And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2 SAMUEL 24:21KJVWhat does 2 Samuel 24:21 mean?
2 Samuel 24:21 shows Araunah asking King David why he has come to him, and David replying that he wants to buy Araunah’s threshing floor in order to build an altar to the LORD, hoping this will stop a deadly plague affecting the people. The verse highlights David’s intention to take responsibility and seek God’s mercy for his nation by making a sacrifice.
In this scene, Araunah (the landowner) addresses David respectfully as “my lord the king” and refers to himself as David’s servant, showing humility and honor. David’s answer reveals the urgency of his mission: he needs a specific place (the threshing floor) to build an altar to the LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh) so that the ongoing plague (מַגֵּפָה, magefah) might be stopped. The verse sits at a turning point in the story, where David acts to end the suffering caused by the plague.
The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 24:21
- מַגֵּפָה (magefah, “plague”): This word refers to a devastating outbreak or disaster, not just an illness but a judgment affecting many people. Its use here emphasizes the seriousness of the crisis David is trying to address.
- עָצַר (ʿatsar, “stayed”): This verb means to restrain or stop something. David’s hope is that by building the altar and offering sacrifice, God will “restrain” or halt the plague, showing a desire for divine intervention.
- גֹּרֶן (goren, “threshingfloor”): The threshing floor was a flat, open area used for separating grain. In this context, it becomes a significant place for worship and sacrifice, later associated with the site of the temple in Jerusalem.
Why 2 Samuel 24:21 matters
- The verse clarifies that David insists on buying the threshing floor, not taking it by force or as a gift, which highlights his sense of responsibility and respect for proper worship.
- It connects the physical act of building an altar with the spiritual hope of ending the plague, showing how ancient Israel understood the relationship between worship, leadership, and national well-being.
- This moment sets up the location for the future temple, making the threshing floor a place of lasting significance in Israel’s history.