The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 588

Vers. 10-17.-.A king's sin and a, people's chastisement. The facts are: 1. David, reflecting on the accomplishment of his purpose, comes to a consciousness of his sin, and makes confession before God. 2. In the morning the Prophet Gad is sent to him from the Lord, offering him, as a choice of a chastisement, either seven years' famine, or three months' defeat before ·his enemies, or three days' pestilence. 8. David, in his anguish, elects to fall into the hands of God. 4. Thereupon God sends a. pestilence which carries off seventy thousand men. 5. There being some relenting in the anger of God when the pestilence reached Jerusalem, .David. entreats with the angel of the Lord by ihe threshing-floor of Araunah, that he ·would have pity on the people and rather smite him and bis house. The various truths taught in. this section may be briefly set forth thus. L .THE REACTION OF llAN's SPIRITUAL NATURE. For more than nine months the llnhallowed feeling which prompted the numbering of the people had held sway, and now during the silence of night the spiritual man that had been snppressed again asserts his power. David comes to himself, and sees his conduct in a Divine light. The supremacy of sin means a depression of the better nature. 'l'he awakening to a sense of sin is the reaction of that better nature. The same was seen in the matter of Bath- sheba and. Uriah. The prodigal son's coming to himsel,f is an instance; as also the repentance of every sinner. 'l'he causes and occasions of the reaction may come from without, but there can be no doubt that the change does lie in a reaction. The spell is broken, and the higher nature of man once more asserts itself. II. 'fHE CAUSES AND OCCASIONS OF THE SOUL'S DREAKING THE SPELL OF SIN ARE DEFmn'E, David came to himself most probably for three reasons. 1. Difficulties of carrying out his project may have pressed on him the need of reflection; for not only were Joe.b and the captains reluctant workers, but long time elapsed, and so strong wus the opposition that two tribes were not oounted (1 Chron. xxi. 4). 2. The struin of 604 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [ott. xxtv. 1-21'.