1 Chronicles 21:25

See Gill "1 Chronicles 21:1".

So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. David gave ... for the place six hundred shekels of gold.

(25) So David gave to Oman for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.—Literally, shekels of gold—a weight of six hundred. Samuel has, “And David purchased the threshingfloor and the oxen for silver, fifty shekels.” The two estimates are obviously discordant. We have no means of calculating what would have been a fair price, for we know neither the extent of the purchase nor the value of the sums mentioned. But comparing Genesis 23:16, where four hundred shekels of silver are paid for the field and cave of Machpelah, fifty shekels of silver would seem to be too little. On the other hand, six hundred shekels of gold appears to be far too high a price for the threshingfloor. Perhaps for “gold” we should read “silver.” It has, indeed, been suggested that “the authors were writing of two different things,” and that Samuel assigns only the price of the threshingfloor and oxen; whereas the chronicler, when he speaks of “the place,” means the entire Mount of the Temple (Moriah), on which the floor was situate. But a comparison of the two narratives seems to identify the things purchased—“the place” (1 Chronicles 21:25) is “the place of the threshingfloor” (1 Chronicles 21:22); and in both cases Samuel has “the threshingfloor.” Tradition may have varied on the subject; and as “there is no positive mention of the use of gold money among the Hebrews” apart from this passage (Madden), ours is probably the later form of the story. However this may be, the chronicler has doubtless preserved for us what he found in his original. It is interesting to compare with this sale some of those the records of which are preserved in the Babylonian Contract Tablets. One of these relates how Dân-sum-iddin sold a house and grounds in Borsippa for eleven and a-half minæ of silver, i.e., 690 shekels. This was in the second year of Nabonidus the last king of Babylon.

25. gave … for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight] In 2 Samuel 24:24, bought the threshing floor and the oxen for money, even fifty shekels (so to be rendered). A large discrepancy appears here between Chron. and 2 Sam. The former seems to say that 600 shekels were paid for the threshing floor alone, the latter that only 50 shekels were paid for the floor and oxen taken together. But the text of 2 Sam. is probably corrupt and should perhaps run, bought the threshing floor for money, even six hundred shekels, and the oxen for money, even fifty shekels. The “threshing floor” seems to have included the Temple Mount (1 Chronicles 22:1), and we may compare the 600 shekels paid for it with the 400 paid by Abraham for the cave and field of Machpelah (Genesis 23:15-17). In describing the 600 shekels as shekels of gold the Chronicler perhaps goes beyond his authority, for the sum then becomes improbably large.

Compare the marginal reference and note. It may also be conjectured that we should read “six” for “six hundred” here; since, according to the later Jewish system, six gold shekels were nearly equal in value to fifty silver ones.