Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/194

130 God. I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. And the spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, Go and speak unto David, saying, Thus saith the, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the, Take which thou wilt; either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the , even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the ; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So the sent a pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And God sent an angel unto

8. put away the iniquity] Render perhaps, remove the punishment; cp. Gen. iv. 13, R.V. with marg.: also 1 Sam. xxviii. 10.

9. And the spake] The historian now retraces his steps to describe the circumstances which heralded the approach of the plague.

Gad] He is three times mentioned in Chron., each time as a "seer," viz. xxi. 9 (= 2 Sam. xxiv. 11); xxix. 29; 2 Chr. xxix. 25. He was perhaps an older contemporary of Nathan, who bears the more modern title of "prophet" (cp. 1 Sam. ix. 9).

10. I offer thee three things] The offer is a test of David's character, just as God's different offer in 2 Chr. i. 7 was a test of Solomon's.

12. three years of famine] 2 Sam., seven years of famine (LXX. however three, as Chron.).

three months to be consumed] The correct text, however, is probably that found in 2 Sam. xxiv. 13, or wilt thou flee three months?

the angel of the ] Cp. 2 Kin. xix. 35; Acts xii. 23.

coasts] Render, borders, i.e. through the whole land.

13. into the hand of the ] The answer reveals the sincerity and efficacy of David's penitence: a right spirit is renewed within him. He now chooses to trust in God.

14. there fell of Israel] 2 Sam. adds, from Dan even to Beer-sheba. The pestilence was throughout the whole land.

15. unto Jerusalem] The peril of the plague extends until Jerusalem itself is threatened.