2 Samuel 24:19 kjv
And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2 Samuel 24:19 nkjv
So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2 Samuel 24:19 niv
So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.
2 Samuel 24:19 esv
So David went up at Gad's word, as the LORD commanded.
2 Samuel 24:19 nlt
So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him.
2 Samuel 24 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 24:18 | And Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." | Gad delivers God's specific instruction. |
| 1 Chr 21:18 | Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. | Confirms divine origin of Gad's message. |
| 2 Chr 3:1 | Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. | Identifies the site as the Temple location. |
| Gen 22:2-3 | He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac...and offer him there as a burnt offering." So Abraham rose early in the morning... | Example of immediate obedience to divine command. |
| Exod 19:8 | And all the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." | Israel's covenant commitment to obey God's word. |
| Deut 13:4 | You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. | General principle of obedience to God's voice. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... | Emphasis on obedience as paramount to ritual. |
| Num 16:47-48 | And Aaron took it...and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had begun...And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. | Priestly action (or altar/sacrifice) to stop a plague. |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls... | Blood as means of atonement, necessitating an altar. |
| Isa 59:2 | But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you... | Sin's consequence (plague) leading to separation. |
| Psa 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. | Contrast with David's census (trusting in numbers, not God). |
| Jer 1:7 | But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." | Prophet's mandate: speak only what God commands. |
| Zech 1:16 | Therefore thus says the Lord, Now I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts... | God's choice of Jerusalem as the site for His dwelling. |
| Jon 3:10 | When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. | God relents when there is repentance and obedient action. |
| Rom 5:10 | For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. | Atonement as reconciliation. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | The necessity of sacrifice for forgiveness. |
| Heb 10:10-14 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all...By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. | Christ's sacrifice as the ultimate fulfillment of atonement. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Exhortation to act on God's word, paralleling David's action. |
| 1 Jn 2:3-4 | And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar... | Knowing God is demonstrated by obedience to His commands. |
| Rev 21:3 | Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them... | Ultimate dwelling of God with His people, prefigured by the Temple site. |
2 Samuel 24 verses
2 Samuel 24 19 Meaning
This verse states that King David immediately ascended to the threshing floor of Araunah, as instructed by the prophet Gad. The crucial aspect is that Gad's word was not his own, but a direct command from the Lord. David's ascent marked an act of immediate and complete obedience to divine instruction, leading to the prescribed atonement for his sin of taking a census.
2 Samuel 24 19 Context
The verse immediately follows the climax of a severe divine judgment upon Israel. David, incited by the Lord (and parallel text in 1 Chr 21:1 by Satan, permitted by God), ordered a census, an act likely born of pride, a lack of trust in God's provision, or a desire to expand his military strength beyond God's will. This sin provoked God's anger, resulting in a three-day plague that killed 70,000 Israelites. As the angel of the Lord prepared to destroy Jerusalem, God relented and instructed Gad, David's seer, to command David to go to the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite and build an altar there. Verse 19 records David's immediate, faithful response to this divine directive, acting as a crucial pivot from divine judgment to divine grace and the establishment of a hallowed site. This threshing floor would later become the site of Solomon's magnificent Temple, making this verse foundational to Jerusalem's religious significance.
2 Samuel 24 19 Word analysis
- So David went up (וַיַּעַל דָּוִד, wayya'al Dawid): The Hebrew verb alah (עלֹה), "to go up" or "to ascend," implies movement towards a higher or more significant place, often carrying spiritual or ritual connotations. In this context, it signifies David's journey to the designated sacred site. "So" indicates a direct consequence and immediate action following the previous divine command conveyed by Gad in 2 Sam 24:18. David's promptness demonstrates a posture of repentance and obedience.
- according to the word (כְּדְבַר, kidevár): The preposition ke- (as, according to) joined with davár (word, matter, thing) emphasizes adherence to the specific instructions given. This highlights that David's action was not his own initiative, but a direct implementation of a divinely articulated plan. It signifies conformity and submission.
- of Gad (גָּד, Gad): Gad was a prophet, often referred to as David's seer (e.g., 1 Sam 22:5; 1 Chr 29:29). His role was to convey God's direct messages and commands to David. The phrase underlines the authoritative prophetic channel through which God communicated His will to the king. His trustworthiness as God's messenger is implicit.
- as the Lord (כַּאֲשֶׁר יְהוָה, ka'asher YHVH): The phrase ka'asher (as, just as, inasmuch as) strongly reinforces the direct divine origin of the command. The divine name YHVH (often pronounced Yahweh or rendered as LORD in English Bibles) signifies the covenant-keeping God of Israel, the ultimate authority. This clarifies that Gad was merely God's mouthpiece.
- commanded (צִוָּה, tzivah): This is a strong Hebrew verb meaning "to command, order, give charge." It denotes a definitive and authoritative directive from a superior, requiring obedience without question or delay. It highlights the divine prerogative and David's responsive humility.
- "according to the word of Gad, as the Lord commanded": This entire phrase forms a crucial theological statement. It firmly establishes the divine authority behind Gad's prophecy. It means Gad did not speak on his own but merely relayed God's specific and binding command. This removes any ambiguity regarding the source of the instruction and elevates Gad's message to a direct divine revelation, necessitating absolute obedience from David. It validates Gad's prophetic ministry and underscores God's active involvement in human affairs, even in dictating the means of atonement.
2 Samuel 24 19 Bonus section
- The Unveiling of the Temple Site: This verse, along with 2 Samuel 24:18-25 and its parallel in 1 Chronicles 21:18-28, marks the divinely chosen and consecrated location for the future Jerusalem Temple. Before this, God's dwelling was in the Tabernacle. David's sin, judgment, and atonement process were providentially used by God to pinpoint the permanent site for His sanctuary. This emphasizes God's sovereign plan even amidst human failure.
- Divine "Command" as Grace: While a "command" usually signifies an order, in this context, it is also a merciful divine instruction. God did not simply exact punishment; He provided a way for it to cease and for reconciliation to occur, underscoring His restorative justice. The command to build an altar was God's direct provision for propitiation and purification for the people and land.
- David as a Prototype: David's swift obedience foreshadows the type of king God desired for Israel—one who would quickly and wholeheartedly follow His directives. This becomes a benchmark for evaluating future kings, distinguishing obedient kings from disobedient ones who often ignored prophetic warnings and commands.
2 Samuel 24 19 Commentary
2 Samuel 24:19 powerfully encapsulates David's humble and immediate response to God's disciplinary actions and the prescribed path to atonement. Following a devastating plague caused by his presumptuous census, David was directed by the prophet Gad, an unquestionable messenger of God, to construct an altar at a specific location: Araunah's threshing floor. This verse is concise but profoundly significant: "So David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord commanded." It showcases David's model of obedient submission even in distress, acknowledging that the prophetic word was undeniably God's direct voice. This instant compliance was critical, as the divine instruction came at a moment of national crisis and judgment. David's obedience here is not just about building an altar; it's about the king modeling humble repentance and absolute trust in God's revealed will as the means to cessation of judgment and restoration of favor. This obedience paved the way for the chosen site to become Israel's spiritual center—the location for the future Temple, divinely consecrated by a critical act of repentance and sacrifice. The act underscores that true repentance leads to direct, active, and specific obedience to God's redemptive instructions.