2 Samuel 24:15-25 – Atonement for David’s Last Great Sin

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church of Manhattan, KS, 19 Feb, 2023

Introduction

vs. 15-16 The Plague Is Ended by God

vs. 17-19 David Responds With Confession And Mediation

vs.20-23 Araunah Responds in Fear

vs. 24-25 God is appeased by Sacrificial Atonement



2 Samuel 24:15-25 Side-by side comparison of versionsA

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Brenton

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MT 1Chron21

15 καὶ ἡμέραι θερισμοῦ πυρῶν, καὶ ἔδωκεν κύρ­ιος ἐν Ισραηλ θάνατον ἀπὸ X πρωίθεν ἕως ὥρας ἀρίστου, καὶ ἤρξατο ἡ θραῦσις ἐν τῷ λαῷ, καὶ ἀπέ­θανεν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ἀπὸ Δαν καὶ ἕως Βηρ­σαβεε ἑβδομή­κοντα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν.

15 ... and they were the days of wheat-harvest; and the Lord sent a pestilence up­onB Israel from X morning tillC noon, and the plague began a­mong the people; and there died of the people from Dan even to Bersabee seventy thousand men.

15 And the Lord sent a pestilence uponD Israel, from the morn­ing unto the time ap­pointed, and there died of the people from Dan to Bersabee seventy thou­sand men.

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

15 So Yahweh bestowed a plague in Israel from that morning until the appointed time. And 70,000 men died from the people - from Dan even to Beersheba.

(טו) וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה דֶּבֶר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַבֹּקֶר וְעַד עֵת מוֹעֵדE וַיָּמָת מִן הָעָם מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ.

14 So Yahweh bestowed a plague in Israel, and 70,000 men fell from Israel.

(יד) וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה דֶּבֶר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
X X
X X

וַיִּ
פֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל X X X
X
שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ.

16 καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ [εἰς] Ιερουσαλημ τοῦ διαφθεῖραι αὐτήν, καὶ παρεκλήθη κύριος ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ καὶ εἶπεν τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῷ διαφθείροντι ἐν τῷ λαῷ Πολὺ νῦν, ἄνες τὴν χεῖρά σου· καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἦν παρὰ τῷ ἅλῳ Ορνα τοῦ Ιεβουσαίου.

16 And the angel of the Lord stretched out his hand [against] Jeru­salem to destroy it, and the Lord repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough now, withhold thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite.

16 And when the angel of the Lord had stretched out his hand [over] Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord had pity on the affliction, and said to the angel that slew the people: It is enough: now hold thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand [upon] Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented [him] of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing­place of Araunah the Jebusite.

16 Then the angel stretched out his hand {against} Jerusalem to destroy her, but Yahweh switched tactics concerning this calamity and said to the angel who was causing destruction among the people, “Enough. Drop your hand now.” And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

(טז) וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ Fיְרוּשָׁלַ‍ִם לְשַׁחֲתָהּ וַיִּנָּחֶםG יְהוָה אֶל הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִיתH בָּעָם רַב עַתָּה הֶרֶף יָדֶךָ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה Iהָיָה עִם גֹּרֶן ‎ הָאוֹרְנָהJ הַיְבֻסִיK.

15 And God commissioned an angel to Jerusalem to destroy her, and, as he destroyed, Yahweh watched, then He switched tactics concerning this calamity and said to the angel who was causing destruction, “Enough. Drop your hand now.” And the angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

(טו) וַיִּשְׁלַח הָאֱלֹהִים xמַלְאָךְ לִירוּשָׁלַ‍ִם לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ וּכְהַשְׁחִית רָאָה יְהוָה וַיִּנָּחֶם עַל הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית X רַב עַתָּה הֶרֶף יָדֶךָ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עֹמֵד עִם גֹּרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי.







16 Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between the earth and the heavens, with his sword drawn in his hand reaching against Jerusalem, so David fell down along with the elders upon their faces, covered in sackcloths.

(טז) וַיִּשָּׂא דָוִיד אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עֹמֵד בֵּין הָאָרֶץ וּבֵין הַשָּׁמַיִם וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ נְטוּיָה עַל יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ִם וַיִּפֹּל דָּוִידL וְהַזְּקֵנִים מְכֻסִּים בַּשַּׂקִּים עַל פְּנֵיהֶם.

17 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς κύριον ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν ἄγγελον τύπτ­οντα ἐν τῷ λαῷ καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι ἠδίκη­σα καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκακοποίησα, καὶ οὗτοι τὰ πρόβατα τί ἐποίησαν; γενέσθω δὴ ἡ χείρ σου ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου.

17 And David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel smiting X the people, and he said, Behold, it is I that have done wrong X X X X X X X XM, but these sheep what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray [thee], be upon me, and upon my father's house.

17 And David said to the Lord, when he saw the angel striking X the people X X: X It is I; I am he that have sinned, X I have done wickedly: these that are the sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I beseech [thee], be [turned] against me, and against my father's house.

17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote X the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray [thee], be against me, and against my father's house.

17 And David spoke to Yah­weh when he saw the angel striking among the people, and he said, “Look, it was I who sin­ned, and it was I who committed iniquity, but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s household!”

(יז) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל יְהוָה בִּרְאֹתוֹ אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּכֶּה בָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי חָטָאתִי וְאָנֹכִי Nהֶעֱוֵיתִי וְאֵלֶּה הַצֹּאן מֶה עָשׂוּ תְּהִי נָא יָדְךָ בִּי וּבְבֵית אָבִי.

17 Then David said to God, “Wasn’t it I who said to conduct a census among the people? So, I am the one who sinned, and the wrong was wrong that I caused, but these sheep, what have they done? Yahweh my God, please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s household, but with Your people please don’t let there be plague!

(יז) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים X X X הֲלֹא אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לִמְנוֹת בָּעָם X וַאֲנִי הוּא אֲשֶׁר חָטָאתִי וְהָרֵעַ הֲרֵעוֹתִי וְאֵלֶּה הַצֹּאן מֶה עָשׂוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי תְּהִי נָא יָדְךָ בִּי וּבְבֵית אָבִי וּבְעַמְּךָ לֹא לְמַגֵּפָה.

18 καὶ ἦλθεν Γαδ πρὸς Δαυιδ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἀνάβηθι [καὶ] στῆσον τῷ κυρίῳ θυσιαστήριον ἐν τῷ ἅλωνι Ορνα τοῦ Ιεβουσαίου.

18 And Gad came to David in that day, and said to him, Go up, [and] set up to the Lord an altar in the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite.

18 And Gad came to David X that day, and said X X: Go up, [andO] build an altar to the Lord in the thrashing­floor of Areuna the Jebusite.

18 And Gad came X that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

18 Then Gad came to David on that day and said to him, “Go up {and} erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor of Aranah the Jebusite.”

(יח) וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר Pלוֹ עֲלֵה Qהָקֵם לַיהוָה מִזְבֵּחַ בְּגֹרֶן‎ אֲרַנְיָהR הַיְבֻסִי.

18 Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Gad to say to David that David should go up to erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

(יח) וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה אָמַר אֶל גָּד לֵאמֹר לְדָוִיד X X X כִּי יַעֲלֶה דָוִיד לְהָקִים מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבֻסִי.

19 καὶ ἀνέβη Δαυιδ κατὰ τὸν λόγον Γαδ, καθ᾿ ὃν [τρόπον] ἐνετείλατο [αὐτῷ] κύριος.

19 And David went up accord­ing to the word of Gad, as X [] the Lord com­manded [him].

19 And David went up accord­ing to the word of Gad X which the Lord had com­manded [him].

19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as X the LORD commanded.

19 So David went up according to the word of Gad, according to what Yahweh had commanded.

(יט) וַיַּעַל דָּוִד כִּדְבַר גָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהS יְהוָה.

19 So David went up by the word of Gad which he had spoken in the name of Yahweh.

(יט) וַיַּעַל דָּוִיד בִּדְבַר גָּד xאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה.

20 καὶ διέκυψεν Ορνα καὶ εἶδεν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ παρα­πορευομένους ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ορνα καὶ προσεκύνησεν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

20 And Orna looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on before him: and Orna went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the earth.

20 And Areu­na lookedX , and saw the king and his servants coming X towards him:

21 And X going out he wor­shipped the king, [bowing with] his face to the earth,

20 And Arau­nah looked X, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

20 Presently Araunah looked down and saw the king with his servants crossing over toward him, so Araunah went forth and bowed down before the king with his nostrils to the ground.

(כ) וַיַּשְׁקֵף אֲרַוְנָה וַיַּרְא אֶת Tהַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת עֲבָדָיו עֹבְרִים עָלָיו וַיֵּצֵא אֲרַוְנָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אַפָּיו אָרְצָהU.

20 Presently, Ornan turned and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. (Now, Ornan had been threshing wheat.)

21 Then David came up to Ornan, and Ornan peered down and saw David, then he went forth from the threshing-floor and bowed down before David, nostrils to the ground.

(כ) וַיָּשָׁב אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ וְאַרְבַּעַת בָּנָיו עִמּוֹ מִתְחַבְּאִים וְאָרְנָן דָּשׁ חִטִּים.

(כא) וַיָּבֹא דָוִיד עַד אָרְנָן וַיַּבֵּט אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת דָּוִיד X X X X וַיֵּצֵא X מִן הַגֹּרֶן וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְדָוִיד אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה.

21 καὶ εἶπεν Ορνα Τί ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ; καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ Κτήσασθαι παρὰ σοῦ τὸν ἅλωνα τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ συσχεθῇ ἡ θραῦσις ἐπάνω τοῦ λαοῦ.

21 And Orna said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? and David said, To buy of thee the threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to the Lord that the plague may be restrained from off the people.

and X said: Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said [to him]: To buy the thrashingfloor of thee, and build an altar to the Lord, that the plague, [which rageth] among the people, may cease.

21 And Arau­nah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing­floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my master the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To purchase from you this threshing-floor in order to build an altar for Yahweh, that this loss may be mitigated from upon the people.”

(כא) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָהV מַדּוּעַ בָּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל עַבְדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לִקְנוֹת מֵעִמְּךָ אֶת הַגֹּרֶן לִבְנוֹת מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וְתֵעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל הָעָם.

22 Then David said to Ornan, “Please give to me the site of your threshing-floor so I may build an altar to Yahweh on it. In exchange for a full-amount of silver let it be given to me that this loss may be mitigated from upon the people.”

(כב) וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל אָרְנָן תְּנָה לִּי מְקוֹם הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶבְנֶה בּוֹ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא תְּנֵהוּ לִי וְתֵעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל הָעָם.

22 καὶ εἶπεν Ορνα πρὸς Δαυιδ Λαβέτω καὶ ἀνενεγκ­έτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλ­εὺς [τῷ κυρίῳ] τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ· ἰδοὺ οἱ βόες εἰς X ὁλοκαύτωμα, καὶ οἱ τροχοὶ καὶ τὰ σκεύη τῶν βοῶν εἰς X ξύλα.

22 And Orna said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer [to the Lord] that which is good in his eyes: behold, here are oxen for a whole-burnt-offering, and the wheels and furniture of the oxen for X wood.

22 And Areu­na said to David: Let my lord the king take, and offer, as it seemeth good to X X him: thou [hast] here oxen for a holocaust, and the wain, and the yokes of the oxen for X wood.

22 And Arau­nah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto X X him: behold, here be oxen for X burnt sacrifice, and X threshing instru­ments and other instruments of the oxen for X wood.

22 Then Araunah said to David, “Let my master the king take and offer up what is good in his eyes! See, the oxen can be for the whole-burnt-offering, and the thresh­ing-flails and the gear of the oxen can be for the wood!

(כב) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָה אֶל דָּוִד יִקַּח וְיַעַל אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב Wבְּעֵינָו רְאֵה הַבָּקָר לָעֹלָה וְהַמֹּרִגִּיםX וּכְלֵי הַבָּקָר לָעֵצִים.

23 Then Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and let my master the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I have donated the oxen for the whole-burnt-offerings and the threshing-flails for the wood, and the wheat for the grain-offering – all of it I donate!”

(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר אָרְנָן אֶל דָּוִיד קַח לָךְ וְיַעַשׂ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו רְאֵה נָתַתִּי הַבָּקָר לָעֹלוֹת וְהַמּוֹרִגִּים X X לָעֵצִים וְהַחִטִּים לַמִּנְחָה
הַכֹּל נָתָ
תִּי X X X.

23 τὰ πάντα ἔδωκεν Ορνα X X τῷ βασιλεῖ,

καὶ εἶπεν Ορνα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Κύρ­ιος ὁ θεός σου εὐλογήσαι σε.

23 Orna X X gave all to the king:


and Orna said to the king, The Lord thy God
bless thee.

23 All these things Areuna [as] a king gave to the king:
and Areuna said to the king: The Lord thy God receive thy
[vow].

23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king.
And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

23 All of it Araunah donates, O king, to the king!”
Araunah also said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you!”

(כג) הַכֹּל נָתַן אֲרַוְנָה הַמֶּלֶךְY לַמֶּלֶךְ
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָה אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִרְצֶךָZ
.

24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ορνα Οὐχί, ὅτι [ἀλλὰ] κτώμενος κτήσομαι παρὰ σοῦ ἐν ἀλλάγματι καὶ οὐκ ἀνοίσω τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ μου ὁλοκαύτ­ωμα δωρεάν· καὶ ἐκτήσατο Δαυιδ τὸν ἅλωνα καὶ τοὺς βόας ἐν ἀργυρίῳ σίκλων πεντήκοντα.

24 And the king said to Orna, Nay, X [but] I will surely buy it of thee at a [fair] price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God a whole-burnt-offeringX for nothing. So David pur­chased the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

24 And the king answered X him, and said: Nay, but I will buy it of thee, at a price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God holo­causts free cost. So David bought the Xfloor, and the oxen, for fifty sicles of silver:

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of [that which doth cost me] nothing. So David bought the threshing­floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

24 But the king said to Araunah, “No. For I must actually buy it off of you at cost, for I must not offer up to Yahweh my God unearned offerings.” So David purchased the threshing-floor and the oxen with 50 silver shekels.

(כד) וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל אֲרַוְנָה לֹא כִּי קָנוֹ אֶקְנֶה מֵאוֹתְךָ בִּמְחִיר וְלֹא אַעֲלֶה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהַי עֹלוֹת חִנָּם וַיִּקֶן דָּוִד אֶת הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶת הַבָּקָר בְּכֶסֶף שְׁקָלִים חֲמִשִּׁים.

24 But David the King said to Ornan, “No, for I must actually buy it with a full-amount of silver, because I must not lift up to Yahweh that which belongs to you, nor may I offer up unearned offerings.” 25 So in exchange for that place, David gave Ornan gold shekels in the amount of 600.

(כד) וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן לֹא כִּי קָנֹה אֶקְנֶה X בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא כִּי לֹא אֶשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר לְךָ לַיהוָה וְהַעֲלוֹת עוֹלָה חִנָּם.

(כה) וַיִּתֵּן דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן X בַּמָּקוֹם שִׁקְלֵי xזָהָב מִשְׁקָל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹתAA.

25 καὶ ᾠκοδόμ­ησεν ἐκεῖ Δαυιδ θυσιαστήριον κυρίῳ καὶ ἀν­ήνεγκεν ὁλο­καυτώσεις καὶ εἰρηνικάς· [καὶ προσέθηκεν Σαλωμων ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτῳ, ὅτι μικρὸν ἦν ἐν πρώτοις.] καὶ ἐπήκουσεν κύρ­ιος τῇ γῇ, καὶ συνεσχέθη ἡ θραῦσις ἐπάνω­θεν Ισραηλ.

25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: [and Solomon made an addi­tion to the altar afterwards, for it was little at first.] And the Lord hearkened to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered holo­causts and peace offer­ings: and the Lord became merciful to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offer­ings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

25 Then David built an altar to Yahweh there and offered up whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and Yahweh responded to prayers for the land, and the loss was mitigated from upon Israel.

(כה) וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִד מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיֵּעָתֵר יְהוָה לָאָרֶץAB וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל יִשְׂרָאֵלAC.

26 Then David built an altar to Yahweh there and offered up whole-burnt-offerings and peace offerings and called out to Yahweh, Who answered him with fire out of the heavens upon the altar of whole-burnt-offering!

27 And Yahweh spoke to the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

(כו) וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִיד מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיִּקְרָא אֶל יְהוָה וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ בָאֵשׁ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה.

(כז) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לַמַּלְאָךְ וַיָּשֶׁב חַרְבּוֹ אֶל נְדָנָהּ.







28 And at that mo­ment, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered-sacrifices there.

28 בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא בִּרְא֤וֹת דָּוִיד֙ כִּי־ עָנָ֣הוּ יְהוָ֔ה בְּגֹ֖רֶן אָרְנָ֣ן הַיְבוּסִ֑י וַיִּזְבַּ֖חAD שָֽׁם׃







29 Now, the dwelling-place of Yahweh (which Moses had made in the wilderness) and the altar for whole-burnt-offering were, at that time, at the high place in Gibeon,

29 וּמִשְׁכַּ֣ן יְ֠הוָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֙ה מֹשֶׁ֧ה בַמִּדְבָּ֛ר וּמִזְבַּ֥ח הָעוֹלָ֖ה בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא בַּבָּמָ֖ה בְּגִבְעֽוֹן׃







30 but David was not able to go before His presence to seek-guidance from God due to his being overwhelmed by the presence of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

30 וְלֹא־יָכֹ֥ל דָּוִ֛יד לָלֶ֥כֶת לְפָנָ֖יו לִדְרֹ֣שׁ אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י נִבְעַ֔ת מִפְּנֵ֕י חֶ֖רֶב מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה׃ ס







22:1 Then David said, “This is it: the house of the God Yahweh! Now let this be the altar for whole-burnt-offerings for Israel!”

22:1 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔יד זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְזֶה־מִּזְבֵּ֥חַ לְעֹלָ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס


1Including Matthew Henry (citing Bishop Patrick), Keil & Delitzsch (citing Kimchi), Targums, Arabic, & Syriac versions

2Along with Andrew Willett, John Gill, and Robert Jamieson

3Tsumura (NICOT) suggested that his name meant “lion,” putting down Mazar’s claim that it meant “lord.”

4Genesis 10:15-16 “Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth and the Jebusite and the Amorite...”
Exodus 34:11 "Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.”
Deut. 20:17 "But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you”
Josh. 3:10 Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. (NASB)

5Matthew Henry and John Gill came to the same conclusion (citing Montanus in support), as did Robert Jamieson and Goldman (Soncino commentary). Willett had basically the same idea. The Talmud claims that David exacted 50 shekels from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, thus 2 Sam. gives the per tribe amount, and 1 Chron. gives the total amount, but this doesn’t explain the difference between one being in gold and the other being in silver, and it is not in keeping with David’s principle of not offering other people’s stuff as an offering.

6Genesis 22:2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (NKJV)

72 Chron. 3:1 “Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at 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.” (NKJV)

AMy original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. NAW is my translation. When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics or greyed-out text, I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular. I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scrolls containing 2 Samuel 24 are 4Q51 Samuela containing parts of verses 16-22 and dated between 50-25 BC. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX or Vulgate with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.
In the parallel MT Hebrew readings from 1 Chron. 21, I have colored orange the words which are spelled differently and colored grey the words which are not in the 2 Sam. text. In most cases, the orange words are synonyms for the words in the 2 Sam. text. It is clear that the differences between them are not the result of accidental copy errors, but rather are a result of a purposeful editing process. Tsumura commented that in almost every case the Psalms edition uses standardized Hebrew spelling with full spellings of long vowel consonants, so it was written to be read, whereas the 2 Samuel edition would sound practically the same but was written to be heard. The 2 Sam. text seems to be the earlier edition, and 1 Chron. the later edition.

BLXX & Vaticanus literally “in.”

CThe Greek is literally “the hour of dinner,” as though the Hebrew were עת אכל.

DVulgate reads “in.”

EGreek and Old Latin read literally “until the hour of mealtime,” agreeing with the Talmud “until noon” (Ber. 62b). Syriac reads “until evening,” and Targums explain, “from the time when the daily burnt-offering was slain until its blood was sprinkled.” The Hebrew word moed could denote a time when parties meet together, and that could fit with the ending happening when David met God and the angel at Araunah’s place. (Goldman)

F1 Chron, LXX, Syriac, Targums, and Vulgate all insert a preposition here.

GCf. same verb in 1 Samuel 15:29 “(and, what's more, Israel shall be divided in two); He will not turn back and He will not switch tactics, for He is not a man to switch tactics.” (NAW)

Hcf. 1 Samuel 13:17 “Then the destruction/raiders/demolition-crew went forth from the Philistine position…”
cf. Isaiah 54:16b “...I myself created the destroyer to spoil.”
Westminster Morphology tags this word as a noun. Davidson’s Analytical as well as the Open Scriptures Morphology tag it as a Hiphil participle – which might or might not be a substantive (noun). Beall & Banks Parsing Guide tags it as Piel Infinitive construct. Pointing indicates that this is an adjective modifying “angel,” and there are disjunctive cantillations before and after “rav.”

IDSS = “standing” (עומד) which is also what the Syriac reads, but this is the reading of the 1 Chron. parallel passage, not of 2 Sam. The LXX, Vulgate, and Targums support the MT with “was at,” but the practical upshot is the same.

JThe MT, DSS, LXX, and Syriac of this verse, as well as the MT of 1 Chron. all support the short form of this name “Ornah” here, but Masoretic scribes switched the “r” and the “v/u” to match the way this name is spelled later in this chapter, which also adds a syllable in the middle of the name (הָאֲרַוְנָה), but only the Vulgate follows that here. Targums read both ways here.

KDSS inserts the text of 1 Chron. 21:16 here.

LDSS is obliterated at this point, but doesn’t have space to include this word. But even without the subject stated explicitly, David would still be assumed, since he is the subject of the first verb in the verse.

MVaticanus omits the second phrase which is in the MT and LXX, “And it is I who have become the evil doer.”

NDSS instead הרעה הרעתי which is the reading of 1 Ch 21:17.

OThis “and” is not actually in the Vulgate, just in Douay’s English translation. (It is also not in the MT.)

PDSS and Vulgate omit “to him.” It doesn’t change the meaning at all, though.

QDSS, Old Latin, and LXX insert “and,” but there is no such conjunction in the Syriac, Vulgate, or Targums. In 1 Chron., the MT has a lamed prepositional prefix instead. Vulgate (constitue) and Syriac (בני) indicate “build,” thus the NIV, but the Hebrew text of both 2 Sam. and 1 Chron. is from קום (“raise up”).

RAranyah. Qere spelling אֲרַוְנָה is what is followed in the Vulgate and in the standard English versions, but the LXX (Orna), Syriac (Aran), Targums (Arven) and 1 Chron. (Ornan) are more like the original MT. Names, however, are particularly susceptible to variant spellings because they are no more than sounds (which sound different in different languages), whereas other words have particular meanings that can be translated from one language to another with more continuity.

SCuriously, Vulgate, Syriac, and LXX all add a direct object “him,” but DSS supports the MT without the “him.”

TDSS follows 1 Chron. from here rather than 2 Sam.

Ucf. other such genuflections in Samuel: David to Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:41), David to Saul (24:9), Abigail to David (25:23, 41), Saul to the ghost (28:14), Woman of Tekoa to David (2 Sam. 14:4) Absalom to David (14:33), and Achimaaz to David (18:28).

VDSS appears to insert “to the king” here, but it doesn’t change the story at all, because he is already assumed to be speaking to David.

WQere suggests inserting a penultimate yod (בְּעֵינָיו) to make the plural more obvious, but this doesn’t affect the meaning.

XIt is curious that the Syriac (“ploughshare”), LXX (“wheels”), and Vulgate (“cart”) are so different from the MT (“threshing-flail/sledge-hammer/pulverizer”). Gill suggests a resolution in his commentary: “not flails, such as are used by us, but wooden sledges, drays or carts drawn on wheels, which were filled with stones, and the bottom of them stuck with iron teeth, and were drawn by oxen to and fro over the sheaves of corn.” The DSS becomes illegible before this part of the verse and there is no legible manuscript containing the rest of this chapter.

YLXX and Old Latin omit this duplicate “the king,” while the Syriac substitutes “David” for it. Older versions interpreted it that Araunah was “a king” (but the Hebrew definite article demands that it be interpreted “the king” if that were the case, and there is no circumstantial support from the text that he was a king). Newer versions interpret the he prefix to the Hebrew word for “king” as a vocative particle (“O”) instead of a definite article (“the”). The vocative interpretation is affirmed by Keil & Delitzsch.

ZAn echo of the statement in Leviticus 1:4 “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sacrifice to be burned up, and it will be accepted for him, to make atonement on his behalf.” (NAW) Vulgate (votum) and Targums (corban) add “gift,” but to accept the gift in this case is to accept the person. Syriac and LXX, on the other hand, read “bless,” but the concept isn’t too far distant.

AALXX and Syriac of the 1 Chron. passage agree with 2 Sam. at 50 shekels, but Vulgate supports the MT’s 600.

ABcf. the same phrase in 21:14 “...God [instead of Yahweh] responded to prayers for the land..”

ACThis repeats the phrase from v.21, except with “Israel” as the object instead of “the people,” but they are synonymous.

ADSyriac adds “many.”

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