Araunah
“Strong or nimble”
Summary
A Jebusite from whom David purchased a threshing floor on Mount Moriah as the site for an altar to the Lord, which later became the location of Solomon's temple.
☩Identity and Context
Araunah (also called Ornan in Chronicles) was a Jebusite who owned a threshing floor on Mount Moriah. When the angel of pestilence, sent to punish David for his census of the people, was stayed near this location, the prophet Gad instructed David to build an altar there. Josephus adds that Araunah was a wealthy man among the Jebusites whom David spared during the capture of Jerusalem because of his good will toward the Hebrews.
☩The Purchase
Araunah generously offered to give his threshing floor, oxen, and wood to David as a free gift for the altar. However, David insisted on paying the full price, declaring he would not offer burnt offerings to the Lord that cost him nothing. The purchase price is recorded as fifty shekels of silver for the immediate threshing floor and oxen, with six hundred shekels of gold for the larger site that would eventually become the temple area.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Araunah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Araunah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Araunah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Araunah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).