New English Translation
1 Chronicles 21:16
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.
1 Chronicles 21:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
- New International Version (NIV)David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
Context of 1 Chronicles 21:16
14So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. 15God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the Lord watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was destroying, “That’s enough! Stop now!” Now the Lord’s angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David 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. 17David said to God, “Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep – what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!” 18So the Lord’s messenger told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 211 Chronicles 21:16 word by word
וַיִּשָּׂ֨א דָוִ֜יד אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֞רְא אֶת־מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ עֹמֵ֗ד בֵּ֤ין הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְחַרְבּ֤וֹ שְׁלוּפָה֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ נְטוּיָ֖ה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיִּפֹּ֨ל דָּוִ֧יד וְהַזְּקֵנִ֛ים מְכֻסִּ֥ים בַּשַּׂקִּ֖ים עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
- his eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- between the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- having a drawnשָׁלַףshâlaph · to drawH8025
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- stretched outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- over Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- clothedכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
- in sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- upon their facesפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 21:16
- Genesis 3:24When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
- Exodus 14:19The angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.
- Numbers 22:31Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground.
- Joshua 5:13When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?”
- 2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
- 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected.
- 2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.
- Psalms 35:13When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)
- Jonah 3:6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes.
- Numbers 14:5Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled community of the Israelites.
- Numbers 16:22Then they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all people, will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?”
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 21:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Here a picture of awful grandeur takes the place of the bare statement of the earlier historian 2 Samuel 24:17. And here, as elsewhere, the author probably extracts from the ancient documents such circumstances as harmonize with his general plan. As the sanctity of the temple was among the points whereon he was most anxious to lay stress, he gives in full all the miraculous circumstances attending this first designation of what became the temple site…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17These verses describe the angel and David's response in more detail than the similar text in 2 Samuel 24:17. Seeing the angel on his mission moved David to plead for the people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. David and the elders ... clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces--They appeared in the garb and assumed the attitude of humble penitents, confessing their sins, and deprecating the wrath of God. 1Ch 21:18-30. He Builds an Altar.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Chronicles 21:16
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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