Araunah

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

ARAUNAH or Oman. A Jebusite, at whose threshing floor the plague sent for numbering the people was, at David's intercession, stayed. Be offered the area as a site for Jehovah's altar, and only by constraint accepted David's pay (50 shekels of silver,  2 Samuel 24:18-24; 600 shekels of gold,  1 Chronicles 21:25. As 50 silver shekels is far too low a price for the whole land, if there be no transcriber's error here, which is possible, probably the 50 silver shekels were paid for the small floor, the oxen, and wood of the yokes only; the 600 gold shekels for the whole hill on which David afterward built the temple). Contrast his kingly spirit, "Behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice and threshing instruments for wood," with the groveling excuse of the man invited to the king's banquet ( Luke 14:19).

But compare Elisha's similar spirit when called of: God's prophet ( 1 Kings 19:21). Self sacrifice raises one from degradation low as that of the accursed Jebusites to be in Israel a "king and a priest unto God" (compare  2 Samuel 24:23 with  Exodus 19:6;  1 Peter 2:5;  1 Peter 2:9;  Revelation 1:6;  Revelation 5:10;  Revelation 20:6). "These things did Araunah (as) a king give" hardly warrant the guess that he Was of the royal Jebusite race. Keil translates "all this giveth Araunah, O king, to the king," which suits the fact that Araunah gave it in intention, but his offer was not accepted (compare  Matthew 8:11-12;  1 Corinthians 1:27). Josephus (Ant. 7:13, sec. 9) says Araunah was one of David's chief friends, and spared by him when he took the citadel (v. 7). Probably he made his friendship when fleeing before Saul, when also he made that of Uriah the Hittite, Ittai the Gittite, etc.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The Jebusite from whom David purchased the place on which to build the altar of the Lord.  2 Samuel 24:16-24 . Called ORNAN in  1 Chronicles 21:15-28 . In Samuel it is stated that David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He there built an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, without anything being said of his building a house for the Lord on the spot: whereas in Chronicles David gave to Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the place. In 2 Chr. 3:1,2 we learn that the threshing floor was on Mount Moriah, and that the site was prepared by David for the temple, which was built by Solomon. Doubtless therefore 'the place' included a much larger area than was needed for David's altar, and perhaps included the homestead of Araunah. This no doubt formed a part of what is now called the Temple area, or Mosque enclosure, in the S.E. of Jerusalem, but on what part of that area the temple was built is not known.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Araunah ( A-Rau'Nah ), Ark? A Large Ash or Pine. A Jebusite, it has been supposed of royal race, from whom David purchased a threshing-floor as a site for an altar to the Lord.  2 Samuel 24:18-25. In  1 Chronicles 21:18-28, and  2 Chronicles 3:1, the name is Oman. There is an apparent discrepancy in the two accounts in respect to the price paid by David. According to the author of Samuel it was 50 shekels of silver; whereas in Chronicles we and the sum stated to be 600 shekels of gold. But we may suppose the floor, oxen, and instruments purchased for the 50 shekels; the larger area, in which the temple was subsequently built, for 600. Or, the first-named sum was the price of the oxen, the last of the ground.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ARAUNAH (  2 Samuel 24:18; called in   1 Chronicles 21:15 ,   2 Chronicles 31:1-21 Ornan ). A Jebusite who owned a threshing-floor on Mount Moriah. This spot was indicated by the prophet Gad as the place where an altar should he erected to J″ [Note: Jahweh.] , because the plague, which followed David’s numbering of the people, had been stayed. David bought the threshing-floor and oxen for 50 shekels of silver. The price paid is given in   1 Chronicles 21:15 as 600 shekels of gold a characteristic deviation from the earlier account.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A Jebusite, residing on Mount Moriah after the Jebusites were dispossessed by David,  2 Samuel 5:6   24:18 . In  1 Corinthians 16:24 , he is called  2 Chronicles 3:1 , and his readiness to give it freely for this purpose, suggest the probability that he was a convert to the true religion.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Chronicles 21:15 2 Samuel 24:24 1 Chronicles 21:24,25 2 Samuel 24:16 2 Chronicles 3:1Altar

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Arau'nah. (Ark). A Jebusite who sold his threshing floor on Mount Moriah to David as a site for an altar to Jehovah , together with his oxen.  2 Samuel 24:18-24;  1 Chronicles 21:25.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 2 Samuel 24:15-25 2 Chronicles 3:1  1 Chronicles 21:15-30

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Aravnah', אֲרִוְנָה ,  2 Samuel 24:16-24 [ 2 Samuel 24:16 אֲוִרְנָה ,  2 Samuel 24:18 אֲרִנְיָה , perhaps another form of Ornan; Sept. Ο᾿Ρνά ) or Or'nan (Heb. Ornan', אָרְנָן , Nimble; 1 Chronicles 21;  2 Chronicles 3:1; Sept. Ο᾿Ρνα ) , a man of the Jebusite nation, which possessed Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. The angel of pestilence, sent to punish King David for his presumptuous vanity in taking a census of the people, was stayed in the work of death near a plot of ground belonging to this person, used as a threshing-floor, and situated on Mount Moriah; and when he understood it was required for the site of the Temple, he liberally offered the ground to David as a free gift; but the king insisted on paying the full value for it (50 shekels of silver according to  2 Samuel 24:18, but 600 shekels of gold according to  1 Chronicles 21:18). B.C. cir. 1017. (See David). Josephus, who calls him Oronna ( Ο᾿Ρόννα , Ant. 7, 13, 4), adds that he was a wealthy man among the Jebusites, whom David spared in the capture of the city on account of his good-will toward the Hebrews (Ant. 7, 3, 3). (See Moriah).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a - rô´na ( ארונה , 'ărawnāh ,  2 Samuel 24:16 ,  2 Samuel 24:20; ארניה , 'ăranyāh  2 Samuel 24:18 , and ארנן , 'ornān ,  1 Chronicles 21:15;  2 Chronicles 3:1 , all from a Hebrew root meaning "to be strong"): A J ebusite from whom David at the request of the prophet Gad bought a threshing-floor located upon Mt. Moriah, as a site for an altar of the Lord at the time of the great plague ( 2 Samuel 24:15;  1 Chronicles 21:15 ), upon which Solomon later erected the temple ( 2 Chronicles 3:1 ).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Arau´nah, or Ornan, a man of the Jebusite nation, which possessed Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. His threshing-floor was on Mount Moriah; and when he understood that it was required for the site of the Temple, he liberally offered the ground to David as a free gift; but the king insisted on paying the full value for it ( 2 Samuel 24:18;  1 Chronicles 21:18).