Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 21:18
Then 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.
18. go up, and set up ] R.V. go up, and rear; cp. 2Sa 24:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It has been observed that it is only in books of a late period that Angels are brought forward as intermediaries between God and the prophets. This, no doubt, is true; and it is certainly unlikely that the records, from which the author of Chronicles drew, spoke of Gad as receiving his knowledge of Gods will from an angel. The touch may be regarded as coming from the writer of Chronicles himself, who expresses the fact related by his authorities in the language of his own day (see Zec 1:9, Zec 1:14, Zec 1:19; Zec 2:3; Zec 4:1; Zec 5:5; etc.); language, however, which we are not to regard as rhetorical, but as strictly in accordance with truth, since Angels were doubtless employed as media between God and the prophet as much in the time of David as in that of Zechariah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
18. the angel of the Lord commandedGad to sayThe order about the erection of an altar, as well asthe indication of its site, is described (2Sa24:18) as brought directly by Gad. Here we are informed of thequarter whence the prophet got his commission. It is only in thelater stages of Israel’s history that we find angels employed incommunicating the divine will to the prophets.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
See Gill “1Ch 21:1”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Ornan’s Threshing-Floor. | B. C. 1017. |
18 Then 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. 19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. 20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 And 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. 22 Then 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. 23 And 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. 24 And 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. 25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 26 And 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. 27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. 28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. 29 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. 30 But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
We have here the controversy concluded, and, upon David’s repentance, his peace made with God. Though thou wast angry with me, thy anger is turned away. 1. A stop was put to the progress of the execution, v. 15. When David repented of the sin God repented of the judgment, and ordered the destroying angel to stay his hand and sheath his sword, v. 27. 2. Direction was given to David to rear an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan, v. 18. The angel commanded the prophet Gad to bring David this direction. The same angel that had, in God’s name, carried on the war, is here forward to set on foot the treaty of peace; for angels do not desire the woeful day. The angel could have given this order to David himself; but he chose to do it by his seer, that he might put an honour upon the prophetic office. Thus the revelation of Jesus Christ was notified by the angel to John, and by him to the churches. The commanding of David to build an altar was a blessed token of reconciliation; for, if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have appointed, because he would not have accepted, a sacrifice at his hands. 3. David immediately made a bargain with Ornan for the threshing-floor; for he would not serve God at other people’s charge. Ornan generously offered it to him gratis, not only in complaisance to the king, but because he had himself seen the angel (v. 20), which so terrified him that he and his four sons hid themselves, as unable to bear the brightness of his glory and afraid of his drawn sword. Under these apprehensions he was willing to do anything towards making the atonement. Those that are duly sensible of the terrors of the Lord will do all they can, in their places, to promote religion, and encourage all the methods of reconciliation for the turning away of God’s wrath. 4. God testified his acceptance of David’s offerings on this altar; He answered him from heaven by fire, v. 26. To signify that God’s anger was turned away from him, the fire that might justly have fastened upon the sinner fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed that; and, upon this, the destroying sword was returned into its sheath. Thus Christ was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him God might be to us, not a consuming fire, but a reconciled Father. 5. He continued to offer his sacrifices upon this altar. The brazen altar which Moses made was at Gibeon (v. 29), and there all the sacrifices of Israel were offered; but David was so terrified at the sight of the sword of the angel that he could not go thither, v. 30. The business required haste, when the plague was begun. Aaron must go quickly, nay, he must run, to make atonement, Num 16:46; Num 16:47. And the case here was no less urgent; so that David had not time to go to Gibeon: nor durst he leave the angel with his sword drawn over Jerusalem, lest the fatal stroke should be given before he came back. And therefore God, in tenderness to him, bade him build an altar in that place, dispensing with his own law concerning one altar because of the present distress, and accepting the sacrifices offered on this new altar, which was not set up in opposition to that, but in concurrence with it. The symbols of unity were not so much insisted on as unity itself. Nay, when the present distress was over (as it should seem), David, as long as he lived, sacrificed there, though the altar at Gibeon was still kept up; for God had owned the sacrifices that were here offered and had testified his acceptance of them, v. 28. On those administrations in which we have experienced the tokens of God’s presence, and have found that he is with us of a truth, it is good to continue our attendance. “Here God had graciously met me, and therefore I will still expect to meet with him.”
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
see note on: 2Sa 24:18
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(18) Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David.Rather, Now the angel had told Gad to tell David. In Samuel, the mediation of the angel is not mentioned. There we read, And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, &c. No doubt it is only in the later prophetical books of the Canon that angels are introduced as the medium of communication between God and His prophets. (See Dan. 8:16, ix, 21; Zec. 1:9; Zec. 1:12, &c.; but comp. Jdg. 6:11; Jdg. 6:14; Jdg. 6:16, &c., and Gen. 18:1-2; Gen. 18:13; Gen. 32:24; Gen. 32:30.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(18-27) The purchase of Ornans threshingfloor as a place of sacrifice.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Sacrifice on Ornan’s Threshing-Floor.
v. 18. Then 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 threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, v. 19. And David went up at the saying of Gad which he spake in the name of the Lord.
v. 20. And Oman turned back, v. 21. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground, v. 22. And David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshing-floor, v. 23. And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes, v. 24. And 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. v. 25. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight v. 26. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, v. 27. And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof, v. 28. At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there, v. 29. 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, v. 30. But David could not go before it to enquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord;
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
1Ch 21:18 Then 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.
Ver. 18. Then the angel of the Lord. ] Not the destroying angel, saith Diodate, but the Son of God himself, who did appear to the prophets. E .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
He repented. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
Oman:or Araunah in 2Sa 24.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
1Ch 21:18-27
1Ch 21:18-27
THE PURCHASE OF THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ORNAN
“Then the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of Jehovah. And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons that were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build thereon an altar unto Jehovah: for the full price shalt thou give it me, that the plague may be stayed from the people. And 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 for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal-offering; I give it all. And 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 Jehovah, nor offer a burnt-offering without cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and called upon Jehovah; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering. And Jehovah commanded the angel: and he put up his sword again into the sheaf thereof.”
E.M. Zerr:
1Ch 21:18. The Lord heard the plea of David and decided to grant it. He was commanded through the prophet Gad, the national prophet at that time, to build an altar. It was to be built to the Lord, which means that the Lord was to be given some service by it. A threshing floor was an open space that was used on which to pile the harvested grain, to beat it in the process of separating the chaff from the grain. There could have been other places just as suitable for the erection of an altar, but the Lord had a special purpose in mind when he directed that David use this place.
1Ch 21:19-20. Turned back comes from one original and means that Ornan looked up from his threshing and beheld the angel, (in the form of a man), and he and his sons were so shocked at the sight that they hid themselves. Wheat threshing was a very important work, and Ornan would not have paused in it had the circumstances not been unusually impressive.
1Ch 21:21. Ornan must have recognized David on sight, and followed the prevailing custom of bowing in a gesture of profound respect.
1Ch 21:22. God’s instructions for David to build the altar at this particular place brought him in contact with the owner, since it was the threshing time and he would be on the ground then. That gave him opportunity for proposing the purchasing of the property. Full price meant he wanted to pay the actual value of the real estate, not merely a “token” payment. David not only told Ornan the use he wished to make of the ground, but also the result he hoped to accomplish; to turn away the plague from the people.
1Ch 21:23. Oman was a Jebusite which means he was of the ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem. He doubtless was familiar with the practices of the worshipers under the Mosaic system of altar service. He wished to contribute the articles for the service by donating the ground as a site for the altar. Besides that, he knew that the law called for animals for the blood sacrifices, and offered the oxen for the purpose. These animals were being used at that moment in the threshing. The work was done by heaping the reaped straw on the ground, then driving the oxen round and round to trample out the grain from the husk so that the wind could separate the wheat from the chaff. (Dent. 25:4.) Threshing instruments. The second word does not appear in the original. as a separate word. The two are from a Hebrew word that means “a sledge.” It was used to haul the crop from the field to the threshing floor. It was made of wood and Oman was willing for it to be used for fire in the sacrifice. The law provided for meat (meal or grain) offering, and the material for such an offering was naturally available since the work of threshing was going on then. We can thus see that “all things were ready” for an important religious performance. Ornan offered to contribute the entire list free of charge for David’s use.
1Ch 21:24. In this verse David gives us a view of what constitutes a genuine sacrifice. Unless we give up something of value, or give that which costs us some real value, we have not made any sacrifice. Many professed servants of God shrink from a service that would interfere with their personal interests. When they have looked after all of their personal matters, if there is any time or money left, they want to offer it to God. Such conduct puts God second in the line and there is no evidence that service offered on such terms will be accepted.
1Ch 21:25. By weight means that no guessing was done as to the price to be paid for the property. After the full price of it had been determined, the amount was exchanged on a legal basis according to the established table of weights and measures.
1Ch 21:26. Called upon the Lord is in connection with the offerings said David made on the altar. That indicates that calling upon the Lord consists in more than merely speaking his name. There must be some practical evidence of devotion if one expects the Lord to recognize the “call.” It is the same today, and we have a specific instance of the subject in Acts and burnt offerings 22:16. These peace offerings are described in Leviticus 1, 3.
1Ch 21:27. The Lord was entreated by the offerings of David, and commanded the destroying angel to cease the use of his sword.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
angel
(See Scofield “Heb 1:4”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the angel: 1Ch 21:11, Act 8:26-40
that David: 1Ch 21:15, 2Sa 24:18, 2Ch 3:1
Reciprocal: 1Ch 22:1 – This is the house Ezr 2:68 – in his place
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ch 21:18. The angel commanded that David should go and set up an altar This command was a blessed token of reconciliation. For if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have commanded, because he would not have accepted, a sacrifice at his hands.