Araunah the Jebusite is a biblical figure who is mentioned in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. He was a Jebusite who owned a threshing floor on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. This threshing floor later became the site where Solomon’s Temple was built.
The name “Araunah” means “arkite” or “native of Aruna”. Aruna was another name for Jerusalem during the Jebusite period before it was conquered by King David. So Araunah was likely a Jebusite chieftain or leader in Jerusalem before David’s conquest.
Araunah first appears in the biblical narrative during the reign of King David. David had sinned by taking a census of fighting men in Israel and Judah against God’s command. As punishment, God sent a plague upon the land which killed 70,000 people. The angel of the Lord was about to destroy Jerusalem when God relented and commanded the angel to stop. The angel was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite on Mount Moriah (2 Samuel 24:16).
David saw the angel and went up to Araunah’s threshing floor. He vowed to build an altar and offer sacrifices there to stop the plague. Araunah offered to give David his threshing floor along with oxen and wood for the sacrifices, but David insisted on paying for it, refusing to offer burnt offerings to God that cost him nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and oxen from Araunah for 50 shekels of silver (2 Samuel 24:18-25).
David then built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings there. The plague was stopped and the place was consecrated. This threshing floor of Araunah later became the site where Solomon built the Lord’s temple (1 Chronicles 21:18-22:1).
Besides this story, very little else is known about Araunah the Jebusite. But a few key things can be gleaned:
- He was a Jebusite, part of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Jerusalem who were displaced when David conquered the city.
- He owned a threshing floor on Mount Moriah, the future site of the Temple.
- He willingly offered his property to David for sacrifices to stop the plague.
- His threshing floor was sacred ground where God answered prayer and stopped the plague.
Araunah is significant because of the location of his threshing floor. It was on Mount Moriah, which later became the site of Solomon’s Temple and the heart of Jewish worship. This sacred site was originally used by Araunah the Jebusite for threshing grain. But through God’s providence it became much more – the center of Jewish sacrificial worship.
Araunah himself showed generosity by freely offering his property to David for sacrifice, even though David was originally his enemy who conquered Jerusalem. This foreshadows how God would accept sacrifices in this place from all nations, even though they were once enemies of Israel. It shows God’s desire to make this spot a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).
Beyond this, little else is known about Araunah. But his threshing floor marked a key turning point – the end of a plague, the consecration of the future temple site, and God’s forgiveness and restoration of David and Israel. Araunah’s generosity and grace reflect the greater grace that God would show through sacrifice and worship in the Temple that would stand there for generations to come.
In summary, Araunah the Jebusite was:
- A Jebusite leader in pre-Davidic Jerusalem
- Original owner of the threshing floor on Mount Moriah
- Graciously offered his threshing floor to David to stop the plague
- His threshing floor became the site of Solomon’s Temple
- A symbol of enemy grace and consecrated space where God dwelt
Though just a supporting character in the biblical narrative, Araunah played a small but significant role in sacred history. His threshing floor marked a turning point and set the stage for the Temple in Jerusalem – the center of Jewish worship for a thousand years. Araunah is an example of how God uses unexpected people and places to accomplish His purposes and glorify His name among all nations.
The Jebusites in the Bible
To better understand Araunah’s background, it is helpful to examine what the Bible says about the Jebusites. They were one of the indigenous nations living in Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest described in the book of Joshua (Genesis 15:18-21).
The Jebusites’ main city was Jebus, described as being located in the hill country (Numbers 13:29). Joshua 15:8 and Judges 19:10-11 clarify that Jebus was an early name for Jerusalem. So the Jebusites lived in Jerusalem before David conquered it and made it his capital.
Other Jebusite cities included Luz (Judges 1:21) and Debir (Joshua 10:38-39). But Jerusalem was their main stronghold, situated on a defensible hill.
When Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, they were unable to completely dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem (Joshua 15:63, Judges 1:21). The city had massive walls and was difficult to capture. The Jebusites boasted that even the blind and lame could defend the city from potential invaders (2 Samuel 5:6).
The Jebusites remained entrenched in Jerusalem throughout the period of the judges. But David finally conquered Jebus/Jerusalem around 1000 BC and made it his capital (2 Samuel 5:6-9). Araunah was likely a Jebusite leader who survived and retained his property after this conquest.
Beyond their tenacious defense of Jerusalem, very little is known about the Jebusites from biblical sources. They were likely Semites closely related to other Canaanite tribes like the Hittites and Amorites. Their worship practices were pagan and detestable to God (Deuteronomy 20:17).
One of Abraham’s wives, Keturah, bore him a son named Jokshan who was the father of Sheba and Dedan (Genesis 25:1-3). Scholars believe Sheba’s descendants may have been the Sabeans, while Dedan’s descendants could have been the Jebusites.
So the Bible portrays the Jebusites as a pagan Canaanite tribe, adept at defending fortified cities, especially Jerusalem. They were among the people dispossessed by Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Their idols and false gods were incompatible with Israelite worship of Yahweh. Yet one Jebusite, Araunah, played a small but important role by providing land for the future Temple.
Mount Moriah in the Bible
Mount Moriah is significant in Araunah’s story because this is where his threshing floor was located. Moriah would later become the Temple Mount where Solomon built the Lord’s Temple.
The name “Moriah” means “provided by Yahweh” in Hebrew. It is referenced several times in the Old Testament as a sacred place of sacrifice and worship.
In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on one of the mountains in “the land of Moriah” (v.2). This likely refers to the region around Jerusalem. Abraham proceeded to offer Isaac on an undisclosed mountain there, providing a substitute animal sacrifice when God stopped the test (v.14). The area became sacred space due to this sacrificial act of faith.
Later, Araunah owned a threshing floor on the mountain also called Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1). Here David offered sacrifices to stay the plague. And Solomon chose to build the Temple on this spot, calling it “Mount Moriah” (2 Chronicles 3:1).
So Mount Moriah initially gained religious significance from Abraham’s sacrifice. Centuries later, David consecrated Araunah’s threshing floor on Moriah as sacred space. And finally, Solomon selected this same site for the Temple.
Today, Mount Moriah is identified as the Temple Mount or Haram esh-Sharif in Jerusalem. It is a sacred site for Jews as the location of the ancient Temple, and for Muslims because of the Dome of the Rock shrine. So Mount Moriah has remained a holy place of religious worship for nearly 4,000 years!
The Significance of Threshing Floors in the Bible
Since Araunah was first mentioned in connection with his threshing floor, it is worth exploring the biblical significance of these areas.
Threshing floors were large, flat surfaces where grain was separated from chaff. Farmers would beat grain stalks to break loose the edible seeds, then toss the mixture in the air. Wind would blow away the lighter chaff while the heavier seeds fell back to the floor (Ruth 3:2).
Threshing floors were often located on hills or mountains where ample wind was available (Isaiah 17:13). Hard bedrock provided a flat surface that could be cleaned and reused year after year.
Because threshing floors were gathering spots where the community worked together, they became natural social centers. Important events and divine encounters often occurred on or near them.
For example, Jacob had his reunion with Esau at a threshing floor in Jordan (Genesis 33:2). The Midianites fled from Gideon’s army near the threshing floor of Zererah (Judges 6:33). Absalom’s rebellious kingdom was mustered at Hebron’s threshing floor (2 Samuel 17:19).
Threshing floors also became places of prayer, sacrifice, and worship because they were open spaces owned by the community. The ark of the covenant stopped at the threshing floor of Nacon (2 Samuel 6:6). David built an altar at Ornan’s threshing floor to make sacrifices and call on God (1 Chronicles 21:18).
So threshing floors held deeper meaning in the Bible beyond their practical agricultural function. As community gathering sites, they were natural locations for crucial story events and sacred worship spaces.
It is fitting that Araunah’s threshing floor on Mount Moriah became the Temple Mount. Like other threshing floors, it was open space used for sacrifice and prayer. God transformed this everyday work place into holy ground when He heard David’s prayers and stopped the plague there.
From the time of Abraham, Moriah was sacred ground. When David consecrated Araunah’s threshing floor, it was established as holy space set apart for encountering God’s presence and offering sacrifices. Locating the Temple there drew on this long tradition of divine encounters, sacrifice and worship associated with threshing floors.
Why Did David Insist on Paying Araunah?
When David approached Araunah and asked to buy his threshing floor to build an altar, Araunah offered to freely give the land and materials for sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:21-23). But David insisted on paying full price despite Araunah’s generosity. Why?
There are several possible reasons why David refused Araunah’s offer of free materials:
- He wanted to obey God completely by making sacrifice in the prescribed manner. The Law commanded that sacrifices must cost the worshiper something (2 Samuel 24:24).
- He didn’t want to take advantage of Araunah’s kindness or exploit him, a former enemy.
- He viewed the property as sacred space and wouldn’t shortchange its value, even for a noble purpose.
- He wanted to establish that he legally purchased the land to pass clear title on to Solomon for building the Temple.
- He desired to honor God by making personal sacrifice, not relying on another’s provision.
David went beyond the minimum requirements by paying full market value for Araunah’s property. While Araunah showed generosity, David likely wanted to give his best to God. He refused to acquire the land in a way that failed to reflect its true worth as sacred space.
This transaction highlights the importance David placed on treating holy things with integrity and sacrifice. He modeling how to properly approach God in worship, so the same spirit would permeate the Temple that followed.
Parallels Between Araunah’s Threshing Floor and the Temple
There are some notable parallels between Araunah’s threshing floor and the Temple that was later built there by Solomon:
- Location – Both were located on Mount Moriah, a site with ancestral, sacrificial significance.
- Sacred Space – God heard David’s prayers and accepted sacrifices at the threshing floor, consecrating it as holy ground where He dwelt.
- Provision – God “provided” the site, as the name Moriah indicates. Araunah freely offered materials just as Israelites later gave to build the Temple.
- Generosity – Araunah generously provided his threshing floor. Israelites later gave abundantly and willingly for constructing the Temple.
- Worship – Sacrifices of praise were offered at the threshing floor. The Temple became the center of sacrificial worship.
- Unity – David built an altar to unite and save Israel from plague. The Temple unified all tribes in worship.
God established patterns at Araunah’s threshing floor that foreshadowed Christ’s redemptive work and the unity of worship in the Temple. As sacred space, it set the spiritual tone for the Temple that followed.
Araunah freely giving his floor also parallels Christ’s generosity in giving Himself as the ultimate sacrifice. Just as God provided the site centuries before David arrived, Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Araunah’s threshing floor was consecrated space because of God’s presence there, just as Christ sanctifies the church through His Spirit.
So Araunah’s floor represents God’s provision, Christ’s sacrifice, and the unity of worship. The site’s history reveals God’s redemptive activity centuries before Solomon built the stone Temple there.
Lessons Learned from Araunah
Though mentioned only briefly, Araunah provides some important lessons:
- God uses ordinary people and surprising means to accomplish His will.
- God transforms locations with sinful history into places of worship and sacrifice.
- Generosity and grace reflect God’s own character.
- Holiness requires sacrifice and giving our best to God.
- Places where God brings redemption become sacred forever.
Araunah generously provided his property to stop the plague. He overlooked ethnic and national animosity to help God’s chosen king. His gift became crucial in God’s redemptive plan.
This foreshadows Christ bridging the gap between Jew and Gentile through His sacrifice. It also displays the lavish grace that God showers on undeserving sinners. We can pass on divine grace through simple generosity.
Araunah gave freely for a sacred purpose, but David gave sacrificially in return. This honors God more than simple duty. When we give our best, holding nothing back, it displays the sincerity of our worship. Any place where God redeems us through sacrifice becomes hallowed ground.
Though Araunah occupied just two chapters, his life reminds us that God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways. He transforms hearts and locations scarred by sin into sacred spaces to dwell with Him. And He honors sacrifice and generosity that reflect His selfless character.
Conclusion
In summary, Araunah was a Jebusite who owned a threshing floor on Mount Moriah. When David sinned and a plague struck Israel, God commanded David to build an altar and offer sacrifices at Araunah’s threshing floor to stay the plague. Although Araunah freely offered his land and materials, David insisted on paying him full market value.
Araunah’s threshing floor marked the site where Solomon later constructed the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, establishing Mount Moriah as the central place of Jewish worship. This humble plot of land became sacred space because God heard David’s prayers, accepted his sacrifices, and stopped the plague there.
The Bible provides limited information about Araunah himself. But his grace and generosity in undeservedly helping Israel’s king showed godly character. David’s insistence on sacrificial giving displayed his reverence for God. Araunah’s actions allowed God to convert a former Jebusite stronghold into the holy ground where His presence dwelt.
Though just a minor player, Araunah participated in Israel’s redemption story. His life reminds us that God uses willing and unlikely people to serve His purposes. Sacrificial giving and generosity reflect divine grace. And places touched by God’s mercy and presence become hallowed forever.