Now Ornan was threshing wheat; he turned and saw the angel, and his four sons … hid themselves: Many interpreters think that the Hebrew text here as it now stands is not the original text. The variety of different translations reflect the difficulties of interpreting this verse. The Septuagint and the parallel text in 2 Sam 24.20 say that Ornan saw “the king” instead of the angel. If the Septuagint is followed, then his four sons could refer to the king’s sons rather than to Ornan’s sons. In Hebrew the consonants are nearly the same for the words meaning “the king” and “the angel.” Some translations correct the Hebrew here to read “the king.” New American Bible, for example, renders the whole verse as “While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned around and saw the king, and his four sons who were with him, without recognizing them.” In addition to correcting the text to read “the king” rather than “the angel,” New American Bible has the four sons of Ornan with David and it says nothing about the sons hiding themselves.
The word order at the beginning of this verse in Hebrew is “And Ornan turned and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves.” This may be understood to mean that both Ornan and his sons hid themselves. Some translations in fact do say that Ornan also hid. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, says “Ornan had turned around and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden” (similarly Nouvelle Bible Segond in its alternative translation). The reason for hiding is not stated, but it most likely reflects the fear that looking at an angel of the LORD could cause death (Jdg 6.22-23).
The most likely meaning of this verse is expressed in Good News Translation (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). It was not just Ornan who was threshing wheat, but he and his four sons together. And while Ornan continued to thresh wheat after he saw the angel, his sons ran and hid. La Bible du Semeur says “Ornan, who was threshing wheat, had turned and had seen the angel. His four sons who were with him hid themselves” (similarly Nueva Versión Internacional). And Biblia Dios Habla Hoy reads “Ornan, who was threshing wheat, upon turning around had seen the angel, but his four sons, who were with him, had gone to hide themselves.”
In the Hebrew text the clause Now Ornan was threshing wheat comes at the end of the verse instead of at the beginning as in Revised Standard Version; and some versions link this clause to the beginning of the next verse (so New Jerusalem Bible, American Bible). American Bible, for example, reads “20 Now Ornan had turned and was watching the angel while his four sons hid themselves, for Ornan was threshing wheat 21 when David came to Ornan.”
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 .