II Shmuel 34: David's Choice

According to chapter 24, God looked for a way to punish the people by enticing David to conduct a census. Counting the nation is against the will of God, unless God is the one officially mandating the count. This is a little confusing because the text says that God did initiate this census in a way, but not in an official way. God sends Gad the prophet to present David with three potential punishments: 1) an attack by an enemy (the sword), 2) pestilence, or 3) a famine. In Hebrew they are cherev (חֶרֶב), dever (דֶּבֶר), and raav (רָעָב). David chooses pestilence. He reasons with Gad that of the three, pestilence comes directly from God. This would present David with the best opportunity to seek God’s mercy: “Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (נִפְּלָה־נָּא בְיַד־ה׳ כִּי רַבִּים רַחֲמָיו וּבְיַד־אָדָם אַל־אֶפֹּלָה) (II Samuel 24:14). This calculation appears at the start of the tachanun prayer every weekday when the penitent asks for God’s mercy.Rashi explains that David also made a calculation between these three on how the people would see him. If he chose an attack by the enemy, they would think David would rely on his strength to save himself, but others would perish who were weak. If he chose famine, then the people would believe that David wanted to save himself by his vast wealth and stores of food. Only pestilence is the great equalizer that can affect people of all ages and social status.At the end of the chapter, David is able to stop the angel of death right at the threshing floor of Araunah. David purchases this land and builds an altar there: “David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver” (וַיִּקֶן דָּוִד אֶת־הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶת־הַבָּקָר בְּכֶסֶף שְׁקָלִים חֲמִשִּׁים) (II Samuel 24:24). The spot will eventually become the place where Shlomo will build the Temple.In his prayer at the dedication ceremony, Shlomo pays homage to his father and the new Temple, promising that: “So, too, if there is a famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts or caterpillars, or if an enemy oppresses them in any of the settlements of the land. In any plague and in any disease, (38) in any prayer or supplication offered by any person among all Your people Israel—each of whom knows his own affliction—when he spreads his palms toward this House” (רָעָב כִּי־יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ דֶּבֶר כִּי־יִהְיֶה שִׁדָּפוֹן יֵרָקוֹן אַרְבֶּה חָסִיל כִּי־יִהְיֶה כִּי־יָצַר לוֹ אֹיְבוֹ בְּאֶרֶץ שְׁעָרָיו כָּל־נֶגַע כָּל־מַחֲלָה. כָּל־תְּפִלָּה כָל־תְחִנָּה אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה לְכָל־הָאָדָם לְכֹל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יֵדְעוּן אִישׁ נֶגַע לְבָבוֹ וּפָרַשׂ כַּפָּיו אֶל־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה) (I Kings 8:37-38).This chapter ends the Books of Samuel not because it is the end of David’s reign. That will happen at the beginning of the next book. It ends the book of Samuel because it is the true beginning of the age of the Temple, when the people will have the location to pray for protection from God for all ailments, be they pestilence, famine, or the sword.