And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. Ornan turned back, and saw the angel - The Septuagint say, And Orna turned, και ειδε τον βασιλεα, and saw the King. The Syriac and Arabic say, David saw the angel; and do not mention Ornan in this place. Houbigant translates the same reading המלך hammalech, the king, for המלעך hammalach, the angel, and vindicates his version from the parallel place, 2 Samuel 24:20, where it is said, he saw David: but there is no word of his seeing the angel. But the seeing David is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 21:21; though Houbigant supposes that the 20th verse refers to his seeing the king while he was at a distance; the 21st, to his seeing him when he came into the threshing-floor. In the first instance he and his sons were afraid when they saw the king coming, and this caused them to hide themselves; but when he came into the threshing-floor, they were obliged to appear before him. One of Kennicott's MSS. has המלך the king, instead of המלאך the angel. Some learned men contend for the former reading.
Related Commentaries of 1 Chronicles 21:20
1 Chronicles 21:20
20 And Ornane turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.