1 Chronicles 21 28

1 Chronicles 21:28 kjv

At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

1 Chronicles 21:28 nkjv

At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.

1 Chronicles 21:28 niv

At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

1 Chronicles 21:28 esv

At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.

1 Chronicles 21:28 nlt

When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah's threshing floor.

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 28 Meaning

This verse signifies God's divine approval of David's offerings and the designated location. It records David's immediate response of continued sacrifice upon realizing that the LORD had decisively intervened and accepted the prior sacrifices made at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, confirming this site as divinely chosen for ongoing worship. This event establishes the sacredness and suitability of this specific place for future sacrificial worship.

1 Chronicles 21 28 Context

This verse is situated at the climax of a pivotal event in Israel's history: David's sin of taking a census, the resulting divine plague that killed seventy thousand, and David's subsequent repentance. God, through the prophet Gad, instructed David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite to stop the plague. David obeyed, bought the site, and offered sacrifices. The immediate context of 1 Chronicles 21:28 confirms that these initial sacrifices were accepted by the LORD, who answered by stopping the plague (seen in 21:27). David’s continued sacrifice at this specific location affirms its divine designation as the permanent site for the future Temple, fulfilling God's ancient desire to have a chosen dwelling place among His people. The Chronicler emphasizes David’s immediate and unwavering obedience, focusing on the sanctity of the chosen site for proper worship.

1 Chronicles 21 28 Word analysis

• At that time (וּבָעֵת הַהִיא, u-va'et ha-hi): This phrase emphasizes the precise moment when David witnessed God's decisive intervention, underscoring the immediate connection between God's response (stopping the plague) and David's action (sacrificing). It signifies a critical juncture.
• when David saw (וַיַּרְא דָּוִיד, vai-yar' David): "Saw" implies a clear observation and comprehension. David was not merely told; he personally perceived God's direct, demonstrable answer, validating the sacredness of the event and the site. This vision solidifies his understanding.
• the LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): Refers to the covenant God of Israel. His active involvement demonstrates His sovereignty, power, and faithfulness to His covenant people, even in judgment and restoration. The response is unequivocally from the one true God.
• had answered him (כִּי־עָנָה אֹתוֹ, ki-'anah 'oto): The Hebrew verb עָנָה ('anah) means "to answer, respond, attend, give attention." Here, it specifically denotes God's favorable response, manifesting as the cessation of the plague, indicating divine acceptance of David's repentance and sacrifice. This confirmation signifies divine validation.
• in the threshing floor (בְּגֹרֶן, bə-goren): A "threshing floor" was a common agricultural area used for separating grain from chaff. Its transformation into a sacred altar site is profoundly significant, representing God’s ability to sanctify the mundane and make it holy. It became a place of encounter with God.
• of Ornan the Jebusite (אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי, Ornan ha-Yevusi): Ornan (or Araunah in 2 Sam 24) was a non-Israelite. This highlights that the site chosen by God was not originally an Israelite holy place but rather a secular location, owned by a Gentile. Its sanctification by God and its purchase by David firmly established Yahweh's claim and authority over this land, displacing any pagan associations and foreshadowing God's inclusion of non-Jews in His plan (though implicitly at this stage). It becomes a beacon of Yahweh's universal claim.
• he sacrificed there (וַיִּזְבַּח שָׁם, vai-yizbah sham): The verb וַיִּזְבַּח (vai-yizbah) indicates David's continued and resolute act of offering sacrifices (burnt offerings and peace offerings as mentioned earlier). This was not a one-time event, but an ongoing practice there, affirming the location as the legitimate and permanent place of worship. It speaks of his continued devotion and worship in the divinely appointed location.

• "At that time, when David saw...": This phrase signifies the precise, immediate, and direct recognition by David of God's intervention, making his subsequent action of sacrificing an informed response to a divine reality. It shows a king sensitive to God's manifested presence.
• "the LORD had answered him in the threshing floor...": This links God's direct communication (through the stopping of the plague and the instruction for the altar) with a specific, chosen geographic location. The place becomes imbued with divine presence because God responded there. This transformation from a common agricultural site to a divinely validated altar site is foundational to the future Temple's sanctity.
• "threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite": This specific mention establishes the historical and geopolitical context. This former non-Israelite site becoming the holiest place in Israel signifies God's complete ownership and sanctification of the land. It asserts Yahweh's preeminence over any local deities or ancestral claims to that territory. This foreshadows God's chosen location for His permanent dwelling (the Temple Mount), later identified as Mount Moriah.
• "he sacrificed there": This continuous action (implicit from the initial instruction and now affirmed) denotes not just a singular event of atonement for the census sin, but the initiation of an enduring worship pattern at the designated location. It emphasizes David’s obedience and sets a precedent for all future Israelite worship at the future Temple.

1 Chronicles 21 28 Bonus section

The immediate location of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite is later explicitly identified in 2 Chronicles 3:1 as Mount Moriah, the very mountain where Abraham offered Isaac (Gen 22). This strong connection links the foundation of Israel’s ultimate worship site with a primeval act of faith and God’s provision, underscoring the theme of God's redemptive work across generations. The transformation of a place of potential judgment (threshing floor is associated with winnowing and separating grain from chaff, akin to judgment) to a place of accepted sacrifice and future glory for the Temple speaks volumes about God's turning curse into blessing. This event is a Chronicler's crucial validation for the Second Temple period audience, establishing the divinely ordained origin of their most sacred site for worship and reassuring them of God's continuing presence among His people despite various challenges.

1 Chronicles 21 28 Commentary

1 Chronicles 21:28 stands as a pivotal statement, affirming divine acceptance and the enduring sacredness of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, the future site of the Temple in Jerusalem. David's profound realization that "the LORD had answered him" refers directly to the cessation of the plague that had afflicted Israel (21:27) and God's acceptance of the sacrifices previously offered (21:26). This act of "seeing" signifies not merely observation, but a deep spiritual understanding and conviction that God had intervened decisively and favorably at this particular spot.

The significance lies in the transformation of an ordinary, secular space (a Jebusite threshing floor) into the very place God chose for His dwelling among His people. This underscores God's sovereign right to designate any place as holy and confirms the legitimacy of the subsequent Temple built there. David’s immediate and continued act of "sacrificed there" signifies an unwavering commitment to worship at the divinely ordained location. It solidified this site as Israel's primary sanctuary, confirming that the earlier offerings were not just a means to end a plague but a divine initiative to mark this ground as holy for generations of worship. This event not only atoned for David's sin but consecrated the very ground upon which God would dwell among His people, anticipating the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Christ that renders all places accessible to God through faith.