New International VersionOn that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
New Living TranslationThat day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
English Standard VersionAnd Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Berean Standard BibleAnd that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
King James BibleAnd Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
New King James VersionAnd Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
New American Standard BibleSo Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
NASB 1995So Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
NASB 1977So Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Legacy Standard BibleSo Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Amplified BibleThen Gad [the prophet] came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite [where you saw the angel].”
Christian Standard BibleGad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Holman Christian Standard BibleGad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
American Standard VersionAnd Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
English Revised VersionAnd Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationThat day Gad came to David and said to him, "Go, set up an altar for the LORD at Araunah the Jebusite's threshing floor."
Good News TranslationThat same day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up to Araunah's threshing place and build an altar to the LORD."
International Standard VersionThat very day, Gad approached David and told him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor that belongs to Araunah the Jebusite."
NET BibleSo Gad went to David that day and told him, "Go up and build an altar for the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
New Heart English BibleAnd Gad went to David that day and said, "Go up, build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
World English BibleGad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, build an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Gad comes to David on that day and says to him, “Go up, raise an altar to YHWH in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite”;
Young's Literal Translation And Gad cometh in unto David on that day, and saith to him, 'Go up, raise to Jehovah an altar in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite;'
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd Gad will come to David in that day and say to him, Go up, raise up an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd Gad came to David that day, and said: Go up, and build an altar to the Lord in the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.
Catholic Public Domain VersionThen Gad went to David on that day, and he said, “Ascend and construct an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
New American BibleOn the same day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
New Revised Standard VersionThat day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Gad the prophet came that day to David and said to him, Go up and build an altar to the LORD in the threshing floor of Aran the Jebusite.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd Gad the Prophet came to David on that day and he said to him: “Go up and build an altar to LORD JEHOVAH in the granary of Aran the Yebusite” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him: 'Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.'
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd Gad came to David in that day, and said to him, Go up, and set up to the Lord and altar in the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context David Builds an Altar18And thatdayGadcametoDavidand saidto him,“Go upand buildan altarto the LORDon the threshing floorof Araunahthe Jebusite.”19So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.…
Cross References 1 Chronicles 21:18Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Genesis 22:2“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
1 Kings 18:30-32Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. / And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” / And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
Exodus 20:24You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
1 Chronicles 21:26And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
2 Chronicles 3:1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Genesis 12:7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
1 Kings 9:25Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense with them before the LORD. So he completed the temple.
1 Samuel 7:9-10Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. / As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
1 Kings 8:64On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to contain all these offerings.
Numbers 16:46-50Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” / So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people. / He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted. ...
1 Kings 3:4Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
Hebrews 11:17-19By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, / even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Matthew 21:12-13Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
John 4:20-24Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.” / “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. / You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ...
Treasury of Scripture And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, raise an altar to the LORD in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Gad 2 Samuel 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 1 Chronicles 21:18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. Araunah [heb] Araniah. 2 Samuel 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. Jump to Previous AltarAraunahArau'nahBuildDavidErectFloorGadJebusiteJeb'usiteRaiseRearThreshingThreshingfloorThreshing-FloorJump to Next AltarAraunahArau'nahBuildDavidErectFloorGadJebusiteJeb'usiteRaiseRearThreshingThreshingfloorThreshing-Floor2 Samuel 24 1.David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people5.The captains, in nine months and twenty days, gather 1,300,000 fighting men10.David repents, and having three plagues proposed by God, chooses pestilence15.After the death of 70,000, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem18.David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor;25.and the plague stopsAnd that day Gad came to DavidGad was a prophet and seer during the reign of King David, often serving as a divine messenger. His role highlights the importance of prophetic guidance in Israel's monarchy. The phrase "that day" refers to the immediate aftermath of David's sin of conducting a census, which led to a plague as divine judgment. Gad's arrival signifies God's intervention and the beginning of restoration. and said to him,
This indicates direct communication from God through His prophet. In the Old Testament, God often communicated His will through prophets, who were His mouthpieces. This underscores the seriousness and divine authority of the message being delivered to David. “Go up and build an altar to the LORD
Building an altar was a significant act of worship and atonement in ancient Israel. Altars were places of sacrifice, symbolizing repentance and reconciliation with God. This command to "go up" suggests a physical ascent, possibly indicating the elevated location of the threshing floor, which was often on a hill to catch the wind for winnowing grain. on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Araunah was a Jebusite, one of the original inhabitants of Jerusalem before David conquered the city. The threshing floor's location is significant as it later becomes the site of Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), making it a place of enduring spiritual importance. The use of a Jebusite's property for an altar also reflects the inclusivity of God's plan, foreshadowing the opening of God's covenant to all nations. The threshing floor, a place of separation and purification, symbolizes the purging of sin and the preparation for divine presence. Persons / Places / Events 1. GadA prophet during King David's reign, serving as a messenger of God's will. Gad plays a crucial role in guiding David to make amends with God. 2. DavidThe King of Israel, known for his heart for God but also for his human failings. In this context, David is seeking to atone for his sin of conducting a census of Israel. 3. Araunah the JebusiteThe owner of the threshing floor where David is instructed to build an altar. Araunah's willingness to offer his property for the altar demonstrates his reverence for God. 4. Threshing FloorA place where grain is separated from chaff, symbolically representing a place of judgment and purification. It becomes a site of worship and sacrifice. 5. AltarA structure for offering sacrifices to God, symbolizing repentance, worship, and reconciliation with God. Teaching Points Obedience to God's InstructionsDavid's immediate response to Gad's message emphasizes the importance of obeying God's directives, even when they require personal sacrifice or humility. Repentance and ReconciliationBuilding the altar signifies David's repentance and desire to restore his relationship with God. True repentance involves tangible actions that reflect a change of heart. The Cost of WorshipDavid insists on paying for the threshing floor, illustrating that genuine worship often requires personal cost and sacrifice. God's Mercy and JusticeThe context of this passage shows God's justice in response to sin but also His mercy in providing a way for reconciliation. Symbolism of the Threshing FloorThe threshing floor as a place of separation and purification serves as a metaphor for spiritual refinement and the need for purity in worship. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 24:18?
2.How does 2 Samuel 24:18 demonstrate obedience to God's commands?
3.What role does sacrifice play in 2 Samuel 24:18?
4.How does David's altar relate to worship practices in the Old Testament?
5.What can we learn about repentance from David's actions in 2 Samuel 24:18?
6.How can we apply David's obedience in our daily walk with God?
7.Why did God command David to build an altar in 2 Samuel 24:18?
8.What is the significance of Araunah's threshing floor in 2 Samuel 24:18?
9.How does 2 Samuel 24:18 relate to the concept of repentance and atonement?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Samuel 24?
11.Who was Araunah the Jebusite in the Bible?
12.Why is the Temple Mount significant?
13.What defines a threshing floor?
14.What is the significance of the Dome of the Rock?What Does 2 Samuel 24:18 Mean And that day• The phrase anchors the command in the very day the plague was ravaging Israel (2 Samuel 24:15). God responded without delay to David’s repentance, just as He swiftly dispatched the angel in1 Chronicles 21:15. • It reminds us how the LORD’s discipline and mercy often meet in the same moment (Psalm 30:5).
Gad came to David• Gad, identified earlier as “David’s seer” (1 Chronicles 21:9), serves as God’s mouthpiece—underscoring that genuine revelation comes through appointed prophets (Amos 3:7). • David’s willingness to listen highlights his restored humility after sinning by numbering the people (Psalm 51:17).
and said to him,• The prophetic message is direct; there is no guesswork in God’s instructions (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). • Personal address (“to him”) shows God’s covenant commitment to guide His anointed king individually (Psalm 32:8).
“Go up• “Go up” signals movement toward a higher place in Jerusalem, anticipating the future Temple Mount (2 Chronicles 3:1). • It echoes Abraham ascending Mount Moriah to worship (Genesis 22:2, 9), binding together themes of sacrifice and faith.
and build an altar to the LORD• An altar signifies substitutionary atonement through blood (Leviticus 17:11). • The instruction affirms that forgiveness and reconciliation with God require sacrifice pointing forward to the ultimate offering of Christ (Hebrews 9:26). • Public construction of the altar would turn the nation’s eyes from judgment to grace (Psalm 103:8-10).
on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.• A threshing floor is an open, elevated space—ideal for both wind-driven winnowing and a visible act of worship (Ruth 3:2). • Araunah, a resident Jebusite, illustrates that God claims territory and people beyond Israel’s ethnic bounds (Isaiah 56:7). • This very site becomes the location of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), transforming a place of ordinary labor into the center of divine presence—foreshadowing how God sanctifies what is offered to Him (1 Peter 2:5).
summary2 Samuel 24:18 records God’s immediate, clear directive through His prophet to halt judgment by sacrifice. David must ascend, construct an altar, and offer atonement on a humble threshing floor that will one day house the temple itself. The verse links repentance, divine mercy, and the promise of a permanent place where sin is addressed—anticipating the final, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ for all who believe. (18) Gad came.--As appears from 1Chronicles 21:18, by direction of the angel. Daniel was still in Jerusalem proper, i.e.,the hill of Zion, and it was looking out from thence that he had seen the angel "by the threshing-floor of Araunah," i.e., on the lower hill of Mount Moriah, which afterwards became the site of the Temple, and was included within the city. It was doubtless this event that determined the Temple-site. Verse 18. - Go up. David probably, on receiving God's message, had gone to the tent which he had pitched for the ark in Zion ( 2 Samuel 6:17), in order that he might pray there; and while on his way he saw the dark plague cloud coming as the messenger of God's wrath to smite Jerusalem. In an agony of grief, he poured out his prayer that Jerusalem might be spared, and God heard him, and sent Gad a second time to bid him offer sacrifice, that, by making an atonement, he might stand between the dead and the living, as Aaron had done in the wilderness ( Numbers 16:46-48) He is therefore to leave the tabernacle, and mount up to the summit on which Araunah's threshing floor was situated. We read in 1 Chronicles 21:28-30 that David wished to go to Gibeon, where the Mosaic tabernacle and altar of burnt offering were, to inquire of God, but that he was afraid, as the angel of the pestilence was smiting outside the walls. This is mentioned as an excuse for his offering at an unconsecrated spot. But it also suggests that David's choice was a submission to a chastisement already at work.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew And thatהַה֑וּא(ha·hū)Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, aredayבַּיּ֣וֹם(bay·yō·wm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117:A dayGadגָ֥ד(ḡāḏ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1410:Gad -- a son of Jacob, also his tribe and its territory, also a prophetcameוַיָּבֹא־(way·yā·ḇō-)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, gotoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, toDavidדָּוִ֖ד(dā·wiḏ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732:David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesseand saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶר(way·yō·mer)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, sayto him,ל֗וֹ(lōw)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew“Go upעֲלֵה֙(‘ă·lêh)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5927:To ascend, in, activelyand buildהָקֵ֤ם(hā·qêm)Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6965:To arise, stand up, standan altarמִזְבֵּ֔חַ(miz·bê·aḥ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196:An altarto the LORDלַֽיהוָה֙(Yah·weh)Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelon the threshing floorבְּגֹ֖רֶן(bə·ḡō·ren)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1637:A threshing-floor, open areaof Araunahאֲרַ֥וְנָה(’ă·raw·nāh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 728:Araunah -- a Jebusitethe Jebusite.”הַיְבֻסִֽי׃(hay·ḇu·sî)Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2983:Jebusite -- inhabitant of Jebus
Links 2 Samuel 24:18 NIV2 Samuel 24:18 NLT2 Samuel 24:18 ESV2 Samuel 24:18 NASB2 Samuel 24:18 KJV
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OT History: 2 Samuel 24:18 Gad came that day to David (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam) |
