2 Samuel 24:18-25 Meaning: What Costly Worship Looks Like
18Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, build an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Yahweh commanded.
20Araunah 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.
21Araunah 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.”
22Araunah 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 sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.
23All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”
24The 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.
25David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Yahweh was entreated for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.
18And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.
20And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
21And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
23All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.
24And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely 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 threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
18And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.
20And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
21And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood:
23all this, O king, doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee.
24And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So Jehovah was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
18And Gad cometh in unto David on that day, and saith to him, `Go up, raise to Jehovah an altar in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite;'
19and David goeth up, according to the word of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.
20And Araunah looketh, and seeth the king and his servants passing over unto him, and Araunah goeth out and boweth himself to the king--his face to the earth.
21And Araunah saith, `Wherefore hath my lord the king come unto his servant?' and David saith, `To buy from thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar to Jehovah, and the plague is restrained from the people.'
22And Araunah saith unto David, `Let my lord the king take and cause to ascend that which is good in his eyes; see, the oxen for a burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments, and the instruments of the oxen, for wood;'
23the whole hath Araunah given, as a king to a king; and Araunah saith unto the king, `Jehovah thy God doth accept thee.'
24And the king saith unto Araunah, `Nay, for I do surely buy from thee for a price, and I do not cause to ascend to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings for nought;' and David buyeth the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver,
25and David buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and Jehovah is entreated for the land, and the plague is restrained from Israel.
18And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as Jehovah had commanded.
20And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on towards him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
21And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up that which is good in his sight: see, [here are] oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-sledges and implements of the oxen for wood.
23All these things, O king, doth Araunah give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee.
24And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will in any case buy [them] of thee at a price: neither will I offer up to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings without cost. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25And David built there an altar to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. And Jehovah was propitious to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
Meaning in one sentence
David refused to offer God what cost him nothing. Learn why the threshing floor became the Temple site and what this means for worship today.
Context
This passage brings a terrible chapter to its close. After David's census brought God's judgment on Israel, a plague swept through the land, killing seventy thousand people. The angel of destruction stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. That was where mercy showed up. Now Gad the prophet tells David to build an altar on that very spot. The ground that had witnessed judgment would become the site of atonement. Christians across the centuries have recognized this as Mount Moriah, where Abraham once offered Isaac, and it would become the place where Solomon built the Temple. A threshing floor, a place where grain is separated from chaff and the everyday work of keeping alive gets done, becomes holy ground.
Key Words
The language of buying runs through these verses like a thread. The Hebrew verb qanah, to buy or acquire, appears three times in David's speech. He uses an emphatic form of the verb, one that shows his mind is made up before Araunah even finishes speaking.
The word Araunah uses, chinam, translated as without cost or for nothing, carries the idea of a gift given freely with no payment expected. It is the same word used elsewhere for things given undeservedly. David will not take what is offered that way.
And then at the end, the verb atar, was entreated, describes God allowing Himself to be moved by prayer. It is a rare and tender word, not that God is reluctant, but that He meets the worshipper in the act of giving. The plague stops not because a transaction was completed, but because a heart was engaged.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have found several layers of meaning in this exchange. Methodist commentator Adam Clarke drew out the principle that cost is essential to worship: a religion that costs nothing is worth nothing. Reformed pastor Matthew Henry saw this threshing floor as the place where judgment gave way to mercy, a turning point for the whole nation. Anglicans have noted how the Cambridge Bible connects this location to the future Temple, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown observes that Araunah himself appears to have been a convert from the Jebusites, a sign that God's mercy was reaching beyond Israel even then. All these readings circle the same truth: something about this piece of ground, this purchase, this sacrifice, mattered deeply to God.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers hear David's refusal and think he is being stubborn, or even ungrateful. Araunah offers freely, and David says no. But the point is not that David rejects generosity. He knows that accepting the gift would undo the very thing he came to do. A sacrifice that costs the giver nothing is not a sacrifice at all. David is not being proud. He is being honest about what worship requires.
Living This Out
This passage asks an uncomfortable question: what are you offering God that costs you nothing? It might be your time, but only when nothing else demands it. Your forgiveness, but only for small offenses. Your money, but only your leftovers. Your obedience, but only when it is convenient. David could have taken the easy path. Araunah was practically begging him to take it. But David knew that what costs nothing communicates nothing. This week, look for one place where you have been giving God your leftovers. It could be your attention in prayer, your patience with someone difficult, or your generosity when no one is watching. That is your threshing floor. Build your altar there.
Main takeaway: True worship costs the worshipper something, and the cost is part of what makes it genuine.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King David wanted to give God a gift that was special. He paid for it himself because he knew giving to God should cost something. What gift can you give God this week?
For ages 9, 12
Araunah wanted to give David the land and the animals for free. But David said no. He knew that if it cost him nothing, it would not mean as much. When we give God our time or our money or our help, it matters most when we give the best we have, not what is left over. Think of one thing you have been holding back from God. That thing might be exactly what He wants from you.
Questions People Ask
Why did David insist on buying the threshing floor rather than accepting it as a gift?
David understood that sacrifice requires personal cost. In verse 24 he says plainly, 'I will not offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing.' Accepting the site for free would have contradicted the purpose of building an altar. The cost was part of the worship.
What is the significance of Araunah's threshing floor? Is it Mount Moriah?
Many Christian commentators identify this location as Mount Moriah, the same place where Abraham offered Isaac. Adam Clarke's Commentary notes this tradition, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connects it to the site where Solomon later built the Temple. The threshing floor was where judgment stopped and mercy began, making it holy ground.
How much did David pay for the threshing floor? Why does 1 Chronicles mention a different amount?
In 2 Samuel 24:24, David pays fifty shekels of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. In 1 Chronicles 21:25, he pays six hundred shekels of gold for the entire site. Commentators suggest the larger amount was paid later for the whole hill where the Temple would be built, while the fifty shekels covered the immediate purchase for the altar.
What does 'offering to God what costs me nothing' mean for Christians today?
It means giving God our best, not our leftovers. This could be time we would rather keep for ourselves, money we would rather spend elsewhere, or forgiveness we would rather withhold. If it costs us nothing to give it, it communicates nothing about our love for God.
Why was this specific threshing floor chosen for the altar?
This was the exact place where the angel stopped the plague, as recorded in 2 Samuel 24:16. God directed David to build the altar there to mark the place of mercy. The ground that witnessed judgment became the site of atonement, and later the location of the Temple.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study