Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/197

Rh At that time, when David saw that the had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon. But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the. Then David said, This is the house of the God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.

XXI. 28— XXII. 1.&emsp;

28. At that time, etc.] The construction of this section must be carefully noted. Ch. xxi. 28 is continued by ch. xxii. i, vv. 29, 30 of ch. xxi. being a parenthesis. The division of chapters here is unfortunate.

At that time] The phrase is taken up by "Then" of xxii. 1. The Chronicler wishes us to note that David regarded the success of his intercession at the floor of Ornan as an indication that this floor was God's approved site for the Temple.

29. For] The beginning of a parenthesis.

the tabernacle of the ] See the prefatory note to ch. xiii.; also cp. xvi. 1, 39, and 2 Chr. i. 3.

30. he was afraid] Or, he was terrified. The Heb. word is unusual.

1. Then] The word refers back to xxi. 28, At that time.

David said] The king acts in conformity with the law contained in Deut. xii. 5, 6.

This is the house of the , etc.] Hence the necessity for relating the story of David's sinful action in taking the census. The Chronicler's desire to show only the idealistic aspect of David's life has frequently been pointed out. The present section, then, is notable as showing very clearly how even this desire was made to yield to the supreme object of relating the Divinely-guided origin and growth of the Temple and its worship.

2—19.&emsp;

It is of course quite probable that preparations for a Temple were begun in David's time, but the picture given in this chapter must not be taken as historically true, the material being of a general character such as the imagination could readily supply, and the figures mentioned in ver. 14 being impossibly exaggerated. The chapter in fact is the