1 Chronicles 21:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →As the destroying angel reaches Jerusalem, the LORD relents and halts the plague at Ornan's threshing floor.
What Does 1 Chronicles 21:15 Mean?
The angel comes to Jerusalem to destroy, but at the brink the Lord beholds, relents, and says, "It is enough, stay now thine hand." The angel halts at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, the very place that will become holy ground.
Mercy arrives mid-judgment. The Lord who saw the sin also sees the city and stays the stroke. "It is enough" is the voice of compassion setting a limit to wrath. That the angel stops at a threshing floor, where grain is separated from chaff, foreshadows a place of sacrifice and rescue. God's judgments always have a boundary His mercy has drawn.
1 Chronicles 21:15 in the Original Language
nacham (נָחַם), 'repented' -- to relent, to be moved with compassion and change course.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Chronicles 21:15
What does 1 Chronicles 21:15 mean?
As the destroying angel reaches Jerusalem, the LORD relents and halts the plague at Ornan's threshing floor.