1 Chronicles 21:16 cpdv — And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his…

Catholic Public Domain Version

"And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground. "

— 1 Chronicles 21:16, Catholic Public Domain Version

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

1 Chronicles 21:16 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.”

  • ASV

    “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of Jehovah standing between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. ”

  • WEB

    “David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.”

  • NET

    “David looked up and saw the LORD’s angel standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.”

  • DRB

    “And David lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem: and both he and the ancients clothed in haircloth, fell down flat on the ground.”

  • BBE

    “And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord there between earth and heaven, with an uncovered sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the responsible men, clothed in haircloth, went down on their faces.”

  • KJVA

    “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.”

1 Chronicles 21 — Context

13

And David said to Gad: “There are difficulties pressing upon me from every side. But it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.”

14

Therefore, the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell from Israel seventy thousand men.

15

Also, he sent an Angel to Jerusalem, so that he might strike it. And while he was striking, the Lord saw and took pity over the magnitude of the harm. And he commanded the Angel who was striking: “It is enough. Now let your hand cease.” And the Angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16

And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground.

17

And David said to God: “Am I not the one who ordered that the people be numbered? It is I who sinned; it is I who did evil. This flock, what does it deserve? O Lord my God, I beg you to let your hand be turned against me and against the house of my father. But let not your people be struck down.”

18

Then the Angel of the Lord instructed Gad to tell David that he should ascend and build an altar to the Lord God on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19

Therefore, David ascended, in accord with the word of Gad, which he had spoken to him in the name of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 21:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Chronicles 21:16 say?
1 Chronicles 21:16 in the Catholic Public Domain Version reads: “And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground. ”
Where is 1 Chronicles 21:16 in the Bible?
1 Chronicles 21:16 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 21, verse 16.
Who wrote 1 Chronicles?
1 Chronicles is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Ezra). It was written c. 450–425 BC.
What is the book of 1 Chronicles about?
1 Chronicles retells Israel's history from a priestly, post-exilic perspective. After extensive genealogies, it focuses on David — his reign, his preparations for the temple, and the line through which God's eternal kingdom would come.
What are the major themes of 1 Chronicles?
1 Chronicles explores themes including Genealogy, David's Reign, Temple Preparation, Worship, Continuity. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Chronicles 21:16.
What translation should I read 1 Chronicles 21:16 in?
1 Chronicles 21:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Chronicles 21:16?
1 Chronicles 21:16 reads (CPDV): “And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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