but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB But David couldn’t go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of Yahweh’s angel.
- KJV But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
- NKJV But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
- NASB But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord.
- NLT But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David could not go to the Gibeon altar to inquire of God because he was afraid of the angel's sword. His fear explains why he sought God at the new altar instead.
Overview
David's dread of the destroying angel kept him from the distant tabernacle, providentially confirming Jerusalem as the new place of worship where God had answered him. The verse shows how God can use even human fear to direct His purposes. It highlights the need for an accessible, God-appointed place of atonement, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, through whom believers approach God without fear.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Rev 15:4Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
- Heb 12:28–29Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- Rev 1:17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Job 13:21Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.
- Job 21:6When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.
- 2 Sam 6:9That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”
- Jer 5:22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
- 1 Chr 13:12That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”
- Ps 119:120My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.
- Jer 10:7Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.
- Job 23:15Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him.
- Deut 10:12And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Ps 90:11Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
- 1 Chr 21:16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 21:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.