2 Samuel 24:14 - Forerunner Commentary

2 Samuel 24:14

12 “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ”

13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall ^aseven 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.”

14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, ^afor His mercies are great; but ^bdo not let me fall into the hand of man.”

15 So ^athe Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died.

16 ^aAnd when the¹ angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, ^bthe Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of² Araunah the Jebusite.

17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely ^aI have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”

The Altar on the Threshing Floor

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, ^a“Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

Verse Comparison: 2 Samuel 24:14

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

Amplified® Bible
And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are many {and} great; but let me not fall into the hands of man.

Contemporary English Version
David was really frightened and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the LORD is kind, and I'd rather have him punish us than for anyone else to do it."

Darby English Version
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

Good News Bible
David answered, "I am in a desperate situation! But I don't want to be punished by people. Let the LORD himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful."

King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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 the hand of man."

New International Version
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 the hands of men."

New King James Version
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.”

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then David said to Gad, "I feel in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies we recognize as great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

Revised Standard Version
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."

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Gad, `I have great distress, let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for many `are' His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.'

New English Translation
David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!”¹

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