2 Samuel 24:14

Mercy and compassion God's love Faith God's faithfulness

¹² “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”

¹³ So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”

David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

¹⁵ So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

¹⁶ But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: David said to Gad, “I am in distress. Let us fall now into the LORD’s hand, for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into man’s hand.”
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall, please, into the hand of YHWH, for great [are] His mercies. And into the hand of man do not let me fall.”

ÅB: David sa til Gad: Jeg er i stor angst; la oss da helst falle i Herrens hånd! For hans barmhjertighet er stor, men i menneskers hånd vil jeg nødig falle.
OTB: Da sa David til Gad: "Jeg er i stor nød. La oss falle i Herrens hånd, for Hans barmhjertighet er stor; men la meg ikke falle i menneskehender."
B1930: David sa til Gad: Jeg er i stor angst; la oss da helst falle i Herrens hånd! For hans barmhjertighet er stor, men i menneskers hånd vil jeg nødig falle.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 119:156
Great are Your mercies, O LORD; revive me according to Your ordinances.
Read in context
Psalms 51:1
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 21:13
David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
Read in context
Jonah 4:2
So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.
Read in context
Psalms 106:41–42
He delivered them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
Read in context
Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
Read in context
Psalms 130:4
But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.
Read in context
Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
Read in context