2 Samuel 24:21

And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people. It is evident that the plague was not stayed until after the altar was built and the sacrifice offered; so that what is related, 2 Samuel 24:16 was by anticipation. Previous to the offering of this sacrifice, he had seen the destroying angel, as well as offered the intercessory prayer (2 Samuel 24:17). This was a sacrifice of expiation; and the reason why he was allowed to offer it on mount Moriah was partly in gracious consideration to his fear of repairing to Gibeon (1 Chronicles 21:29), and partly in anticipation of the removal of the tabernacle, and the erection of the temple there (2 Chronicles 3:1).