Samuel) at a specified location were crucial. It was after David's obedience, purchasing the land, building the altar, and offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, that "the LORD answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering" (1 Chr 21:26). This divine acceptance is immediately followed by verse 27, marking the precise moment the plague ceases. Historically, this site on Ornan's threshing floor becomes the holy ground for the future First Temple built by Solomon (2 Chr 3:1), establishing it as a permanent place of atonement and worship, directly linking God's mercy in stopping the plague to the sanctity of that very location.
1 Chronicles 21 27 Word analysis
- And the LORD (וַיְהוָה - vay’YHWH): This highlights YHWH, the personal, covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes His direct and sovereign action, indicating that the cessation of the plague is not a random occurrence but a deliberate divine command. This underscores His ultimate control over judgment and mercy.
- commanded (וַיְדַבֵּר - vay'dabber): From the Hebrew root dabar, meaning to speak, utter, command. It implies an authoritative and definitive word. This is a direct, vocalized order, emphasizing the immediate and unchallengeable nature of God's will. His word is creative and decisive; what He commands, immediately comes to pass.
- the angel (הַמַּלְאָךְ - ha'mal'akh): This refers to the angel, implying a specific, well-known, and powerful heavenly messenger. In the context of 1 Chronicles 21, this is the "Angel of the LORD" who was the agent of the plague. Mal'akh simply means "messenger," but the definite article often suggests a manifestation of God Himself, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, or a supreme angelic being acting directly for God. His presence signified judgment, and his obedience demonstrated the direct implementation of divine decrees.
- and he put up (וַיָּשֶׁב - vayashav): From the verb shuv, meaning to turn, return, or put back. This signifies a reversal of action. The angel, who was previously holding the sword ready for destruction, now returns it to its inactive state.
- his sword (חַרְבּוֹ - charbo): The sword is a universal symbol of judgment, warfare, and destruction. In this context, it represents God's active wrath and the instrument of the plague that was devastating Israel. Its ownership by the angel ("his sword") implies delegated authority.
- again into the sheath thereof (אֶל־ נַדְנָהּ - el nadnah): Nadnah means scabbard or sheath. The act of returning the sword to its sheath signifies the end of hostilities, the cessation of judgment, and the restoration of peace. It's a vivid picture of divine wrath being appeased and withdrawn, a visible sign that the purpose of the judgment had been fulfilled or interrupted by God's mercy.
- And the LORD commanded the angel: This phrase demonstrates God's supreme authority over even powerful celestial beings. The command signifies that the judgment was always under His precise control, both in its beginning and its end. It shows the immediacy and efficacy of God's word in directing the course of events, directly addressing the angel as His obedient agent.
- and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof: This entire clause offers a powerful visual and symbolic conclusion. The withdrawal of the sword from the active state of judgment back to a passive, concealed state explicitly and irrevocably marks the end of the plague. It is the visible evidence that God's wrath has been satisfied or relented, a direct result of David's humble repentance and accepted sacrifice, paving the way for healing and reconciliation.
1 Chronicles 21 27 Bonus section
The concept of the "Angel of the LORD" throughout the Old Testament is profound. At times, this figure is so closely identified with YHWH Himself that actions are attributed interchangeably to the Angel and to God (e.g., Ex 3:2,4; Judg 6:11-14). This suggests not merely a messenger, but a divine manifestation. In this context, the Angel of the LORD with a drawn sword over Jerusalem foreshadows a key aspect of divine judgment and warfare. The narrative emphasizes not only the terrifying nature of judgment but also the comforting truth of God's meticulous control and swift mercy in response to proper reverence and atonement. This precise moment—the sheathing of the sword—is pivotal because it links God's direct, personal intervention with the act of human atonement, making the threshing floor the "House of the LORD," a dwelling place of His presence.
1 Chronicles 21 27 Commentary
1 Chronicles 21:27 acts as the climactic turning point in the account of David's census and its severe consequences. The verse powerfully illustrates God's sovereignty over life, death, judgment, and mercy. Immediately following God's acceptance of David's sacrifices by fire from heaven, the Divine will is decisively expressed. The simple command from "the LORD" to "the angel," the very agent of destruction, highlights that the plague was never out of God's control. It commenced at His word and ceased at His word. The sheathing of the sword is a potent image: the weapon of divine judgment, having executed its purpose (or been appeased), is put away, symbolizing the withdrawal of divine wrath. This moment not only brought an end to suffering but also sanctified the site of Ornan's threshing floor as the location for the future Temple, marking it as the place where God's justice met His mercy, and atonement could forever be made for the sins of Israel. It reinforces the truth that repentance, intercession, and divinely ordained sacrifice are the means by which God's just wrath can be turned away.