וַיֹּסֶף אַף ה' לַחֲרוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּסֶת אֶת דָּוִד בָּהֶם לֵאמֹר לֵךְ מְנֵה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת יְהוּדָה

The wrath of the Lord was again enflamed against Israel. The reason for God’s anger is not specified, but the use of the word “again” alludes to some previous occasion when God was angry with Israel. Perhaps it refers to the three years of famine (21:1), or to the twenty thousand casualties of the war that took place in the wake of Avshalom’s rebellion. And He, God, incited David against them, Israel, by placing an idea in his mind that would lead to tragedy, saying: Go, count Israel and Judah.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל יוֹאָב שַׂר הַחַיִל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ שׁוּט נָא בְּכָל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וּפִקְדוּ אֶת הָעָם וְיָדַעְתִּי אֵת מִסְפַּר הָעָם

The king said to Yoav, the commander of the army that was with him: Please traverse, you and your soldiers, through the lands of all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, take a census, and I will know the number of the people.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיוֹסֵף ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָעָם כָּהֵם וְכָהֵם מֵאָה פְעָמִים וְעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ רֹאוֹת וַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה חָפֵץ בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה

Yoav did not like the idea at all, and he said to the king: May the Lord your God add to the people as they are; as they are one hundred times more than their current number. Yoav adds a personal blessing: While the eyes of my lord the king merit to see it, their proliferation. But then he asks: But why does my lord the king desire this matter? Why do you wish to count the population?

וַיֶּחֱזַק דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל יוֹאָב וְעַל שָׂרֵי הֶחָיִל וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב וְשָׂרֵי הַחַיִל לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִפְקֹד אֶת הָעָם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל

The king’s directive prevailed over Yoav, and over the commanders of the army, and the order was given. Yoav and the commanders of the army departed from before the king, to count the people of Israel.

וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיַּחֲנוּ בַעֲרוֹעֵר ימִין הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַנַּחַל הַגָּד ואֶל יַעְזֵר

They crossed the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, to the right, south, of the city that is in the middle of the ravine, to Gad. Aroer was mentioned during the conquest of the land. Some explain that the verse means that from that ravine they traveled to the territory of the tribe of Gad, and continued to Yazer, which is on the border of the territory of Gad.

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְעָדָה וְאֶל אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּים חָדְשִׁי וַיָּבֹאוּ דָּנָה יַּעַן וְסָבִיב אֶל צִידוֹן

They came to the Gilad, and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi, and they came northward to Dan Yaan, and around to Sidon.

וַיָּבֹאוּ מִבְצַר צֹר וְכָל עָרֵי הַחִוִּי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל נֶגֶב יְהוּדָה בְּאֵר שָׁבַע

They came to the fortress of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, in the vicinity of the Hermon, and the Canaanites, as apparently there were Israelite communities there as well; and they went out southward from there, to the south of Judah, to Beersheba, which was considered the southern border of the Land of Israel.

וַיָּשֻׁטוּ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ וַיָּבֹאוּ מִקְצֵה תִשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם

They traveled throughout the land, and they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד הָעָם אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתְּהִי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ חַיִל שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ

Yoav gave the sum of the number of the census of the people to the king: Israel was eight hundred thousand men of war, drawers of the sword. He counted only the men suitable for military service. And the men of Judah, who were counted separately, as in the census of Saul, were five hundred thousand men. These round numbers indicate that the total was likely an approximation based upon the census taken, and not a precise number.

וַיַּךְ לֵב דָּוִד אֹתוֹ אַחֲרֵי כֵן סָפַר אֶת הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל ה' חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי וְעַתָּה ה' הַעֲבֶר נָא אֶת עֲוֹן עַבְדְּךָ כִּי נִסְכַּלְתִּי מְאֹד

David’s heart tormented him with pain and remorse after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord: I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, please overlook the iniquity of Your servant, for I have been very foolish. I have acted foolishly by taking an unnecessary census, which was merely an expression of pretention.

וַיָּקָם דָּוִד בַּבֹּקֶר וּדְבַר ה' הָיָה אֶל גָּד הַנָּבִיא חֹזֵה דָוִד לֵאמֹר

David rose in the morning, and the word of the Lord was with the prophet Gad, who, in addition to Natan, was also David’s seer, saying:

הָלוֹךְ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶל דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר ה' שָׁלֹשׁ אָנֹכִי נוֹטֵל עָלֶיךָ בְּחַר לְךָ אַחַת מֵהֶם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה לָּךְ

Go and speak to David, and say to him: So said the Lord: Three I am posing to you as potential punishments; choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.

וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִד וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲתָבוֹא לְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים רָעָב בְּאַרְצֶךָ אִם שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים נֻסְךָ לִפְנֵי צָרֶיךָ וְהוּא רֹדְפֶךָ וְאִם הֱיוֹת שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים דֶּבֶר בְּאַרְצֶךָ עַתָּה דַּע וּרְאֵה מָה אָשִׁיב שֹׁלְחִי דָּבָר

Gad came to David, and told him exactly what God had said; he said to him: Will there come to you seven years of famine in your land, or three months of your flight from before your foe and he is pursuing you? Or, the third option, shall there be three days’ pestilence, a severe contagious plague, in your land? Consider and choose what I shall respond to my sender, God.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל גָּד צַר לִי מְאֹד נִפְּלָה נָּא בְיַד ה' כִּי רַבִּים רַחֲמָיו וּבְיַד אָדָם אַל אֶפֹּלָה

David said to Gad: I am greatly distressed over this choice. Nevertheless, I have decided to let us fall into the hand of the Lord, as His mercies are abundant, and let me not fall into the hand of man. I prefer the plague of pestilence, which is dependent upon the hand of God, than to fall into the hands of my enemies. Seven years of famine is too harsh a punishment, and the degree of its severity is also dependent to a certain extent upon the capabilities and compassion of human beings.

וַיִּתֵּן ה' דֶּבֶר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַבֹּקֶר וְעַד עֵת מוֹעֵד וַיָּמָת מִן הָעָם מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ

The Lord sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning until an appointed time, perhaps the end of the day; from Dan to Beersheba, seventy thousand men died from the people.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְשַׁחֲתָהּ וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' אֶל הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית בָּעָם רַב עַתָּה הֶרֶף יָדֶךָ וּמַלְאַךְ ה' הָיָה עִם גֹּרֶן הָאֲרַוְנָה הַיְבֻסִי

The destroying angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord reconsidered the harm, changed His mind, as it were, and said to the angel that was destroying the people: Enough, now stay your hand and do not strike them any further. The angel of the Lord was standing near the threshing floor of Aravna the Yevusite.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל ה' בִּרְאֹתוֹ אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּכֶּה בָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי חָטָאתִי וְאָנֹכִי הֶעֱוֵיתִי וְאֵלֶּה הַצֹּאן מֶה עָשׂוּ תְּהִי נָא יָדְךָ בִּי וּבְבֵית אָבִי

David said to the Lord when he saw the angel that was smiting the people, and he said: Behold, I have sinned, and I have been iniquitous in arranging the census; but these sheep, the children of Israel, what have they done, how have they sinned? Let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house. I accept death upon myself, but do not strike the entire nation.

וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ עֲלֵה הָקֵם לַה' מִזְבֵּחַ בְּגֹרֶן אֲרַוְנָה הַיְבֻסִי

Gad came to David on that day, and he said to him: Go up and establish an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Aravna the Yevusite, where you saw the angel with its hand outstretched toward Jerusalem.

וַיַּעַל דָּוִד כִּדְבַר גָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה'

David went up there together with his entourage, in accordance with the word of Gad, as the Lord had commanded.

וַיַּשְׁקֵף אֲרַוְנָה וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת עֲבָדָיו עֹבְרִים עָלָיו וַיֵּצֵא אֲרַוְנָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אַפָּיו אָרְצָה

Aravna looked, and he saw the king and his servants passing by him, and Aravna emerged and prostrated himself to the king with his face to the ground.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָה מַדּוּעַ בָּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל עַבְדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לִקְנוֹת מֵעִמְּךָ אֶת הַגֹּרֶן לִבְנוֹת מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' וְתֵעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל הָעָם

Aravna said: Why has my lord the king come to his servant? David said: To buy from you the threshing floor, in order to erect an altar to the Lord, and the plague will be halted from the people. I received instructions to construct an altar here; since this is your threshing floor, I have come to purchase it from you.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָה אֶל דָּוִד יִקַּח וְיַעַל אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו רְאֵה הַבָּקָר לָעֹלָה וְהַמֹּרִגִּים וּכְלֵי הַבָּקָר לָעֵצִים

Aravna said to David: Let my lord the king take and offer up as an offering that which is good in his eyes. See, you may choose the cattle that is available here for the burnt offering, and the threshing tools and the implements of the cattle can be used for the wood necessary to prepare the offering.

הַכֹּל נָתַן אֲרַוְנָה הַמֶּלֶךְ לַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲרַוְנָה אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִרְצֶךָ

Aravna the former king of Yevus gave it all to the king, David, and Aravna said to the king: May the Lord your God accept the burnt offering that you are presenting.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל אֲרַוְנָה לֹא כִּי קָנוֹ אֶקְנֶה מֵאוֹתְךָ בִּמְחִיר וְלֹא אַעֲלֶה לַה' אֱלֹהַי עֹלוֹת חִנָּם וַיִּקֶן דָּוִד אֶת הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶת הַבָּקָר בְּכֶסֶף שְׁקָלִים חֲמִשִּׁים

The king said to Aravna: No; for I will buy it from you for a price, and I will not offer up burnt offerings to the Lord my God for free. David bought the threshing floor and cattle for the burnt offering for fifty shekels of silver.

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִד מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיֵּעָתֵר ה' לָאָרֶץ וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

David built an altar there to the Lord, and he offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. The Lord acceded to his entreaty for the land, and the plague was halted from Israel.