So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

1 CHRONICLES 21:11KJV
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1 Chronicles 21:11 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 21:11 mean?

1 Chronicles 21:11 describes the prophet Gad coming to King David with a message from God, telling David that he must make a choice. The verse sets up a moment where David is confronted with a decision as a result of his earlier actions.

In this scene, Gad is acting as a messenger between God and David after David’s census of Israel, which displeased God. The verse is brief, but it marks a turning point: God is about to present David with options for judgment, and Gad is the one delivering this serious message. The focus is on the gravity of David having to choose the consequences for his own mistake.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 21:11

  • גָּד (Gad, transliterated "Gad"): This is the name of the prophet who serves as God’s spokesperson to David. His role here is crucial, as he brings a direct word from God, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH, transliterated "YHWH" or "the LORD"): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, used here to show that the message Gad brings carries divine authority.
  • בָּחַר (bachar, transliterated "Choose"): This word means to select or decide. The use of this verb highlights that David is not just being punished, but is being given the responsibility to actively choose among the consequences.

Why 1 Chronicles 21:11 matters

  • This verse highlights the unique moment where God allows David to choose his own punishment, which is rare in the Bible and shows a personal engagement between God and David.
  • The presence of Gad as a prophet underscores the seriousness of the message and the directness of God’s communication with David at this critical point.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the following verses, where the specific choices and their consequences are laid out, showing the weight of leadership and accountability in David’s story.

Where else these words appear

“Choose” Hebrew H6901 · used in 12 verses

  • Exodus 26:5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.
  • Esther 9:23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

“Gad” Hebrew H1410 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 30:11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
  • Deuteronomy 27:13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
  • 1 Samuel 22:5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.