1Ch 21:1
21:1 And {a} Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David
     to number Israel.

     (a) He tempted David, in setting before his eyes his
         excellency and glory, his power and victories,
         see @2Sa 24:1.

1Ch 21:2
21:2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go,
     number Israel from {b} Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the
     number of them to me, that I may know [it].

     (b) That is, from south to north.

1Ch 21:3
21:3 And 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 {c}
     trespass to Israel?

     (c) It was a thing indifferent and usual to number the
         people, but because he did it for ambitious reasons, as
         though his strength stood in his people, God punished
         him.

1Ch 21:5
21:5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto
     David. And all [they of] Israel were {d} a thousand
     thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and
     Judah [was] {e} four hundred threescore and ten thousand
     men that drew sword.

     (d) Joab partly for grief and partly through negligence
         gathered not the whole sum as it is here declared.
     (e) In Samuel 30,000 more are mentioned, which was either
         by joining to them some of the Benjamites who were
         mixed with Judah, or as the Hebrews write, here the
         chief and princes are left out.

1Ch 21:15
21:15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and
      {f} as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he {g}
      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.

      (f) Read @2Sa 24:16.
      (g) When God draws back his plagues, he seems to repent,
          read @Ge 6:6.

1Ch 21:17
21:17 And 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 {h} thy
      people, that they should be plagued.

      (h) Thus he both shows a true repentance and a fatherly
          care toward his people, who desire God to spare them,
          and to punish him and his.

1Ch 21:20
21:20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four
      sons with him {i} hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing
      wheat.

      (i) If man hides himself at the sight of an angel who is a
          creature, how much more as a sinner able to appear
          before the face of God?

1Ch 21:22
21:22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of [this]
      threshingfloor, that I may build an {k} altar therein unto
      the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that
      the plague may be stayed from the people.

      (k) This he did by the command of God, @1Ch 21:18, or
          else it would have been abominable, unless he had
          either God's word, or revelation.

1Ch 21:24
21:24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy
      it for the full {l} price: for I will not take [that]
      which [is] thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings
      without cost.

      (l) That is, as much as it is worth: for having enough of
          his own, and yet to have taken of another man's goods
          to offer to the Lord would had been theft and not
          acceptable to God.

1Ch 21:25
21:25 So David gave to Ornan for the place {m} six hundred
      shekels of gold by weight.

      (m) Read @2Sa 24:24.

1Ch 21:26
21:26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered
      burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the
      LORD; and he {n} answered him from heaven by fire upon the
      altar of burnt offering.

      (n) God declared that he heard his request, in that he
          sent down fire from heaven for they could use no fire
          in sacrifice but that which was reserved still upon
          the altar, @Le 6:13 and came down from heaven,
          @Le 9:24 as appeared by the punishment of Nadab
          and Abihu, @Le 10:1.



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