2 Samuel 24:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man."

NIV: David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands."

NASB: Then David said to Gad, 'I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.'

CSB: David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands."

NLT: I’m in a desperate situation!' David replied to Gad. 'But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.'

KJV: And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

NKJV: And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

Israel has sinned against God. David exacerbated that sin by ordering his generals to count all the fighting men in Israel. When they return, David realizes he's been a fool and repents of his sin (2 Samuel 24:1–10). God sends the seer, Gad, to give David a choice of which punishment he and the nation will face:

"Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land?" (2 Samuel 24:13)

David is in emotional turmoil, as if the weight of the situation is pressing all around him. He doesn't know which punishment to choose, but he knows that he doesn't want it to come from humans. God will be far more merciful.

Scholars tend to interpret this to mean David chooses pestilence. Yet the text goes on to show that God chooses pestilence. David chooses either the pestilence or the famine, as these are options completely under God's control.

First Chronicles 21:12 describes the plague: "three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel." It's a supernatural disease that sweeps across the same territory, "from Dan to Beersheba," as David's sinful census (2 Samuel 24:2). Within three days, many thousands die. But David is right about God's mercy. He stops the killing angel before it reaches Jerusalem (2 Samuel 24:15–16).

When we're faced with God's discipline, it's important to remember that God is merciful. Our smallest sin qualifies us for eternal torment. When our sin causes suffering on earth, God is reminding us that following Him is best for us. He doesn't make us suffer more than we deserve. In fact, He sent His Son so we can avoid the greatest suffering possible: eternity apart from Him.

Second Samuel 24:10–14 (1 Chronicles 21:7–13) records David realizing he's made a terrible mistake. God allowed Satan to tempt David into taking a census. Once it's complete, David recognizes and repents from his sin (2 Samuel 24:1–9). God gives David a choice of punishments; David would rather a famine or pestilence from God than war against men. Thousands of men die in a three-day plague, but God has mercy on Jerusalem (2 Samuel 24:15–17).

Second Samuel 24 (1 Chronicles 21) is the final story in the epilogue to 1 and 2 Samuel. God is angry with Israel and incites David to take a census. When it's finished, David accepts blame, and God punishes Israel with a plague. The plague's progress stops at a threshing floor just short of Jerusalem. David buys the land and offers a sacrifice. The land will later house the temple. In the chiasm—the mirror arrangement—epilogue of 1 and 2 Samuel, this story is partnered with God's punishment of Saul's family for their sin against the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:1–14).

Second Samuel 24 (1 Chronicles 21) marks the end of the epilogue of 1 and 2 Samuel. Second Samuel 21—24 is a mirrored pattern showing how God's blessings on Israel are dependent on their obedience. Here, God is angry with Israel and incites David. The nation is disciplined by a deadly plague. In 2 Samuel 24, the story shows that God disciplines Israel's disobedience. In 1 Chronicles 21, the focus is on how David got the land for the temple.