1 Chronicles 21:13

1 Chronicles 21:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

Context of 1 Chronicles 21:13

11When Gad came to David, he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your pick: 12either three years of famine, or three months during which your enemies will chase you away when their swords catch up to you, or three days of the Lord’s sword—a plague in the land with the Messenger of the Lord destroying the whole country of Israel.’ Decide what answer I should give the one who sent me.” “I’m in a desperate situation,” David told Gad. “Please let me fall into the Lord’s hands because he is extremely merciful. But don’t let me fall into human hands.” 14So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelites died. 15God also sent a Messenger to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was destroying it, the Lord reconsidered and changed his mind about the disaster. “Enough!” he said to the destroying Messenger. “Put down your weapon.” The Messenger of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

1 Chronicles 21:13 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛יד אֶל־גָּ֖ד צַר־לִ֣י מְאֹ֑ד אֶפְּלָה־נָּ֣א בְיַד־יְהוָ֗ה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֤ים רַחֲמָיו֙ מְאֹ֔ד וּבְיַד־אָדָ֖ם אַל־אֶפֹּֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Gadגָּדgâd · GadH1410
• I am in a greatמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• straitצָרַרtsârar · to confineH6887
• let me fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• now into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• greatרַבrab · manyH7227
• his merciesרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120

Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 21:13

• 2 Kings 6:15When the servant of the man of God got up in the morning and went outside, he saw troops, horses, and chariots surrounding the city. Elisha’s servant asked, “Master, what should we do?”
• 2 Kings 7:4If we go into the city, the famine is also there, and we’ll still die. But if we stay here, we’ll die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they give us something to keep us alive, we’ll live. But if they kill us, we’ll die anyway.”
• Esther 4:11“All the king’s advisers and the people in the king’s provinces know that no one approaches the king in the throne room without being summoned. By law that person must be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to him will he live. I, myself, have not been summoned to enter the king’s presence for 30 days now.”
• John 12:27“I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’? No! I came for this time of suffering.
• Philippians 1:23I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice.
• Hebrews 10:31Falling into the hands of the living God is a terrifying thing.
• Exodus 34:6Then he passed in front of Moses, calling out, “The Lord, the Lord, a compassionate and merciful God, patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.
• Psalms 5:7But I will enter your house because of your great mercy. Out of reverence for you, I will bow toward your holy temple.
• Psalms 51:1Have pity on me, O God, in keeping with your mercy. In keeping with your unlimited compassion, wipe out my rebellious acts.
• Psalms 69:13May my prayer come to you at an acceptable time, O Lord. O God, out of the greatness of your mercy, answer me with the truth of your salvation.
• Psalms 86:5You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you.
• Psalms 103:8The Lord is compassionate, merciful, patient, and always ready to forgive.
• Psalms 106:7When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles. They did not remember your numerous acts of mercy, so they rebelled at the sea, the Red Sea.
• Psalms 130:7O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, because with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is unlimited forgiveness.
• Isaiah 55:7Let wicked people abandon their ways. Let evil people abandon their thoughts. Let them return to the Lord, and he will show compassion to them. Let them return to our God, because he will freely forgive them.
• Isaiah 63:7I will acknowledge the Lord’s acts of mercy, and ⌞sing⌟ the praises of the Lord, because of everything that the Lord has done for us. He has done many good things for the nation of Israel because of his compassion and his unlimited mercy.

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13David said - I am in a great strait - The Targum reasons thus: "And David said to Gad, If I choose famine, the Israelites may say, The granaries of David are full of corn; neither doth he care should the people of Israel die with hunger. And if I choose war, and fly before an enemy, the Israelites may say, David is a strong and warlike man, and he cares not though the people of Israel should fall by the sword. I am brought into a great strait; I will…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-30This account of the census is similar to 2 Samuel 24:1–25 but focuses on different aspects. The Chronicler’s version sets the stage for dedicating the altar and preparing to build the temple (1 Chronicles 22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. let me fall now into the hand of the Lord ... let me not fall into the hand of man--Experience had taught him that human passion and vengeance had no bounds, whereas our wise and gracious Father in heaven knows the kind, and regulates the extent, of chastisement which every one needs.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Chronicles 21:13

• Choice
• Gad
• Nation

In the dictionaries

• David
• Gad
• Advise
• Cost
• Displease
• Grant
• Require
• Temptation
• Chronicles, Books of
• Genealogy

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings