1 Chronicles 21:26
in 1 Chronicles 21And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and called upon Jehovah; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.
KJV
And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 21
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBut God sees not as man sees. It is plain it was wrong in David to do it, and a great provocation to God, because he did it in the pride of his heart; and there is no sin that has in it more of contradiction and therefore more of offence to God than pride. The sin was David's; he alone must bear the blame of it.
This site's exposition
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
on 1 Chronicles 21:26-27
David builds the altar and offers burnt offerings and peace offerings, and Chronicles adds what Samuel's account does not carry, he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. The fire joins a short series in Scripture, Leviticus 9:24 at the tabernacle's first sacrifice and 2 Chronicles 7:1 at the temple's dedication, each fire marking the Lord's own acceptance of an altar just raised. Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry both read the fire as visible pardon answering David's plea, the flame that might justly have fastened on the sinner falling instead on the sacrifice. The word that follows is as brief as the judgment was heavy, the Lord commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath, the drawn sword of verse sixteen finally standing down.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
David had prepared by singing psalms, and the other prophets too by prophesying prepared for the Lord who was indeed the true Solomon a place that he might build a house, because they taught the hearts of their hearers by true faith, earnestly urging them …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
To signify that God's anger was turned away from him, the fire that might justly have fastened upon the sinner fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed that; and, upon this, the destroying sword was returned into its sheath. Thus Christ was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him God might be to us, not a consuming fire, but a reconciled Father.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Although he had plenty of space on his own property, he was commanded, under peremptory direction, to go a considerable distance from his home, up Mount Moriah, to erect an altar on premises which he had to buy. It was on or close to the spot where Abraham had offered up Isaac. answered him by fire from heaven--(See Le 9:24;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He answered him - by fire - In answer to David’s prayers, God, to show that he had accepted him, and was now pacified towards him and the people, sent fire from heaven and consumed the offerings.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He answered him from heaven by fire - This fact is not mentioned by the author of Samuel, since his object is to give an account of the sin of David, its punishment, and the circumstances by which that punishment was brought to a close, not to connect those circumstances with anything further in the history. With the writer of Chronicles the case is different. He would probably have omitted the whole narrative, as he did the sin of David in the matter of Uriah, but for its connection with the fixing of the temple site 1 Chr. 22. It was no doubt mainly the fact that God answered him by fire from heaven on this altar, which determined David, and Solomon after him, to build the temple on the spot so consecrated.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּבֶן֩ | vaiyiven | and he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| שָׁ֨ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| דָּוִ֤יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | mizbeach | an altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| לַיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּ֥עַל | vaiyaal | and he offered up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עֹל֖וֹת | olot | burnt offerings | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וּשְׁלָמִ֑ים | ushelamim | and peace offerings | H8002 → | 87 times |
| וַיִּקְרָא֙ | vaiyikra' | and he called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֤הוּ | vaiyaanehu | and he answered him | H6030 → | 331 times |
| בָאֵשׁ֙ | vaesh | by <the> fire | H784 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִזְבַּ֥ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הָעֹלָֽה׃ פ | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
וַיִּבֶן֩and he built
vaiyivenH1129 →376 times
שָׁ֨םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
דָּוִ֤ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙an altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
לַיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּ֥עַלand he offered up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
עֹל֖וֹתburnt offerings
olotH5930 →287 times
וּשְׁלָמִ֑יםand peace offerings
ushelamimH8002 →87 times
וַיִּקְרָא֙and he called out
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֤הוּand he answered him
vaiyaanehuH6030 →331 times
בָאֵשׁ֙by <the> fire
vaeshH784 →
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
מִזְבַּ֥ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
הָעֹלָֽה׃ פthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 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
Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are…
- Proverbs 21:27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!
- Proverbs 15:29
Through
1 Kings 18:38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.
it leads to
- Leviticus 9:24
Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 18:24
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 9:24
Through
2 Chronicles 7:1When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:38
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 18:38
Through
Leviticus 9:24Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell…
it leads to
- Judges 6:21
Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 6:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Of the Temple of Solomon 1. 5.4-5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.