And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. The angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem - By what means this destruction took place, we know not: it appears that an angel was employed in it, and that this minister of Divine justice actually appeared as an object. of sight; for it is said, 2 Samuel 24:17, When David saw the angel that smote the people, he said, etc.; and both Ornan and his four sons saw him and were affrighted, 1 Chronicles 21:20.
The threshing-place of Araunah - These threshing-places, we have already seen, were made in the open air. In the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 21:15, 1 Chronicles 21:20, etc., this person is called Ornan. The word that we render Araunah is written in this very chapter אורנה Auarnah, 2 Samuel 24:16, ארניה Araniah, 2 Samuel 24:18, ארונה Araunah or Araunah, 2 Samuel 24:20, and the following: but in every place in 1 Chronicles 21:1-30 where it occurs it is written ארנן Ornan. It is likely he had both names, Araunah and Ornan: but the varieties of spelling in 2 Samuel ust arise from the blunders of transcribers.