And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings — And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel — David builds the altar and offers sacrifices. God answers his prayer; the plague stops, and Israel is spared. The location—the threshing floor of Araunah—later becomes the site of the Temple of Solomon (cf. 2 Chronicles 3:1). Thus David's act of repentance, his purchase of the land, and his construction of an altar mark the beginning of the history that will lead to the permanent shrine of God's presence in Jerusalem. The arc of 2 Samuel concludes with the promise of restoration: from civil war, murder, treachery, and plague, God brings a remnant through which his purposes will continue. David's dynasty is secured; God's mercy endures.

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