1 Chronicles 21 29

1 Chronicles 21:29 kjv

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 21:29 nkjv

For the tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 21:29 niv

The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 21:29 esv

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon,

1 Chronicles 21:29 nlt

At that time the Tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 21 verses

1 Chronicles 21 29 Meaning

This verse provides the critical background for why King David was unable to travel to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to the Lord after the devastating plague. It states plainly that the Tabernacle of the Lord, God's portable sanctuary, and the main altar for burnt offerings were located on the high place at Gibeon. This explains David's fear and the urgent necessity to build an altar elsewhere, as going to Gibeon felt inaccessible or impossible given the presence of the destructive angel.

1 Chronicles 21 29 Context

This verse is pivotal to understanding King David's actions in 1 Chronicles chapter 21. The chapter begins with Satan inciting David to number Israel, which incurs the Lord's wrath and a devastating plague. Gad, David's seer, delivers God's instruction for David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite to atone for the sin and stop the plague. Verse 30 of the same chapter explicitly states that David could not go to the Tabernacle at Gibeon because of the terror of the angel of the Lord wielding his sword. Therefore, 1 Chronicles 21:29 serves as the essential explanation for why Gibeon was the intended, yet inaccessible, destination for legitimate sacrifice.

Historically, this verse highlights a transitional period in Israel's worship. After the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh, the Tabernacle was later moved to Nob and then Gibeon. While the Ark eventually came to rest in a tent David erected for it in Jerusalem (2 Sam 6; 1 Chr 15-16), the divinely ordained Tabernacle and its accompanying altar for burnt offerings remained at Gibeon. This meant Jerusalem was the spiritual-political capital with the Ark, but Gibeon remained the primary location for prescribed Mosaic sacrifices. This separation underscored the need for a unified, permanent central sanctuary—a role the Temple, soon to be built by Solomon, would fulfill on the very site of Ornan's threshing floor. The legitimacy of Gibeon as a high place at this time is further affirmed by Solomon's own offerings there after becoming king.

1 Chronicles 21 29 Word analysis

• For (כִּי - kî): This conjunction acts as an explanatory particle, providing the reason or cause for what has been implied or stated. In context, it explains why David couldn't go to Gibeon, giving the location of the vital sacrificial equipment.
• the tabernacle (מִשְׁכַּן - mishkān): Derived from the verb shākan (to dwell), this term refers to the portable sanctuary built according to God's precise instructions in the wilderness. It symbolized God's presence dwelling among His people. It housed the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, but not the Ark of the Covenant at this time, as the Ark was with David in Jerusalem.
• of the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His divine ownership and authority over the Tabernacle, underscoring its sacred and divinely appointed purpose. It differentiates it from any common tent or dwelling.
• and the altar of burnt offering (מִזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה - mizbaḥ hā-ʿôlāh): The large bronze altar located in the outer court of the Tabernacle, used for presenting whole burnt offerings (Lev 1). This was the primary altar for making atonement through sacrifice, indicating a fundamental component of Mosaic worship and highlighting its ongoing necessity.
• were on (הָיוּ עַל - hāyû ʿal): A simple statement of existence and location in the past tense. The imperfect tense in Hebrew (hayu) also conveys a sense of ongoing or continued presence at that location.
• the high place (הַבָּמָה - ha-bāmāh): This Hebrew term refers to an elevated cultic site. While later "high places" often became associated with illicit, syncretistic, or idolatrous worship (e.g., in Judges and Kings), some legitimate "high places" existed prior to the Temple's construction. Gibeon hosted the central Mosaic Tabernacle, legitimizing it for royal and priestly sacrifice, especially prior to the Temple.
• at Gibeon (בַּגִּבְעוֹן - ba-gib'ôn): A significant Levitical city and a large population center located approximately five miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was historically associated with Joshua's long day (Josh 10:12) and became a site where the Tabernacle resided after the destruction of Shiloh and later moves. Its status as a prominent legitimate place of worship before Solomon built the Temple is evident from 2 Chronicles 1:3-6.

Word-groups Analysis:

• "the tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering": This grouping identifies the core elements of Israelite worship according to the Mosaic Law. Their presence together indicates where the central, divinely ordained system of sacrifice and communion with God was to take place. The absence of the Ark from this pairing is significant, highlighting the unusual and temporary division of key sacred objects.
• "were on the high place at Gibeon": This phrase clearly states the geographic and topographic setting for the main legitimate worship center during David's reign, bridging the period between the portable Tabernacle's wandering and the construction of the permanent Temple in Jerusalem. It provides the reason for David's intended, yet hindered, course of action.

1 Chronicles 21 29 Bonus section

• The Dispersed Cultic Centers: During David's reign, there was a peculiar dispersal of sacred items: the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent in Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:1), while the main Tabernacle and bronze altar, consecrated in the wilderness, were located in Gibeon (1 Chr 16:39; 21:29). This fragmentation of worship symbols meant Israel didn't have a single, unified worship center until Solomon built the Temple.
• Divine Intervention and Providence: The census and the subsequent plague, while disciplinary, ultimately became a means for God to supernaturally guide David to the precise location for His future Temple. David’s fear preventing him from Gibeon (1 Chr 21:30) forced him to act upon God’s alternative instruction, revealing how God uses even negative events to fulfill His greater redemptive purposes for His people and the establishment of true worship.
• Preparation for the Temple: This verse, and the events surrounding it, serve as crucial historical links to the eventual construction of Solomon's Temple. It shows the reverence David had for proper worship locations, his willingness to adhere to God's chosen site (even when different from his original intent), and God's initiative in designating Mount Moriah as the permanent dwelling for His Name.

1 Chronicles 21 29 Commentary

This verse is essential for grasping the immediate historical context of David's response to the plague. The statement that the Tabernacle and its principal altar were located at Gibeon explains why David's initial impulse, following Gad's instruction, was to go there to offer sacrifices. However, the accompanying dread of the Angel of the Lord prevented him from doing so, forcing God to provide an alternate, divinely designated site: the threshing floor of Ornan. This redirection served God's sovereign plan, setting the stage for the construction of the future Temple on that very location. The presence of these sacred items at a "high place" indicates Gibeon's legitimacy as a central place of worship during this interim period, distinguishing it from illicit high places that drew the nation into idolatry. It illustrates God's grace in working through complex circumstances to achieve His redemptive purposes, ultimately centralizing true worship at the place He chose.