1 Chronicles 21:13
in 1 Chronicles 21David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Jehovah; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 21
Commentary
3 notes on this verseDavid said - I am in a great strait - The Targum reasons thus: “And David said to Gad, If I choose famine, the Israelites may say, The granaries of David are full of corn; neither doth he care should the people of Israel die with hunger. And if I choose war, and fly before an enemy, the Israelites may say, David is a strong and warlike man, and he cares not though the people of Israel should fall by the sword.
This site's exposition
Gad, David’s seer
on 1 Chronicles 21:9-13
Chronicles names Gad's office, “David’s seer”, before the word arrives. The third option is spelled out, “three days of the sword of the LORD”, with “the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel”. Albert Barnes notes that the angel is named here and nowhere in Samuel's version.
This site's exposition
into the hand of the LORD
David chooses the hand of the LORD, trusting His great mercies. Adam Clarke cites the Targum, where David reasons that choosing famine would let Israel say his own granaries were full. Choosing war would let them say a warrior king cared little if they fell by the sword.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I am greatly oppressed You tell me, “Choose the mildest of them. It is hard for me, and I am greatly oppressed about it.” This can be compared to a [sick] person, to whom people said, “Behold you are going to die.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֛יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גָּ֖ד | gad | Gad | H1410 → | 72 times |
| צַר־ | tzar- | it is distress | H6862 → | 109 times |
| לִ֣י | li | to me | ||
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| אֶפְּלָה־ | ʾepelah- | let me fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| נָּ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| בְיַד־ | veyad- | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רַבִּ֤ים | rabim | [are] great | H7227 → | 454 times |
| רַחֲמָיו֙ | rachamav | compassion<s> his | H7356 → | |
| מְאֹ֔ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וּבְיַד־ | uveyad- | and in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אָדָ֖ם | ʾadam | a human | H120 → | 551 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| אֶפֹּֽל׃ | ʾepol | I fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֛ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גָּ֖דGad
gadH1410 →72 times
צַר־it is distress
tzar-H6862 →109 times
לִ֣יto me
li
מְאֹ֑דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
אֶפְּלָה־let me fall
ʾepelah-H5307 →435 times
נָּ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
בְיַד־in [the] hand of
veyad-H3027 →1618 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
רַבִּ֤ים[are] great
rabimH7227 →454 times
רַחֲמָיו֙compassion<s> his
rachamavH7356 →
מְאֹ֔דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
וּבְיַד־and in [the] hand of
uveyad-H3027 →1618 times
אָדָ֖םa human
ʾadamH120 →551 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
אֶפֹּֽל׃I fall
ʾepolH5307 →435 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely…
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- James 4:8–10
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Ezekiel 18:21–23
But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
- Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
- Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
- Proverbs 28:13
Through
Philippians 1:23I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
- 2 Corinthians 5:8
Through
Hebrews 10:31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Matthew 10:28
Through
Psalms 130:7O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.
it leads to
- Ephesians 1:7–8
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
- Ephesians 1:7–8
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament and Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.