New English Translation
1 Chronicles 21:12
12three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the Lord’s messenger will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”
1 Chronicles 21:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
- New International Version (NIV)three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
Context of 1 Chronicles 21:12
10“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’” 11Gad went to David and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pick one of these: three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the Lord’s messenger will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” 13David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!” 14So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 211 Chronicles 21:12 word by word
אִם־שָׁל֨וֹשׁ שָׁנִ֜ים רָעָ֗ב וְאִם־שְׁלֹשָׁ֨ה חֳדָשִׁ֜ים נִסְפֶּ֥ה מִפְּנֵי־צָרֶיךָ֮ וְחֶ֣רֶב אוֹיְבֶ֣ךָ׀ לְמַשֶּׂגֶת֒ וְאִם־שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָ֠מִים חֶ֣רֶב יְהוָ֤ה וְדֶ֙בֶר֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּמַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה מַשְׁחִ֖ית בְּכָל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֣ה רְאֵ֔ה מָֽה־אָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־שֹׁלְחִ֖י דָּבָֽר׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Either threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- years’שָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- monthsחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
- to be destroyedסָפָהsâphâh · to snatchH5595
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- thy foesצַרtsar tsâr · enemyH6862
- while that the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- of thine enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- overtakethנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
- orאִם'im · ifH518
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- even the pestilenceדֶּ֫בֶרdeber · pestilenceH1698
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- destroyingשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- throughout all the coastsגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Now therefore adviseרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: selectH7200
- thyself what wordדָּבָרdâbâr · word: speakingH1697
- I shall bring againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to him that sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 21:12
- 2 Samuel 24:13Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”
- Leviticus 26:26When I break off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven; they will ration your bread by weight, and you will eat and not be satisfied.
- 2 Samuel 21:1During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
- 1 Kings 17:1Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”
- 2 Kings 8:1Now Elisha advised the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “You and your family should go and live somewhere else for a while, for the Lord has decreed that a famine will overtake the land for seven years.”
- Lamentations 4:9Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food. י (Yod)
- Luke 4:25But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up three and a half years, and there was a great famine over all the land.
- Leviticus 26:17I will set my face against you. You will be struck down before your enemies, those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when there is no one pursuing you.
- Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you ignore the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force:
- Jeremiah 42:16the wars you fear will catch up with you there in the land of Egypt. The starvation you are worried about will follow you there to Egypt. You will die there.
- 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and saw the Lord’s messenger standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.
- Isaiah 66:16For the Lord judges all humanity with fire and his sword; the Lord will kill many.
- Jeremiah 12:12A destructive army will come marching over the hilltops in the desert. For the Lord will use them as his destructive weapon against everyone from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.
- Jeremiah 47:6How long will you cry out, ‘Oh, sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you stop killing? Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!’
- Leviticus 26:10You will still be eating stored produce from the previous year and will have to clean out what is stored from the previous year to make room for new.
- Deuteronomy 28:22He will afflict you with weakness, fever, inflammation, infection, sword, blight, and mildew; these will attack you until you perish.
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Three days - the pestilence in the land - In 2 Samuel 24:13; (note), seven years of famine are mentioned.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And the angel of the Lord destroying - These words are not in Samuel, which puts the third alternative briefly. They prepare the way for the angelic appearance 1 Chronicles 21:16, on which the author is about to lay so much stress.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. 11-1211-12. Choose thee, &c.--To the three evils these correspond in beautiful agreement: three years, three months, three days [Bertheau]. (See on 2Sa 24:13).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Chronicles 21:12
In the dictionaries
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
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