And David said unto Gad, I am in a great distress: 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.
All Commentaries on 2 Samuel 24:14 Go To 2 Samuel 24
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
Again, when David had ordered the people to be numbered, he was deeply afflicted in heart and said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in the command I have made, and now, O Lord, take away the iniquity of your servant, because I have sinned exceedingly.” And the prophet Nathan was sent again to him to offer him the choice of three things, that he might select what he chose: a famine in the land for three years, flight from the face of his enemies for three months, or pestilence in the land for three days. And David answered, “These three things are a great distress to me, yet I shall fall into the hand of the Lord since his mercies are exceedingly great, and I shall not fall into the hands of men.” David’s fault was that he desired to know the number of all the people who were with him, and the knowledge of this he should have left to God alone.
And it is said that when the pestilence came upon the people on the first day at dinner time, when David saw the angel striking the people, he said, “I have sinned, I, the shepherd, have done evil and this flock, what has it done? Let your hand be upon me and upon my father’s house.” So the Lord repented, and he bade the angel to spare the people, but David to offer sacrifice, for sacrifices were then offered for sin, but now they are sacrifices of penance. Thus, by his humility he became more acceptable to God, for it is not strange that people sin, but it is reprehensible if they do not acknowledge that they have erred and humble themselves before God.
