2 Samuel 24 13

2 Samuel 24:13 kjv

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

2 Samuel 24:13 nkjv

So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me."

2 Samuel 24:13 niv

So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me."

2 Samuel 24:13 esv

So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, "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? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

2 Samuel 24:13 nlt

So Gad came to David and asked him, "Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me."

2 Samuel 24 verses

2 Samuel 24 13 Meaning

Second Samuel 24:13 presents King David with a stark and grave choice of divine judgment for his sin of numbering Israel. Through the prophet Gad, God offers three severe national consequences: a prolonged famine, constant defeat and pursuit by enemies, or a swift and deadly plague. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty, His justice in punishing sin, and His grace in allowing David to choose the form of the impending discipline, highlighting the devastating impact of disobedience upon a nation and its leader.

2 Samuel 24 13 Context

The events of 2 Samuel 24 unfold during the latter part of King David's reign. The chapter opens by stating that "the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.'" While 1 Chronicles 21:1 attributes this instigation to "Satan," theological understanding suggests God either directly instigated David or permitted Satan to tempt him as a means to bring about judgment upon David and Israel. David's sin lay not merely in counting people, which was sometimes done, but in the pride or reliance on military strength and numbers rather than complete trust in God, or perhaps in violation of divine decree related to the census or the tax that was supposed to accompany it for atonement (Exod 30:12). God, through Gad the prophet, directly confronts David with the consequence of his transgression. Verse 13 is Gad's direct delivery of God's three specific, severe, and distinct judgments, presenting David with the awful choice that would directly affect his nation. This immediately precedes David's difficult decision (2 Sam 24:14) and the subsequent plague.

2 Samuel 24 13 Word analysis

• So Gad came to David:

  • Gad (Hebrew: גָּד, Gad): Meaning "fortune" or "troop," he was a prophet, also referred to as David's "seer" (1 Sam 22:5; 1 Chr 29:29). His appearance here underscores his significant role as God's direct messenger to the king, conveying immediate divine judgment and revelation. This demonstrates the integral role of prophets in guiding and warning God's covenant people.
  • came to David: Indicates a personal, direct confrontation and delivery of the divine word to the highest authority in the land. This wasn't a general decree but a specific, personal message of consequence.

• and told him, and said to him, 'Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?'

  • told him, and said to him: Repetition emphasizes the solemnity, clarity, and authority of the message being conveyed. Gad is meticulously fulfilling his prophetic duty.
  • seven (Hebrew: שֶׁבַע, sheva'): The number seven often signifies completion or divine perfection in the Bible. Here, it denotes a prolonged and exhaustive duration for the famine, suggesting the comprehensiveness of God's judgment and its totalizing impact on the land's resources and people.
  • years of famine (Hebrew: רָעָב, ra'av): This punishment involves widespread, protracted scarcity of food, leading to prolonged suffering, weakness, and death. It reflects God's control over creation and sustenance, striking at the very foundation of national life and highlighting the people's complete dependence on His provision.
  • in your land: Emphasizes the national scope and collective suffering of the judgment, extending beyond David himself to the entire kingdom that he ruled.

• 'Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you?'

  • Or will you flee three months:
    • flee: Represents military defeat, public humiliation, and the constant fear and insecurity of being hunted. It is a direct assault on the nation's military strength and its capacity for defense.
    • three (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹשׁ, shalosh): Symbolizes completion, intensity, or a divinely appointed period. Though shorter in duration than the famine, it suggests intense, relentless pressure and insecurity.
  • before your foes (Hebrew: אֹיֵב, oyev - enemy, adversary): God uses the nation's adversaries as instruments of His judgment. This highlights God's sovereign control over even hostile nations to accomplish His purposes.
  • while they pursue you: Implies ongoing, relentless distress, stripping the people of peace and stability.

• 'Or shall there be three days' plague in your land?

  • three days' plague (Hebrew: דֶּבֶר, dever - pestilence, epidemic): The shortest duration but often the most immediate, rapid, and terrifying form of judgment, striking indiscriminately and often leading to mass death. It is a direct act of God, defying human control or cure. It showcases God's ultimate power over life and death.
  • in your land?: Reaffirms the national scope of the judgment.

• Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.'"

  • Now consider and see: This imperative urges David to exercise wisdom and discernment in a dire situation. It places the weighty responsibility of choice squarely upon his shoulders, acknowledging his kingship while emphasizing the gravity of the decision.
  • what answer I shall return: Gad emphasizes his role as a messenger who must report back to God. This highlights the immediacy and divine origin of the options; they are not negotiable.
  • to Him who sent me: A direct reference to God, reinforcing His absolute authority, involvement, and the ultimate source of the judgment and the choices presented. It establishes that David is dealing directly with the divine will, through the prophet.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "seven years of famine," "three months before your foes," "three days' plague": This sequence represents a stark escalation in the intensity and immediacy of suffering, despite the decreasing duration. Famine is a slow, grinding devastation. Flight before foes is prolonged humiliation and terror. Plague is a swift, indiscriminate, and terrifying destroyer of life. This demonstrates the varying degrees and types of God's judicial methods, all designed to humble and punish sin. The decreasing timeframes (years to months to days) paradoxically suggest a rising intensity, moving from drawn-out hardship to swift, pervasive death.
• "in your land": Repeated twice, this phrase consistently underlines that the consequence of David's sin is a national judgment, affecting the entirety of his kingdom and people, not just him personally. This collective suffering reflects the corporate nature of the covenant with God.
• "Him who sent me": This phrase, delivered by Gad, unequivocally points to God as the sole originator of these severe choices. It ensures David understands that these are not the prophet's words but divine decree, carrying ultimate authority and requiring an immediate response. It reinforces God's active involvement in the affairs of humanity, even in judgment.

2 Samuel 24 13 Bonus section

The choice offered in this verse presents a profound theological truth about divine justice. While God's judgment is certain for sin, His nature often involves a measure of mercy or a call to decision, even within the context of discipline. The numbers chosen (7 and 3) are significant in biblical numerology: seven often signifies divine completeness or perfection, while three signifies divine wholeness, testimony, or emphasis. Here, they frame the parameters of a divinely determined disciplinary action. The contrast between a prolonged period of a specific type of suffering (famine) and intense, quick-acting judgment (plague) puts David in a position to contemplate God's hand in all forms of adversity and to recognize where true mercy lies—in God's direct hand rather than prolonged human affliction. This entire episode serves as a powerful reminder that even beloved kings and nations are not exempt from God's righteous judgment when they deviate from His path.

2 Samuel 24 13 Commentary

Second Samuel 24:13 marks a critical moment for King David, revealing God's absolute displeasure with his sin through a prophet. God's judgment, stemming from David's prideful census, is meticulously tailored with three options. These choices—famine, war/flight, or plague—are standard forms of divine judgment outlined throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28), emphasizing that sin inevitably leads to national distress. The choice highlights God's justice, ensuring David faces a direct consequence, yet it also subtly displays a form of mercy by allowing the king to choose the specific calamity. This decision would underscore his leadership responsibility and the nation's reliance on divine compassion. The varying durations (seven years, three months, three days) signify different forms of severity—slow and agonizing, humiliating and protracted, or rapid and terrifying, forcing David to ponder which path would manifest God's character most mercifully.