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.
1 CHRONICLES 21:15KJVWhat does 1 Chronicles 21:15 mean?
1 Chronicles 21:15 describes how God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but then God saw what was happening and changed His mind about bringing further disaster. God told the angel to stop, and the angel stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
This verse is set during a time when King David had sinned by ordering a census, and God was sending judgment on Israel. The verse shows a dramatic moment where God’s mercy interrupts judgment, and the specific location—the threshing floor of Ornan—later becomes important in Israel’s history as the site where the temple would be built.
The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 21:15
- אֱלֹהִים (Elohim; H430) — This is the word for "God" used here, emphasizing God's authority and power in sending the angel.
- מַלְאָךְ (mal’akh; H4397) — Translated as "angel," this word means a messenger or agent. The angel here is the direct instrument of God’s judgment and mercy.
- שָׁחַת (shachath; H7843) — This verb is used for "destroy" and "destroying," carrying the sense of ruin or laying waste. It highlights the severity of the threat facing Jerusalem.
- נָחַם (nacham; H5162) — Translated as "repented him," this word means to be moved to pity or to relent. It signals a change in God’s action, not a mistake, but a turning from judgment to mercy.
- רַף (raphah; H7503) — The word for "stay" (as in "stay now thine hand") means to relax or let go, indicating that the angel is to stop the destruction immediately.
Why 1 Chronicles 21:15 matters
- This verse clarifies that God’s judgment is not mechanical or unfeeling; God observes, responds, and can choose to show mercy even in the midst of punishment.
- The mention of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite is significant because this place later becomes the site of Solomon’s temple, connecting God’s mercy to a key location in Israel’s worship.
- The verse helps clear up the idea that "repented" means God made a mistake; the original word suggests God was moved with compassion and chose to stop the destruction, showing both justice and mercy.