1 Chronicles 21:16 web — David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his h…

World English Bible

"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."

— 1 Chronicles 21:16, World English Bible

Read in Another Translation

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1 Chronicles 21:16 in Other Translations

6 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. ”

  • 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

David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are very great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."

14

So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

15

God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand." The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16

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.

17

David said to God, "Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued."

18

Then the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up, and raise an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19

David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of Yahweh.

1 Chronicles 21:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Chronicles 21:16 say?
1 Chronicles 21:16 in the World English Bible reads: “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.”
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 (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.” 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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