1 Chronicles 21:25So David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~1000 BC. King David counts out 600 shekels of gold by weight — roughly 15 pounds of gold, worth about $400,000 today. This is happening on the future Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel...
The emotion here: recording David's costly but necessary choice with solemn respect
The original word
mishqal (מִשְׁקָל) — by weight, the ancient standard of honest measurement
Why it matters
600 shekels of gold was approximately 2-3 years' wages for a common worker
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Chronicles 21:25
David paid 12 times more than recorded in 2 Samuel because this purchase included the entire mountaintop, not just the threshing floor
Common misconceptionPeople see this as financial stewardship advice, but it's actually about David purchasing the exact location where God would dwell — he couldn't cheapen the transaction for the future Temple site.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Chronicles 21:25
Bible Genome reading
1 Chronicles 21:25 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Chronicles 21:25 comes from the book of 1 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fair payment, completion. Notable phrases: six hundred shekels of gold.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Chronicles 21:25 mean to you, today?
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