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As this rehearsal makes no mention of David's sin in the matter of Uriah, so neither of the troubles of his family that followed upon it; not a word of Absalom's rebellion, or Sheba's. But David's sin, in numbering the people, is here related, because, in the atonement made for that sin, an intimation was given of the spot of ground on which the temple should be built. Here is, I. David's sin, in forcing Joab to number the people, 1Ch 21:1-6. II. David's sorrow for what he had done, as soon as he perceived the sinfulness of it, 1Ch 21:7,8. III. The sad dilemma (or trilemma rather) he was brought to, when it was put to him to choose how he would be punished for this sin, and what rod he would be beaten with, 1Ch 21:9-13. IV. The woeful havoc which was made by the pestilence in the country, and the narrow escape which Jerusalem had from being laid waste by it, 1Ch 21:14-17. V. David's repentance, and sacrifice, upon this occasion, and the staying of the plaque thereupon, 1Ch 21:18-30. This awful story we met with, and meditated upon, 2Sa 24:1-25
1-6
The Giants Subdued (1017 BC)
繁體中文
巨人被制伏（主前 1017 年）
¹ 撒但起來攻擊以色列人，激動大衛數點他們。 ² 大衛對約押和百姓的官長說：「你們去，從別是巴直到但，數點以色列人，將數目報給我，我好知道。」 ³ 約押說：「願耶和華使他的百姓比現在加增百倍；我主我王啊，他們不都是我主的僕人嗎？我主為何吩咐行這事呢？為何使以色列人陷在罪裏呢？」 ⁴ 但王的命令勝過約押。於是約押出去，走遍以色列，回到耶路撒冷。 ⁵ 約押將百姓的數目奏告大衛。以色列人拿刀的共有一百一十萬；猶大人拿刀的有四十七萬。 ⁶ 惟有利未人和便雅憫人沒有數在其中，因為王的命令在約押眼中看為可憎。
數點百姓，看起來似乎不是壞事。牧人為何不該知道自己羊群的數目呢？但神的看法不同於人的看法。顯然大衛如此行是錯的，大大惹動了神的怒氣，因為他是在心中的驕傲裏行的；沒有甚麼罪比驕傲更與神對立，因而更得罪神。這罪是大衛的；唯獨他當承擔其責備。但我們在此看到：
一、試探者在此何等活躍（代上二十一1）：「撒但起來攻擊以色列人，激動大衛」去作這事。撒母耳記下二十四1說：「耶和華又向以色列人發作怒氣，就激動大衛」去作這事。神公義的審判甚至在人的罪和不義之中也當被觀察並承認。我們確知神不是罪的創始者──他「不試探人」；所以當經上說他激動大衛去作這事時，必須照此處所暗示的來解釋：為了智慧聖潔的目的，他容許魔鬼去作這事。我們在此追溯到這股污濁之流的源頭。撒但是神和一切良善之人的仇敵，他「起來攻擊以色列人」，並不希奇；這正是他的目標──要削弱神百姓以色列的力量、減少他們的人數、並遮蓋他們的榮耀；對他們而言，他就是撒但──一個誓不兩立的仇敵。但他竟然能影響大衛──這位合神心意的人──去作錯事，實在令人驚奇。人以為他是那惡者所觸摸不到的人之一。不，即使最好的聖徒，直到進入天堂之前，也絕不可認為自己已在撒但試探的範圍之外。如今，撒但要加害以色列，他採取了甚麼途徑呢？他沒有像對約伯那樣「激動神來毁滅他們」（伯二3），而是激動大衛──他們最好的朋友──去數點他們，因而得罪神，使神與他們作對。請注意，1. 魔鬼藉著引誘我們得罪我們的神，對我們所加的危害，遠過於他在我們的神面前控告我們。他除了藉著人自己的手以外，不能毁滅任何人。2. 他對神教會所能行的最大惡意，就是引誘教會的統治者陷入驕傲；因為無人能想像那罪在所有人身上、尤其是在教會牧者身上所招致的致命後果。「你們不可這樣」（路二十二26）。
二、他所用的工具何等被動。約押是大衛所用的人，他在公務上本是個活躍的人；但在這件事上他完全是被迫的，並且是以所能想像的最大不情願來作的。
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他在著手之前提出了抗議。在任何真正有利於王的尊榮或國家福祉的事上，沒有人比他更熱心；但在這件事上他情願得免。因為，（1）這是不必要的事。根本沒有此需要。神已應許使他們增多，他不必懷疑那應許的成就。他們都是他的僕人，他不必懷疑他們對自己的忠誠和愛戴。他們的人數已如他所願，成了他的力量。（2）這是危險的事。如此行可能使以色列人陷在罪裏，並可能惹動神來反對他們。這一點約押看出來了，大衛自己卻沒有看出來。最精通神律法的人，並不總是最敏銳地把這些律法應用出來的人。
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他在完成之前已經十分厭倦；因為「王的命令在約押眼中看為可憎」（代上二十一6）。曾有一個時候，大衛王無論作甚麼，「都使眾百姓喜悅」（撒下三36）。但如今這個命令引起了普遍的反感，這更堅定了約押對它的反感；所以，雖然這次點閱的結果其實很大，他卻無心將之完成，而是留下了兩個支派沒有數點（代上二十一5、6）──利未和便雅憫這兩個重要的支派──也許在數點其餘支派時也不十分精確，因為他作得並不愉快；這也許正是此處的數字與撒下二十四9有所出入的原因之一。
영문 원문
The Giants Subdued (1017 BC)
¹ And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
² And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
³ And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a 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 trespass to Israel?
⁴ Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
⁵ And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
⁶ But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
Numbering the people, one would think, was no bad thing. Why should not the shepherd know the number of his flock? But God sees not as man sees. It is plain it was wrong in David to do it, and a great provocation to God, because he did it in the pride of his heart; and there is no sin that has in it more of contradiction and therefore more of offence to God than pride. The sin was David's; he alone must bear the blame of it. But here we are told,
I. How active the tempter was in it (1Ch 21:1): Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to do it. Is is said (2Sa 24:1) that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David to do it. The righteous judgments of God are to be observed and acknowledged even in the sins and unrighteousness of men. We are sure that God is not the author of sin—he tempts no man; and therefore, when it is said that he moved David to do it, it must be explained by what is intimated here, that, for wise and holy ends, he permitted the devil to do it. Here we trace this foul stream to its foundation. That Satan, the enemy of God and all good, should stand up against Israel, is not strange; it is what he aims at, to weaken the strength, diminish the numbers, and eclipse the glory of God's Israel, to whom he is Satan, a sworn adversary. But that he should influence David, the man of God's own heart to do a wrong thing, may well be wondered at. One would think him one of those whom the wicked one touches not. No, even the best saints, till they come to heaven, must never think themselves out of the reach of Satan's temptations. Now, when Satan meant to do Israel a mischief, what course did he take? He did not move God against them to destroy them (as Job, Job 2:3), but he provoked David, the best friend they had, to number them, and so to offend God, and set him against them. Note, 1. The devil does us more mischief by tempting us to sin against our God than he does by accusing us before our God. He destroys none but by their own hands, 2. The greatest spite he can do to the church of God is to tempt the rulers of the church to pride; for none can conceive the fatal consequences of that sin in all, especially in church-rulers. You shall not be so, Lu 22:26.
II. How passive the instrument was. Joab, the person whom David employed, was an active man in public business; but to this he was perfectly forced, and did it with the greatest reluctance imaginable.
1. He put in a remonstrance against it before he began it. No man more forward that he in any thing that really tended to the honour of the king or the welfare of the kingdom; but in this matter he would gladly be excused. For, (1.) It was a needless thing. There was not occasion at all for it. God had promised to multiply them, and he needed not question the accomplishment of that promise. They were all his servants, and he needed not doubt of their loyalty and affection to him. Their number was as much his strength as he could desire. (2.) It was a dangerous thing. In doing it he might be a cause of trespass to Israel, and might provoke God against them. This Joab apprehended, and yet David himself did not. The most learned in the laws of God are not always the most quick-sighted in the application of those laws.
2. He was quite weary of it before he had done it; for the king's word was abominable to Joab, 1Ch 21:6. Time was when whatever king David did pleased all the people, 2Sa 3:36. But now there was a general disgust at these orders, which confirmed Joab in his dislike of them, so that, though the produce of this muster was really very great, yet he had no heart to perfect it, but left two tribes unnumbered (1Ch 21:5,6), two considerable ones, Levi and Benjamin, and perhaps was not very exact in numbering the rest, because he did not do it with any pleasure, which might be one occasion of the difference between the sums here and 2Sa 24:9.
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David's Numbering the People (1017 BC)
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大衛數點百姓（主前 1017 年）
⁷ 神不喜悅這數點百姓的事，就擊打以色列人。* ⁸ 大衛對神說：「我行這事大有罪了。現在求你除掉僕人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」* ⁹ 耶和華對大衛的先見迦得說：* ¹⁰ 「你去告訴大衛說：『耶和華如此說：我有三樣災，隨你選擇一樣，我好降與你。』」* ¹¹ 於是迦得來見大衛，對他說：「耶和華如此說：『你可以隨意選擇：* ¹² 或三年的饑荒；或敗在你敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月；或耶和華的刀，就是瘟疫，臨到地上，耶和華的使者走遍以色列四境施行毀滅。』現在你要想一想，我用甚麼話回覆那差我來的。」* ¹³ 大衛對迦得說：「我甚為難。我願落在耶和華的手裡，因為他有豐盛的憐憫；我不願落在人的手裡。」* ¹⁴ 於是耶和華降瘟疫與以色列人，以色列人就死了七萬。* ¹⁵ 神差遣使者去毀滅耶路撒冷。正要毀滅的時候，耶和華看見，就後悔，不降這災了，吩咐滅命的天使說：「夠了，住手吧。」那時耶和華的使者站在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上。* ¹⁶ 大衛舉目，看見耶和華的使者站在天地之間，手裡有拔出來的刀，伸在耶路撒冷以上。大衛和以色列的長老都身穿麻衣，臉伏於地。* ¹⁷ 大衛對神說：「吩咐數點百姓的不是我嗎？是我犯了罪，行了惡；但這群羊作了甚麼呢？願耶和華我神的手攻擊我和我的父家，不要攻擊你的民，使他們受災禍。」*
大衛如今因數點百姓而受責打的杖所管教——這管教的杖要趕出心中所存的愚妄，就是驕傲的愚妄。讓我們簡略觀察：
一、他如何受懲治。神最親愛的兒女若作錯了事，也必為此受苦。1. 他得知神不喜悅；對大衛這樣的好人而言，這不是小小的困擾，代上二十一7。神留意他百姓的罪，也因之而不喜悅；沒有甚麼罪比心中的驕傲更惹他厭惡；對一個蒙恩的人而言，也沒有甚麼比看見自己在神的不悅之下更令人謙卑、憂傷、痛悔。2. 他被要求在戰爭、饑荒、瘟疫三樣刑罰中任選其一；因為他必受罰，且必受這三樣之一。如此，為進一步使他謙卑，他被置於困境——極大的困境之中——三樣審判的恐怖都印在他的心上，無疑使他大為驚惶，正在思量當選擇哪一樣。3. 他聽聞他的百姓中有七萬人，在數小時之內被瘟疫擊斃，代上二十一14。他向來以百姓眾多為誇耀，但神的公義卻以另一種方式使他們減少。凡我們所誇耀的事物，被奪去、被削弱，或變為苦澀，都是公道的。大衛偏要數點百姓：「將他們的數目帶來給我，我好知道。」但如今神卻以另一種方式數點他們——「數點歸刀劍之下」（賽六十五12）。於是大衛得到了百姓的另一種數目，這數目比那叫他滿足的更令他羞愧——就是被殺之人的數目——一份慘黑的死亡清冊，成了他點兵名冊上的一大破綻。4. 他看見滅命的天使，手中拔出刀來，對著耶路撒冷，代上二十一16。這對他而言不能不是極其可怕的，因為這是天上憤怒的可見標記，並威脅著那蒙愛之城要全然傾覆。瘟疫在人煙稠密之處為害最深。看見天使——即使是和平而來、傳遞友善信息的天使——也使勇士戰慄；何況如今所見的，是手中有拔出之刀的天使——一把烈焰的劍，如同那基路伯四面轉動發火焰的劍，要把守生命樹的道路（創三24）。當我們伏在神的震怒之下時，聖天使都武裝起來對付我們，縱然我們不像大衛那樣看得見他們。
二、他如何忍受這責打。1. 他作了十分痛悔的認罪，並懇切祈求赦免，代上二十一8。如今他承認自己犯了罪，犯了極大的罪，作了愚昧的事，極其愚昧；他懇求無論自己如何受責罰，這罪的孽都求神除掉。2. 他接受了罪孽的刑罰：「願你的手『攻擊我和我的父家』，代上二十一17。我順服這杖責，只是讓我來受苦，因為我是犯罪的人；這有罪的頭當是我，刀劍當指向我。」3. 他投靠神的憐憫（雖然他知道神向他發怒），卻沒有對神存任何苛刻的想法。無論如何，「我願落在耶和華的手裡，因為他有豐盛的憐憫」，代上二十一13。敬虔的人即使神向他們皺眉，也對神存著好的想法。「他雖殺我，我仍要信靠他」（伯十三15，旁註）。4. 他表達了對百姓極大的體恤，看見百姓因他的罪過而受瘟疫之災，他的心為之破碎：「這群羊作了甚麼呢？」
영문 원문
David's Numbering the People (1017 BC)
⁷ And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
⁸ And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
⁹ And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
¹⁰ Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
¹¹ So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
¹² 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.
¹³ 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.
¹⁴ So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
¹⁵ And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he 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.
¹⁶ 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.
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 thy people, that they should be plagued.
David is here under the rod for numbering the people, that rod of correction which drives out the foolishness that is bound up in the heart, the foolishness of pride. Let us briefly observe,
I. How he was corrected. If God's dearest children do amiss, they must expect to smart for it. 1. He is given to understand that God is displeased; and that it is no small uneasiness to so good a man as David, 1Ch 21:7. God takes notice of, and is displeased with, the sins of his people; and no sin is more displeasing to him than pride of heart: nor is anything more humbling, and grieving, and mortifying to a gracious soul, than to see itself under God's displeasure. 2. He is put to his choice whether he will be punished by war, famine, or pestilence; for punished he must be, and by one of these. Thus, for his further humiliation, he is put into a strait, a great strait, and has the terror of all the three judgments impressed upon his mind, no doubt to his great amazement, while he is considering which he shall choose. 3. He hears of 70,000 of his subjects who in a few hours were struck dead by the pestilence, 1Ch 21:14. He was proud of the multitude of his people, but divine Justice took a course to make them fewer. Justly is that taken from us, weakened, or embittered to us, which we are proud of. David must have the people numbered: Bring me the number of them, says he, that I may know it. But now God numbers them after another manner, numbers to the sword, Isa 65:12. And David had another number of them brought, more to his confusion than was to his satisfaction, namely, the number of the slain—a black bill of mortality, which is a drawback to his muster-roll. 4. He sees the destroying angel, with his sword drawn against Jerusalem, 1Ch 21:16. This could not but be very terrible to him, as it was a visible indication of the anger of Heaven, and threatened the utter destruction of that beloved city. Pestilences make the greatest devastations in the most populous places. The sight of an angel, though coming peaceably and on a friendly errand, has made even mighty men to tremble; how dreadful then must this sight be of an angel with a drawn sword in his hand, a flaming sword, like that of the cherubim, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life! While we lie under the wrath of God the holy angels are armed against us, though we see them not as David did.
II. How he bore the correction. 1. He made a very penitent confession of his sin, and prayed earnestly for the pardon of it, 1Ch 21:8. Now he owned that he had sinned, had sinned greatly, had done foolishly, very foolishly; and he entreated that, however he might be corrected for it, the iniquity of it might be done away. 2. He accepted the punishment of his iniquity: "Let thy hand be on me, and on my father's house, 1Ch 21:17. I submit to the rod, only let me be the sufferer, for I am the sinner; mine is the guilty head at which the sword should be pointed." 3. He cast himself upon the mercy of God (though he knew he was angry with him) and did not entertain any hard thoughts of him. However it be, Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great, 1Ch 21:13. Good men, even when God frowns upon them, think well of him. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. 4. He expressed a very tender concern for the people, and it went to his heart to see them plagued for his transgression: These sheep, what have they done?
18-30
Ornan's Threshing-Floor (1017 BC)
繁體中文
阿珥楠的禾場（主前 1017 年）
¹⁸ 耶和華的使者吩咐迦得告訴大衛，大衛當上去，在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上為耶和華築一座壇。* ¹⁹ 大衛就照著迦得奉耶和華名所說的話上去。* ²⁰ 阿珥楠轉身，看見天使；他和四個兒子藏在裡面。那時阿珥楠正打麥子。* ²¹ 大衛來到阿珥楠那裡。阿珥楠觀看，看見大衛，就從禾場出去，向大衛臉伏於地下拜。* ²² 大衛對阿珥楠說：「你將這禾場的地給我，我好在其中為耶和華築一座壇；你要按足價賣給我，使瘟疫在百姓中止住。」* ²³ 阿珥楠對大衛說：「你拿去，願我主我王隨意而行；看哪，我將牛給你作燔祭，打糧的器具當柴，麥子作素祭；這一切都送給你。」* ²⁴ 大衛王對阿珥楠說：「不然。我必用足價買來；我不用你的物獻給耶和華，也不用白得之物獻燔祭。」* ²⁵ 於是大衛為那塊地，給了阿珥楠六百舍客勒金子。* ²⁶ 大衛在那裡為耶和華築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭，求告耶和華；耶和華就從天上降火在燔祭壇上，應允了他。* ²⁷ 耶和華吩咐天使；天使就收刀入鞘。* ²⁸ 那時大衛見耶和華在耶布斯人阿珥楠的禾場上應允了他，就在那裡獻祭。* ²⁹ 摩西在曠野所造之耶和華的帳幕和燔祭壇，那時都在基遍的邱壇那裡。* ³⁰ 只是大衛不能前去求問神，因為他懼怕耶和華使者的刀。*
此處我們看到這場風波告一段落；大衛既已悔改，就與神和好。「你雖然向我發怒，你的怒氣卻已轉消了」（賽十二1）。1. 刑罰的執行被止住了，代上二十一15。大衛為罪悔改之時，神也為審判而後悔，吩咐滅命的天使「住手」，並「收刀入鞘」，代上二十一27。2. 大衛得了指示，要在阿珥楠的禾場上築一座壇，代上二十一18。天使吩咐先見迦得將這指示帶給大衛。那在神的名下率領爭戰的使者，如今又主動開啟和談；因為天使並不願見災禍之日。天使原可親自將這命令傳給大衛；他卻選擇藉著先見來行，為要尊榮先知的職分。照樣，耶穌基督的啟示，也是藉著天使曉諭約翰，再由約翰傳給眾教會（啟一1,2）。命令大衛築壇，乃是和好的記號，滿有福分；因為神若定意要殺他，就不會指定——因為他也不會悅納——出自他手的祭物。3. 大衛立刻與阿珥楠商議，購買這禾場；因為他不願花別人的代價來事奉神。阿珥楠慷慨地將它白白奉送，不僅是為了討王的歡心，更因為他自己也「看見了天使」（代上二十一20）——這景象使他大為驚恐，以致他和四個兒子都藏了起來，因為他們不能承受天使榮光的輝耀，又懼怕他手中拔出的刀。在這樣的恐懼之下，他情願盡力促進贖罪之工。凡深深敬畏主之威嚴的人，都必在自己的崗位上盡力推動信仰，鼓勵一切使神轉怒的方法。4. 神見證了他悅納大衛在這壇上所獻的祭；他「從天上降火」應允他，代上二十一26。為表明神向他所發的怒已經轉消，那本可公公正正地降在罪人身上的火，卻降在祭物上，將其焚燒；隨之，滅命的刀也收入了鞘。照樣，基督為我們「成了罪」和「咒詛」（林後五21；加三13），「耶和華卻定意將他壓傷」（賽五十三10），好使神藉著他，對我們不再是「吞滅的火」，而是「和好的父」（來十二23；羅五10）。5. 他繼續在這壇上獻祭。摩西所造的銅祭壇在基遍（代上二十一29），以色列人一切祭物都在那裡獻上；但大衛因看見天使的刀，嚇得「不能前去」，代上二十一30。瘟疫既然已經發作，這事就不能耽延。亞倫必須快快去，甚至要「跑」著去贖罪（民十六46,47）。此處的情形也同樣迫切；大衛沒有時間去基遍，更不敢將那天使拔刀對著耶路撒冷的一幕留在身後，生怕自己還未回來，致命的一擊就已發出。因此，神出於對他的體恤，吩咐他在那個地方築壇，因眼前的急難而豁免了他自己關於「惟獨一個祭壇」的律法，並悅納了在這新壇上所獻的祭——這壇的設立並非為了反對那個祭壇，乃是與之並行。合一的標記，不如合一的本身那樣被嚴格要求。不但如此，當眼前的急難過去之後（據看來），大衛終其一生都在那裡獻祭，儘管基遍的祭壇仍被保留；因為神已經悅納了在那裡所獻的祭物，並見證了他對這些祭物的悅納（代上二十一28）。在我們已經歷過神同在的記號、並證實神實在與我們同在的那些事奉上，繼續持守，乃是美事。「神在這裡恩典地遇見了我，因此我仍要期待在這裡與他相遇。」
영문 원문
Ornan's Threshing-Floor (1017 BC)
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.
¹⁹ And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
²⁰ And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
²¹ And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
²² Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
²³ And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
²⁴ And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
²⁵ So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
²⁶ And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
²⁷ And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
²⁸ At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
²⁹ For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
³⁰ But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
We have here the controversy concluded, and, upon David's repentance, his peace made with God. Though thou wast angry with me, thy anger is turned away. 1. A stop was put to the progress of the execution, 1Ch 21:15. When David repented of the sin God repented of the judgment, and ordered the destroying angel to stay his hand and sheath his sword, 1Ch 21:27. 2. Direction was given to David to rear an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan, 1Ch 21:18. The angel commanded the prophet Gad to bring David this direction. The same angel that had, in God's name, carried on the war, is here forward to set on foot the treaty of peace; for angels do not desire the woeful day. The angel could have given this order to David himself; but he chose to do it by his seer, that he might put an honour upon the prophetic office. Thus the revelation of Jesus Christ was notified by the angel to John, and by him to the churches. The commanding of David to build an altar was a blessed token of reconciliation; for, if God had been pleased to kill him, he would not have appointed, because he would not have accepted, a sacrifice at his hands. 3. David immediately made a bargain with Ornan for the threshing-floor; for he would not serve God at other people's charge. Ornan generously offered it to him gratis, not only in complaisance to the king, but because he had himself seen the angel (1Ch 21:20), which so terrified him that he and his four sons hid themselves, as unable to bear the brightness of his glory and afraid of his drawn sword. Under these apprehensions he was willing to do anything towards making the atonement. Those that are duly sensible of the terrors of the Lord will do all they can, in their places, to promote religion, and encourage all the methods of reconciliation for the turning away of God's wrath. 4. God testified his acceptance of David's offerings on this altar; He answered him from heaven by fire, 1Ch 21:26. To signify that God's anger was turned away from him, the fire that might justly have fastened upon the sinner fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed that; and, upon this, the destroying sword was returned into its sheath. Thus Christ was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him God might be to us, not a consuming fire, but a reconciled Father. 5. He continued to offer his sacrifices upon this altar. The brazen altar which Moses made was at Gibeon (1Ch 21:29), and there all the sacrifices of Israel were offered; but David was so terrified at the sight of the sword of the angel that he could not go thither, 1Ch 21:30. The business required haste, when the plague was begun. Aaron must go quickly, nay, he must run, to make atonement, Nu 16:46,47. And the case here was no less urgent; so that David had not time to go to Gibeon: nor durst he leave the angel with his sword drawn over Jerusalem, lest the fatal stroke should be given before he came back. And therefore God, in tenderness to him, bade him build an altar in that place, dispensing with his own law concerning one altar because of the present distress, and accepting the sacrifices offered on this new altar, which was not set up in opposition to that, but in concurrence with it. The symbols of unity were not so much insisted on as unity itself. Nay, when the present distress was over (as it should seem), David, as long as he lived, sacrificed there, though the altar at Gibeon was still kept up; for God had owned the sacrifices that were here offered and had testified his acceptance of them, 1Ch 21:28. On those administrations in which we have experienced the tokens of God's presence, and have found that he is with us of a truth, it is good to continue our attendance. "Here God had graciously met me, and therefore I will still expect to meet with him."
正如這段重述沒有提及大衛在烏利亞之事上的罪，也同樣沒有提及隨之而來的家庭風波；對押沙龍的叛亂或示巴的叛變隻字未提。但大衛數點百姓的罪卻在此被記述，因為為那罪所作的贖罪，啟示了聖殿當建造的地點。此處我們讀到：一、大衛強迫約押數點百姓的罪（代上二十一1–6）。二、大衛一察覺其罪惡，便為所作的事憂傷（代上二十一7–8）。三、當他被擺在一個可選擇如何為這罪受罰、被哪一根杖責打的兩難—更確切地說是三難—境地之時，他所面對的悲慘困境（代上二十一9–13）。四、瘟疫在全國所造成的可怕毀壞，以及耶路撒冷險些被它夷為平地（代上二十一14–17）。五、大衛在此情形下的悔改和獻祭，以及瘟疫因此止息（代上二十一18–30）。這段令人敬畏的故事我們在撒母耳記下二十四章1至25節已經讀過並默想過。