Daily Tanach Sunday Shmuel 2 Chapter 24: Counting the Jewish people

1.      Dovid’s regret and rebuke for having done the census:

• Dovid regrets having the census done and asks G-d for forgiveness: Dovid pounded his heart after the nation was counted, and he beseeched G-d say, “I have done a great sin [by asking for the census to be taken] now please G-d, remove this iniquity from your servant, as I’ve done something very foolish [by having them counted without giving something for atonement on their behalf, as counting the Jewish people can bring a plague onto them, as seen from Scripture[1]].”
• Dovid meets the prophet Gad: Dovid woke up in the morning and went to receive a prophecy that G-d had told Gad the prophet, who was the prophet of Dovid. G-d told Gad to tell Dovid as follows:
• Dovid is given a choice of punishment: G-d told Gad the prophet saying, “go speak with Dovid and so you shall tell him.” “So says G-d, I am giving you three options [of evil decrees for your sin of having counted the Jewish people without an atonement] from which you are to choose one of them, and I will then do that for you.” So, Gad arrived to Dovid and informed him, “Do you want to there to be seven years of famine in your land, or do you want there to be three months of war in which you will be chased by your enemies, and you will flee from before them, or do you want there to be three days of plague in your land? Now let me know so I can go back and inform the one who sent me [i.e. G-d].” Dovid replied to Gad saying, “I am very distressed by any of these options, but I choose to fall by the hand of G-d, as his mercy is great, and I do not wish to fall by the hand of man.” [Thus, Dovid chose the option of the plague.]

2.      The plague:

• Hashem placed a plague upon the Jewish people from the morning until midday, and a total of 70,000 men died from Dan until Bear Sheva. The angel sent his hand against [the people of] Jerusalem to destroy it, however G-d changed His mind about doing so, and told the angel of destruction to withhold from doing so as he already has enough blood in his hands. At that time, the angel of destruction was standing near the granary of a Jebusite.
• Dovid prays to G-d that the punishment should be against him personally and not the nation: Dovid said to Hashem when he saw the angel smiting the nation, “I am the one who has sinned and I’m the one who has done this iniquity, however these sheep what have they done? Let your hand be against me and the house my father.”

[1] See Metzudos Dovid 24:10