The counting of the people described in this chapter and the subsequent plague are described in 2Samuel Chapter 24, with some sharp deviations, the most startling of them being in the first and fifth verses.

וַיַּעֲמֹד שָׂטָן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּסֶת אֶת־דָּוִיד לִמְנוֹת אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:1

1Chr. 21:1   And Satan stood up against Israel and enticed David to number Israel.

In 2Sam. 24:1, the Lord is responsible for instigating the counting.  Here it is Satan.  Apparently the chronicler was unwilling to blame God for the subsequent plague that followed the counting.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־יוֹאָב וְאֶל־שָׂרֵי הָעָם לְכוּ סִפְרוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וְעַד־דָּן וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלַי   21:2

  וְאֵדְעָה אֶת־מִסְפָּרָם׃

1Chr. 21:2   And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go number Israel from Beer-sheba and up to Dan, and bring to me so I know their total.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב יוֹסֵף יְהוָה עַל־עַמּוֹ כָּהֵם מֵאָה פְעָמִים הֲלֹא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֻּלָּם לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים לָמָּה   21:3

יְבַקֵּשׁ זֹאת אֲדֹנִי לָמָּה יִהְיֶה לְאַשְׁמָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Chr. 21:3   And Joab said, “Let the Lord increase His people a hundred times more than them, but my lord, the king, are not all of them my lord's servants?  Why would my lord seek this?  Why would he be for guilt to Israel?”

וּדְבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ חָזַק עַל־יוֹאָב וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃   21:4

1Chr. 21:4   But the word of the king prevailed against Joab, and Joab departed and went about throughout all of Israel, then came to Jerusalem.

וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת־מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד־הָעָם אֶל־דָּוִיד וַיְהִי כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף   21:5

  חֶרֶב וִיהוּדָה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף חָרֶב׃

1Chr. 21:5   and Joab gave the total of the number of people to David, and all of Israel was a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men drawing sword, and of Judah four hundred and seventy thousand men drawing sword.

The numbers given in this verse are not those of 2Sam. 24:9.  Different numbers are given there for both Israel and Judah:  Eight hundred thousand vs. one million one hundred thousand, and five hundred thousand vs. four hundred and seventy thousand.

וְלֵוִי וּבִנְיָמִן לֹא פָקַד בְּתוֹכָם כִּי־נִתְעַב דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־יוֹאָב׃   21:6

1Chr. 21:6   But Levi and Benjamin, he did not number among them, for the word of the king was abhorrent with Joab.

This verse is completely absent from 2Samuel Chapter 24.  There is no consensus on why Joab didn’t number the Benjamites, but it is assumed likely that he didn’t number the Levites because they were supposed to be exempt from military service.

וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיַּךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:7

1Chr. 21:7   And he was evil in the eyes of God because of this matter, and He smote Israel.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הַעֲבֶר־נָא אֶת־עֲווֹן   21:8

 עַבְדְּךָ כִּי נִסְכַּלְתִּי מְאֹד׃

1Chr. 21:8   And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly that I have done this thing, but now please pass over the iniquity of Your servant, for I was exceedingly foolish.”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־גָּד חֹזֵה דָוִיד לֵאמֹר׃   21:9

1Chr. 21:9   And the Lord spoke to Gad, the seer of David, saying,

לֵךְ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶל־דָּוִיד לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שָׁלוֹשׁ אֲנִי נֹטֶה עָלֶיךָ בְּחַר־לְךָ אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה   21:10

 וְאֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ׃

1Chr. 21:10   “Go, and you shall speak to David saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:  ‘Three things I am offering to you.  Choose for yourself one from them that I will do to you.

וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל־דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה קַבֶּל־לָךְ׃   21:11

1Chr. 21:11   Then Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord:  ‘Accept for yourself

אִם־שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים רָעָב וְאִם־שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים נִסְפֶּה מִפְּנֵי־צָרֶיךָ וְחֶרֶב אוֹיְבֶךָ לְמַשֶּׂגֶת וְאִם־שְׁלֹשֶׁת   21:12

 יָמִים חֶרֶב יְהוָה וְדֶבֶר בָּאָרֶץ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה מַשְׁחִית בְּכָל־גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַתָּה רְאֵה מָה־אָשִׁיב אֶת־שֹׁלְחִי

 דָּבָר׃

1Chr. 21:12   either three years of famine, or three months of being swept away from before your foes as the sword of your enemies will be overtaking, or three days of the sword of the Lord, with pestilence throughout the land and an angel of the Lord destroying within every border of Israel.  So now consider.  What word should I return my Sender?”

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־גָּד צַר־לִי מְאֹד אֶפְּלָה־נָּא בְיַד־יְהוָה כִּי־רַבִּים רַחֲמָיו מְאֹד וּבְיַד־אָדָם אַל־אֶפֹּל׃   21:13

1Chr. 21:13   And David said to Gad, “My distress is too much.  I must fall now into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are exceedingly abundant, and not fall into the hand of man.”

וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה דֶּבֶר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ׃   21:14

1Chr. 21:14   And the Lord set a pestilence in Israel, and seventy thousand men fell from Israel.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הָאֱלֹהִים מַלְאָךְ לִירוּשָׁלִַם לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ וּכְהַשְׁחִית רָאָה יְהוָה וַיִּנָּחֶם עַל־הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶרְ   21:15

לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית רַב עַתָּה הֶרֶף יָדֶךָ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עֹמֵד עִם־גֹּרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי׃

1Chr. 21:15   And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was destroying, the Lord reconsidered, and He was “sorry” about the evil, and He said to the destroying angel, “Enough!  Withdraw your hand now.”  And the angel of the Lord remained standing beside the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.

This verse is reminiscent of 2Sam. 24:16, except that the threshing floor belongs to Araunah, the Jebusite, there, not Ornan.  Ornan’s name is mentioned only in this chapter, except for an isolated reference in 2Chr. 3:1.

וַיִּשָּׂא דָוִיד אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עֹמֵד בֵּין הָאָרֶץ וּבֵין הַשָּׁמַיִם וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ   21:16

 נְטוּיָהְ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּפֹּל דָּוִיד וְהַזְּקֵנִים מְכֻסִּים בַּשַּׂקִּים עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם׃

1Chr. 21:16   And David raised his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heavens with his sword drawn in his hand outstretched over Jerusalem.  And David fell, and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, on their faces.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים הֲלֹא אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לִמְנוֹת בָּעָם וַאֲנִי־הוּא אֲשֶׁר־חָטָאתִי וְהָרֵעַ הֲרֵעוֹתִי   21:17

וְאֵלֶּה הַצֹּאן מֶה עָשׂוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי תְּהִי נָא יָדְךָ בִּי וּבְבֵית אָבִי וּבְעַמְּךָ לֹא לְמַגֵּפָה׃

1Chr. 21:17   And David said to God, “Did I not command to count among the people?  Then it is I who has sinned and been very wicked.  But these sheep, what have they done?  Lord, my God!  Let Your hand be on me and on the house of my father, I pray, but not on Your people to be smitten.”

וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה אָמַר אֶל־גָּד לֵאמֹר לְדָוִיד כִּי יַעֲלֶה דָוִיד לְהָקִים מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבֻסִי׃   21:18

1Chr. 21:18   And the angel of the Lord spoke to Gad to say to David that he should go up to erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.

וַיַּעַל דָּוִיד בִּדְבַר־גָּד אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה׃   21:19

1Chr. 21:19   So David went up according to the word of Gad which he spoke in the name of the Lord.

וַיָּשָׁב אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמַּלְאָךְ וְאַרְבַּעַת בָּנָיו עִמּוֹ מִתְחַבְּאִים וְאָרְנָן דָּשׁ חִטִּים׃   21:20

1Chr. 21:20   And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and four of his sons with him were hiding as Ornan was threshing wheat.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִיד עַד־אָרְנָן וַיַּבֵּט אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת־דָּוִיד וַיֵּצֵא מִן־הַגֹּרֶן וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְדָוִיד אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה׃   21:21

1Chr. 21:21   When David came up to Ornan, then Ornan looked, and he saw David, and he came out from the threshing floor and bowed down to David, nostrils to the ground.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־אָרְנָן תְּנָה־לִּי מְקוֹם הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶבְנֶה־בּוֹ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא תְּנֵהוּ לִי וְתֵעָצַר   21:22

 הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל הָעָם׃

1Chr. 21:22   And David said to Ornan, “Sell me the threshing-floor place that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; you must sell it to me at full price.  Then the plague will be withheld from the people.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אָרְנָן אֶל־דָּוִיד קַח־לָךְ וְיַעַשׂ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו רְאֵה נָתַתִּי הַבָּקָר לָעֹלוֹת וְהַמּוֹרִגִּים   21:23

לָעֵצִים וְהַחִטִּים לַמִּנְחָה הַכֹּל נָתָתִּי׃

1Chr. 21:23   And Ornan said to David, “Take for yourself, that my lord, the king, can do what is good in his eyes.  Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for wood and the wheat for the meal offering.  I give the whole thing.”

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן לֹא כִּי־קָנֹה אֶקְנֶה בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא כִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ לַיהוָה וְהַעֲלוֹת   21:24

 עוֹלָה חִנָּם׃

1Chr. 21:24   But the king, David, said to Ornon, “No, for I can only buy at full price, but I cannot take what is yours for the Lord and offer a burnt offering without cost.”

וַיִּתֵּן דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן בַּמָּקוֹם שִׁקְלֵי זָהָב מִשְׁקָל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃   21:25

1Chr. 21:25   Then David gave to Ornan for the place shekels of gold of a weight of six hundred.

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִיד מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־יְהוָה וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ בָאֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל   21:26

מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה׃

1Chr. 21:26   And David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.  And he called to the Lord, and He answered him in the fire from the heavens on the altar of burnt offering.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לַמַּלְאָךְ וַיָּשֶׁב חַרְבּוֹ אֶל־נְדָנָהּ׃   21:27

1Chr. 21:27   And the Lord spoke to the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא בִּרְאוֹת דָּוִיד כִּי־עָנָהוּ יְהוָה בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי וַיִּזְבַּח שָׁם׃   21:28

1Chr. 21:28   At that time, on David seeing that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.                                               [Return to 1Chr. 22:1]

וּמִשְׁכַּן יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה בַמִּדְבָּר וּמִזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא בַּבָּמָה בְּגִבְעוֹן׃   21:29

1Chr. 21:29   Now the Tabernacle of the Lord that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon,

וְלֹא־יָכֹל דָּוִיד לָלֶכֶת לְפָנָיו לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים כִּי נִבְעַת מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה׃   21:30

1Chr. 21:30   but David was not willing to go before it to inquire of God as he was terrified by the presence of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

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