1 Chronicles 21
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
8And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
20And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24And 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.
25So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29For 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.
30But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- דָּוִדDâvidH173224× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH306823× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- אָמַרʼâmarH55918× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- אֵלʼêlH41315× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- אֵתʼêthH85313× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- אׇרְנָןʼOrnânH77111× in this chapter
Ornan, a Jebusite
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH347810× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- עַלʻalH592110× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- מֲלְאָךְmălʼâkH43979× in this chapter
a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)
- כִּיkîyH35888× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- חֶרֶבcherebH27197× in this chapter
drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement
- לֹאlôʼH38087× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- נָתַןnâthanH54147× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- רָאָהrâʼâhH72007× in this chapter
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
- דָּבָרdâbârH16976× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- יוֹאָבYôwʼâbH30976× in this chapter
Joab, the name of three Israelites
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4306× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- עַםʻamH59716× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- גָּדGâdH14105× in this chapter
Gad, a son of Jacob, including his tribe and its territory; also a prophet
- גֹּרֶןgôrenH16375× in this chapter
a threshing-floor (as made even); by analogy, any open area
- יָדyâdH30275× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- כֹּלkôlH36055× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- מִזְבֵּחַmizbêachH41965× in this chapter
an altar
- מֶלֶךְmelekH44285× in this chapter
a king
- אֶלֶףʼelephH5055× in this chapter
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
- עֹלָהʻôlâhH59305× in this chapter
a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62135× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8345× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- אָדוֹןʼâdôwnH1134× in this chapter
sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)
- הָלַךְhâlakH19804× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- מְאֹדmᵉʼôdH39664× in this chapter
properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)
- מֵאָהmêʼâhH39674× in this chapter
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
- מָהmâhH41004× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- נָפַלnâphalH53074× in this chapter
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
- עָלָהʻâlâhH59274× in this chapter
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64404× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- שָׁחַתshâchathH78434× in this chapter
to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)
- שָׁלוֹשׁshâlôwshH79694× in this chapter
three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9354× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- דָבַרdâbarH16963× in this chapter
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue