1 Chronicles 21:16 kjv — And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn swor…

King James Version

"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 21:16, King James Version

Read in Another Translation

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1 Chronicles 21:16 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • 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 unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14

So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15

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.

16

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.

17

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18

Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19

And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake 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 King James Version reads: “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.”
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 (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.” 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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