Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Samuel 24:24

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay, but I will shrely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God, of that which doth cost me nothing . So David bought the threshing▪floor, and the oxen, for fifty shekels of silver .

For this would be both dishonourable to God, as if I thought him not worthy of a costly Sacrifice: and a disparagement to my self, as if I were unable or unwilling to offer a Sacrifice of my own goods: and unsatisfactory to the command of God, which obligeth all offenders, and me in a particular manner, to offer Sacrifice of their own Estate.

Obj. In 1 Chron. 21. 25. he is said to give for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. Ans. These two places may be fairly reconciled divers ways. First, Here he speaks of the price paid for the threshing-floor, and oxen, and Instruments; and there for the whole place adjoyning, on which the Temple and its Courts were built, which certainly was very much larger than this Threshing-floor, and probably had Araunah's House, if not some others, now built upon it. Secondly, The Shekels here may be of Gold; and in 1 Chron. 21. of Silver; and so the proportion of Gold to Silver being that of twelve to one, 50 Shekels of Gold make 600 Shekels of Silver. And whereas it may be objected, That on the contrary these 50 Shekels are said to be of Silver, and the 600 of Gold; this they answer by another translation of the words. For they render this place thus, agreeably enough to the words and the order of the Hebrew Text, he bought them for silver, (or, for money, as the Hebrew word Ch[illegible: 1+ letters]seph, oft signifies, and particularly in this very History in the Parallel place, 1 Chron. 21. 24. where David desires to buy it for the full price, or for full money, where in the Hebrew it is for full silver): even for fifty shekels, to wit, of Gold, as it is expressed 1 Chron. 21. 25. which place they render thus, and that consonantly to the Hebrew, he gave shekels of gold of the value (for the Hebrew word Mishk[illegible: 1+ letters]l, signifies value as well as weight, as was before noted on 2 Sam. 12. 30.) of six hundred shekels, to wit, of Silver. And this may seem added in the Book of the Chronicles, lest it should be thought that the 50 Shekels here mentioned were but common and Silver Shekels. Thirdly, There is a considerable difference in the Phrase in these two places. Here he mentions for what David bought it, or what he was obliged to give for it; and in Chronicles what he actually gave for it, to wit, of his Royal bounty, over and besides the full price of it: which was decent and convenient for so great a King, and especially upon so great an occasion, and to him who had given him such a noble example.

Marginal references: 1 Chr. 21▪