1 Chronicles 21 · Verse 12

1 Chronicles 21:12

Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
1 Chronicles 21:12, King James Version

1 Chronicles 21:12 in other translations

BSBbetween three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
WEBeither three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the LORD’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”
ASVeither three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
YLTeither for three years--famine, or three months to be consumed from the face of thine adversaries, even the sword of thine enemies to overtake, or three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and a messenger of Jehovah destroying in all the border of Israel; and now, see; what word do I return to Him who is sending me?'
DARBYChoose thee, either three years of famine, or three months to be destroyed before thine adversaries while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee, or three days the sword of Jehovah and the pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying through all the borders of Israel. And now consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
BBEThree years when there will not be enough food; or three months of war, when you will go in flight before your haters, being in great danger of the sword; or three days of the sword of the Lord, disease in the land, and the angel of the Lord taking destruction through all the land of Israel. Now give thought to the answer I am to take back to him who sent me.
WebsterEither three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while the sword of thy enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

What does 1 Chronicles 21:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Chronicles 21:11-12

11-12. Choose thee, &c.--To the three evils these correspond in beautiful agreement: three years, three months, three days [Bertheau]. (See on 2Sa 24:13).

Read the full comment on 1 Chronicles 21:11-12 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Three days - the pestilence in the land - In 2Sam 24:13 (note), seven years of famine are mentioned.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

1 Chronicles 21:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אִם\־'im-whetherH518
שָׁל֨וֹשׁsha.Lo.oshthreeH7969
שָׁנִ֜יםsha.NimyearsH8141
רָעָ֗בra.'AvfamineH7458
וְאִם\־ve.'im-and orH518
שְׁלֹשָׁ֨הshe.lo.ShahthreeH7969
חֳדָשִׁ֜יםcho.da.ShimmonthsH2320
נִסְפֶּ֥הnis.Pehbeing swept awayH5595
מִפְּנֵי\־mi.pe.nei-from beforeH6440
צָרֶיךָ֮tza.rei.Khaopponents yourH6862
וְחֶ֣רֶבve.Che.revand [the] sword ofH2719
אוֹיְבֶ֣ךָ\׀'oy.Ve.khaenemies yourH341
לְמַשֶּׂגֶת֒le.ma.se.Getto overtaking [you]H5381
וְאִם\־ve.'im-and orH518
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתshe.Lo.shetthreeH7969
יָ֠מִיםYa.mimdaysH3117
חֶ֣רֶבChe.rev[the] sword ofH2719
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְדֶ֙בֶר֙ve.De.verand pestilenceH1698
בָּאָ֔רֶץba.'A.retzin the landH776
וּמַלְאַ֣ךְu.mal.'Akhand [the] angel ofH4397
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
מַשְׁחִ֖יתmash.ChitdestroyingH7843
בְּכָל\־be.kholin allH3605
גְּב֣וּלge.Vul[the] territory ofH1366
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְעַתָּ֣הve.'a.Tahand thereforeH6258
רְאֵ֔הre.'EhconsiderH7200
מָֽה\־mah-what?H4100
אָשִׁ֥יב'a.Shivwill I bring backH7725
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שֹׁלְחִ֖יsho.le.Chi[the] [one who] sent meH7971
דָּבָֽר\׃\ \פda.VarwordH1697

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 21:12

  • Matthew 13:49-50

    So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:15-16

    And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

  • Acts 12:23

    And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

  • Deuteronomy 28:35

    The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

  • Jeremiah 47:6

    O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.

  • 2 Samuel 21:1

    Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

  • Psalms 91:6

    Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

  • 1 Kings 17:1

    And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

  • Jeremiah 12:12

    The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

  • Leviticus 26:17

    And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

  • Deuteronomy 28:15

    But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

  • Deuteronomy 28:51-52

    And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
three year's famine.In 2 Sa 24:13, it is seven years; but the Septuagint has there [tria ete,] three years, as here; which is, no doubt, the true reading; the letter [Zayin,] {zayin,} seven, being mistaken for [Giymel,] {gimmel,} three.
Le 26:26-29; 2Sa 21:1; 24:13; 1Ki 17:1; 2Ki 8:1; La 4:9; Lu 4:25
to be destroyed.
Le 26:17,36,37; De 28:15,25,51,52; Jer 42:16
the sword.
16; Isa 66:16; Jer 12:12; 47:6
even the pestilence.
Le 26:10,25; De 28:22,27,35; Ps 91:6; Eze 14:19-21
the angel.
15,16; Ex 12:23; 2Ki 19:35; Mt 13:49,50; Ac 12:23; Re 7:1-3
Now therefore.
2Sa 24:13,14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 21:11

    So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee

  • 1 Chronicles 21:12

    Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:13

    And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

Read all of 1 Chronicles 21

1 Chronicles 21:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Escógete, ó tres años de hambre; ó ser por tres meses deshecho delante de tus enemigos, y que la espada de tus adversarios te alcance; ó por tres días la espada de Jehová y pestilencia en la tierra, y que el ángel de Jehová destruya en todo el término de Israel: mira pues qué he de responder al que me ha enviado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		ou trois ans de famine, ou d’être pourchassé trois mois devant tes adversaires et d’être atteint par l’épée de tes ennemis, ou pendant trois jours l’épée de l’ Éternel et la peste dans le pays, et l’ange de l’ Éternel détruisant dans tous les confins d’Israël. Et maintenant, vois quelle parole je rapporterai à celui qui m’a envoyé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		So spricht Jehova: Wähle dir! entweder drei Jahre Hungersnot; oder drei Monate dahingerafft zu werden vor deinen Bedrängern, und daß das Schwert deiner Feinde dich treffe; oder drei Tage das Schwert Jehovas und Pest im Lande, und daß der Engel Jehovas verderbe in allen Grenzen Israels. Und nun siehe zu, was für eine Antwort ich dem zurückbringen soll, der mich gesandt hat.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		aut tribus annis famem; aut tribus mensibus te fugere hostes tuos, et gladium eorum non posse evadere; aut tribus diebus gladium Domini, et pestilentiam versari in terra, et angelum Domini interficere in universis finibus Israël: nunc igitur vide quid respondeam ei qui misit me.