What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 21:23? Take it! • Ornan answers David without hesitation: “Take it!” (1 Chronicles 21:23). • Such open-handedness mirrors Ephron’s first offer to Abraham for the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:11) and Araunah’s own words in the parallel passage (2 Samuel 24:22). • Knowing the plague comes from the LORD (1 Chronicles 21:17, 20), Ornan senses that surrendering the threshing floor is submitting to God’s remedy (1 Samuel 15:22). May my lord the king do whatever seems good to him • Ornan recognizes David as God’s anointed ruler (2 Samuel 5:2; Psalm 2:10-12). • His deference echoes, “Do whatever seems good to you” (1 Samuel 14:36) and, “We are your servants… do whatever is good in your eyes” (2 Kings 10:5). • Yielding to legitimate authority is one way believers honor the LORD who establishes that authority (Romans 13:1). Look • “Look” invites David to inspect the site, underscoring transparency and trust (Proverbs 11:3, 25). • Ornan treats his property as stewardship, not ownership (Psalm 24:1; 1 Chronicles 29:14). • By pointing out what he has, he publicly detaches his heart from those possessions (Matthew 6:21). I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings • Oxen, the farm’s power source, represent costly sacrifice (1 Chronicles 21:24). • Burnt offerings atone and express total consecration (Leviticus 1:3-9; Genesis 8:20-21). • Providing the animals parallels later scenes where judgment is halted through sacrifice, as on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38-39). the threshing sledges for the wood • Ornan is willing to dismantle the very tools of his livelihood, as Gideon used Baal’s altar wood for the LORD’s offering (Judges 6:25-26). • Leviticus 1:7 required wood for the altar fire; Ornan ensures nothing is lacking. • His act acknowledges God as source of every skill and gain (Deuteronomy 8:18). and the wheat for the grain offering • Grain offerings celebrate God’s provision (Leviticus 2:1-3; Numbers 15:4). • Offering wheat grown on that very floor embodies Proverbs 3:9-10—honoring the LORD with firstfruits. • The combination of burnt and grain offerings anticipates Solomon’s temple sacrifices (2 Chronicles 7:4-5). I will give it all • With this pledge Ornan eliminates any negotiation: all he has is at God’s disposal. • His wholehearted generosity foreshadows Acts 4:32-37 and fulfills 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. • It stands in stark contrast to the blemished offerings condemned in Malachi 1:7-8. summary Ornan’s response models worship that is immediate, respectful of God-ordained authority, and lavishly generous. He supplies every required element—site, animals, fuel, and grain—so David can offer the sacrifice that stops the plague and marks the future temple mount (2 Chronicles 3:1). The verse teaches that authentic devotion holds nothing back, acknowledging that all we possess already belongs to the LORD and is safest when placed entirely in His service. |
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