The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 21:30 Explained

1 Chronicles 21:30

KJV: But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

YLT: and David is not able to go before it to seek God, for he hath been afraid because of the sword of the messenger of Jehovah.

Darby: But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.

ASV: But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But David  could  not go  before  it to enquire  of God:  for he was afraid  because  of the sword  of the angel  of the LORD. 

What does 1 Chronicles 21:30 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1 Chronicles 21

1  David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5  The number of the people being brought, David repents of it
9  David having three plagues proposed by God, chooses the pestilence
14  After the death of 70,000, David by repentance prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18  David, by Gad's direction, purchases Ornan's threshing floor;
26  where having built an altar, God gives a sign of his favor by fire
28  David sacrifices there, being restrained from Gibeon by fear of the angel

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 21:30 mean?

But not could David go before it to inquire of God for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of Yahweh -
וְלֹא־ יָכֹ֥ל דָּוִ֛יד לָלֶ֥כֶת לְפָנָ֖יו לִדְרֹ֣שׁ אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י נִבְעַ֔ת מִפְּנֵ֕י חֶ֖רֶב מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה ס

וְלֹא־  But  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָכֹ֥ל  could 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
דָּוִ֛יד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לָלֶ֥כֶת  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לְפָנָ֖יו  before  it 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לִדְרֹ֣שׁ  to  inquire 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
אֱלֹהִ֑ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נִבְעַ֔ת  he  was  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּעַת  
Sense: to terrify, startle, fall upon, dismay, be overtaken by sudden terror.
חֶ֖רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
מַלְאַ֥ךְ  of  the  angel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation