Biblia Dios Habla Hoy begins a new section here, called “The place for the temple.” Verse 28 continues with verse 1 of the next chapter. Verses 29 and 30 are parenthetical, explaining why David offered sacrifices at the threshing floor of Ornan and not at Gibeon, suggesting that the old altar and sanctuary at Gibeon would be replaced by the new sanctuary in Jerusalem.
The precise relationship of 21.28–22.1 to the preceding narrative will determine how these verses are interpreted and translated. Two possible views are as follows:
• (1) Some interpreters take verse 28 as a summary in reverse order of verse 26. If this interpretation is followed, then the last clause of verse 28 does not refer to later sacrifices but to the same sacrifices mentioned in verse 26. And the end of verse 28 should be translated “he had earlier made his sacrifices there” (similarly Slotki). This interpretation of the Hebrew is reflected in Braun’s translation of 21.28–22.1:
28 At that time, when David saw that Yahweh answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite when he sacrificed there–29 (the tabernacle of Yahweh which Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering was at the high place at Gibeon at that time, 30 but David was not able to go before it to worship God, because he was terrified of the sword of the angel of Yahweh)–22.1 David said, “This is the house of Yahweh God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
• (2) However, other interpreters understand verse 28 not as a summary of previous events but a continuation of the story. If this interpretation is followed, it must be decided whether David offered more sacrifices only on this one occasion (so New International Version, American Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, El libro del Pueblo de Dios, Nueva Versión Internacional) or whether this was something that David continued to do (so New American Bible, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur). American Bible, for example, has “At that time … he offered sacrifice there.” Since Solomon later went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices (2 Chr 1.2-6), it seems likely that David also went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices before the Temple was built. But contrast this understanding with “From that time on, as David had seen that the Eternal had answered his prayer at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he began to regularly offer sacrifices there” (La Bible du Semeur) and “Once David saw that the LORD had heard him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he continued to offer sacrifices there” (New American Bible). Translations such as these two indicate that David continued offering sacrifices at Ornan’s threshing floor from this time on.
At that time is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Although Good News Translation does not translate these words, it does tie this verse to the preceding verses by adding the words “by this.”
When David saw that the LORD had answered him: Some versions render answered him as “answered his prayer” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).
At the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite: The full reference to Ornan the Jebusite may be considered unnecessary in some languages since both verses 15 and 18 identify him as the Jebusite.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .