araunah Summary and Overview

agile; also called Ornan 1 Chr. 21:15, a Jebusite who dwelt in Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. The destroying angel, sent to punish David for his vanity in taking a census of the people, was stayed in his work of destruction near a threshing-floor belonging to Araunah which was situated on Mount Moriah. Araunah offered it to David as a free gift, together with the oxen and the threshing instruments; but the king insisted on purchasing it at its full price (2 Sam. 24:24; 1 Chr. 21:24, 25), for, according to the law of sacrifices, he could not offer to God what cost him nothing. On the same place Solomon afterwards erected the temple (2 Sam. 24:16; 2 Chr. 3:1). (See ALTAR T0000185.)

(ark), a Jebusite who sold his threshing floor on Mount Moriah to David as a site for an altar to Jehovah, together with his oxen. #2Sa 24:18-24; 1Ch 21:25|

ARAU'NAH (ark; a large ash or pine), or OR'NAN, was a Jebusite who lived at Jerusalem and owned a threshing-place or floor, where the temple was afterward built. 2 Sam 24:16. David bought it of him because the destroying angel sent to desolate the nation, in consequence of David's sin of numbering the people, stayed his hand at the command of God just as he had reached the floor. Araunah refused at first to receive anything for it, but offered it to him, together with oxen for sacrifices, and the timber of the threshing-instruments for fuel. David refused to receive them as a gift, as he would not offer to the Lord that which had cost him nothing. He therefore bought the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, 2 Sam 24:24, and the whole place for six hundred shekels of gold, 1 Chr 21:25, and offered his sacrifices, which were accepted and the plague stayed. 2 Sam 24:23 may be better translated; "The whole O king, does Araunah give unto the King." But taking the Authorized Version translation as it stands, it favors the view of some that the expression "Araunah the king" implies that he was one of the kings of the Jebusites.

ARAUNAH or OMAN. A Jebusite, at whose threshing floor the plague sent for numbering the people was, at David's intercession, stayed. Be offered the area as a site for Jehovah's altar, and only by constraint accepted David's pay (50 shekels of silver, 2 Samuel 24:18-24; 600 shekels of gold, 1 Chronicles 21:25. As 50 silver shekels is far too low a price for the whole land, if there be no transcriber's error here, which is possible, probably the 50 silver shekels were paid for the small floor, the oxen, and wood of the yokes only; the 600 gold shekels for the whole hill on which David afterward built the temple). Contrast his kingly spirit, "Behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice and threshing instruments for wood," with the groveling excuse of the man invited to the king's banquet (Luke 14:19). But compare Elisha's similar spirit when called of: God's prophet (1 Kings 19:21). Self sacrifice raises one from degradation low as that of the accursed Jebusites to be in Israel a "king and a priest unto God" (compare 2 Samuel 24:23 with Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6). "These things did Araunah (as) a king give" hardly warrant the guess that he Was of the royal Jebusite race. Keil translates "all this giveth Araunah, O king, to the king," which suits the fact that Araunah gave it in intention, but his offer was not accepted (compare Matthew 8:11-12; 1 Corinthians 1:27). Josephus (Ant. 7:13, sec. 9) says Araunah was one of David's chief friends, and spared by him when he took the citadel (v. 7). Probably he made his friendship when fleeing before Saul, when also he made that of Uriah the Hittite, Ittai the Gittite, etc.