In brief
Araunah, called Ornan in Chronicles, was a Jebusite of Jerusalem in the time of King David. After David's proud census, a plague struck Israel and the angel of the Lord stopped near Araunah's threshing floor. On the order of the prophet Gad, David came to buy this threshing floor to build an altar there. Araunah offered everything for free, but David refused to offer God what cost him nothing. This place later became the site of Solomon's temple.
What does the name Araunah the Jebusite mean?
The name Araunah, written Ornan in 1 Chronicles 21, is probably not Hebrew and its meaning remains uncertain; some see in it a foreign word meaning lord. The Bible mainly identifies him as the Jebusite, an inhabitant of Jerusalem from before David (2 Samuel 24:16).
The story of Araunah the Jebusite
The plague stops near his threshing floor
2 Samuel 24:15-16David has counted the people out of pride, and a plague strikes Israel. As the angel stretches out his hand over Jerusalem, the Lord relents from the disaster and says it is enough, that he should now withdraw his hand. The text specifies that the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. A simple threshing floor becomes the place of God's mercy.
At work when the angel appears
1 Chronicles 21:18-20The angel tells Gad to instruct David to set up an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan. Meanwhile, Ornan is threshing wheat. He turns and sees the angel, and his four sons hide with him. This parallel account shows an ordinary man, busy at his work, witnessing a decisive moment in Israel's history.
A humble and generous welcome
2 Samuel 24:20-23Araunah sees the king coming, goes out and bows down with his face to the ground. David explains that he wants to buy the threshing floor to build an altar, so that the plague may be stopped. Araunah offers everything: the threshing floor, the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges for wood. He adds a wish that the Lord his God would accept David.
A sacrifice that costs
2 Samuel 24:24-25David refuses the gift, saying he will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord his God that cost him nothing. He buys the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He builds an altar and offers burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the Lord answered his plea for the land, and the plague was stopped from Israel.
The place of the temple
1 Chronicles 21:26-22:1, 2 Chronicles 3:1In Chronicles, the Lord answers David with fire from heaven on the altar, and David declares that here will be the house of the Lord. Later, Solomon builds the temple on Mount Moriah, in the place David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. A Jebusite's threshing floor becomes the center of Israel's worship.
What Araunah the Jebusite teaches us
- God can choose an ordinary place, a threshing floor, to show his mercy and establish his worship.
- Araunah's generosity is a fine example of availability to God and to those who serve him.
- True worship involves personal commitment: we do not offer God what costs us nothing.
- God's judgment stops where a sacrifice is offered, which points to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- A foreigner to the people of Israel had a part in the story of the temple: God opens his grace beyond borders.
Key verses
The Lord stops the angel near Araunah's threshing floor. The place where wrath stops becomes the place where people worship, a sign that God's mercy triumphs over judgment.
David refuses to offer burnt offerings that cost him nothing. This verse reminds us that true worship involves the whole person and is not content with what costs nothing.
Solomon builds the temple on Mount Moriah, on the threshing floor of Ornan. Araunah's story thus joins that of the place where God chose to dwell among his people.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Araunah's threshing floor?
It was near this threshing floor that the Lord stopped the angel who was striking Jerusalem (2 Samuel 24:16). God then ordered, through the prophet Gad, that an altar be built there. The Bible presents this choice as coming from God; the place became the site of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 3:1).
Why is Araunah also called Ornan?
The book of Samuel calls him Araunah, and the book of Chronicles calls him Ornan. It is the same man and the same episode. This name, probably of non-Hebrew origin, was transcribed in two ways. Its meaning remains uncertain; some see in it a foreign word meaning lord.
Where can I find the story of Araunah in the Bible?
The account is in 2 Samuel 24:15-25 and, under the name Ornan, in 1 Chronicles 21:15-30. The link with the temple is made clear in 1 Chronicles 22:1 and in 2 Chronicles 3:1, which places the house of the Lord on Mount Moriah.