Ornan אׇרְנָן
Jebusite, sold threshing floor to David
Biography
Ornan, also known as Araunah, was a Jebusite who owned a threshing floor in Jerusalem during the reign of King David (2Sa.24.16; 1Ch.21.15). After David sinned by taking a census of Israel, God sent a plague that killed 70,000 people (2Sa.24.15; 1Ch.21.14). When the angel of the Lord was about to destroy Jerusalem, God commanded the angel to stop at Ornan's threshing floor (2Sa.24.16; 1Ch.21.15). David was instructed by the prophet Gad to build an altar to the Lord on Ornan's threshing floor (2Sa.24.18; 1Ch.21.18). Ornan offered to give David the threshing floor and the oxen for the sacrifice, but David insisted on paying the full price (2Sa.24.21-24; 1Ch.21.22-25). David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver (2Sa.24.24) or 600 shekels of gold (1Ch.21.25). The threshing floor became the site where David built an altar and offered sacrifices to the Lord (2Sa.24.25; 1Ch.21.26). This location later became the site of Solomon's temple (2Ch.3.1).
In Scripture
3 biblical books1 Chronicles 5 verses
- 1 Chronicles 21:15
"God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now withdraw your hand.” Yahweh’s angel was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."
- 1 Chronicles 21:18
"Then Yahweh’s angel commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."
- 1 Chronicles 21:20
"Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat."
- 1 Chronicles 21:21
"As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground."
- 1 Chronicles 21:22
"Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to Yahweh on it. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”"
2 Chronicles 1 verse
- 2 Chronicles 3:1
"Then Solomon began to build Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."
2 Samuel 5 verses
- 2 Samuel 24:20
"Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. Then Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground."
- 2 Samuel 24:21
"Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing floor, to build an altar to Yahweh, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people.”"
- 2 Samuel 24:22
"Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood."
- 2 Samuel 24:23
"All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”"
- 2 Samuel 24:24
"The king said to Araunah, “No; but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אׇרְנָן | H0771 |
| Named | Hebrew | אֲרַוְנָה | H0728 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | אֲרַוְנָה | H0728 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | אֲרַוְנָה | H0728 |