Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 24:13
So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
13. seven years of famine ] The reading of the Sept. and Chron. is three years, and this is unquestionably to be preferred, as required by the symmetry of the statement. Famine, war, and pestilence are three of Jehovah’s four sore judgments (Eze 14:21). Two of them David had already experienced. Note the expanded form in which Gad’s speech is given in 1Ch 21:12, especially the representation of the pestilence as “the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel.”
advise ] Lit. know or consider. Advise, like advise thyself in 1Ch 21:12 means reflect or consider So Milton, Par. Lost, II. 376:
Advise, if this be worth
Attempting.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare Eze 14:13-21. The seven years of famine correspond with the seven years of famine in Gen 41:27, Gen 41:30, and with the same number of years in 2Ki 8:1. But in Chronicles, it is three years, which agrees better with the three months and three days. The whole passage is amplified in Chronicles, which has less the aspect of an original text than this.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Sa 24:13
Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
Christians exhorted to consider what answer their ministers will have to return to God concerning them
I. Christian ministers are the messengers of God, and sent on an important errand.
1. They are sent of God.
2. They are sent on an important errand.
II. Ministers are to return an answer to Him that sendeth them.
1. They are to return to their Master.
2. They are to answer as to their own fidelity.
3. They are likewise to return an answer concerning the reception which they themselves met with.
III. It becometh the members of Christian churches seriously to consider what answers their ministers will have to return concerning them. Application.
1. This subject affords some useful instruction to Christian ministers. It should lead them to magnify their office, as the messengers of God. It should excite their warmest gratitude that they are employed under Christ, on the same errand which brought him into the world. Further, they may learn to deliver their message with all plainness, seriousness, and fidelity.
2. Christian people may derive some useful instruction from these particulars. Learn, then, to be thankful that messengers are sent to you on so kind and gracious an errand. (J. Orton.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. Shall seven years of famine] In 1Ch 21:12, the number is three, not seven; and here the Septuagint has three, the same as in Chronicles: this is no doubt the true reading, the letter zain, SEVEN, being mistaken for gimel, THREE. A mistake of this kind might be easily made from the similarity of the letters.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Seven years of famine.
Object. In 1Ch 21:12, it is only three years of famine.
Answ. 1. Some conceive that here was an error in the transcriber, and that the true reading is three years, as the LXX. read it in this place, being supposed to have found it so in their copies, and that otherwise they durst never have presumed to make so great a change in the text.
2. In Chron. he speaks exactly of those years of famine only which came for Davids sin; but here he speaks more confusedly and comprehensively, including those three years of famine sent for Sauls sin, 2Sa 21. And this sin of Davids was committed in the year next after them, which was in a manner a year of famine; either because it was the sabbatical year, wherein they might not sow nor reap; or rather, because not being able to sow in the third year, because of the excessive drought, they were not capable of reaping this fourth year. And three years more being added to these four, make up the seven here mentioned. So the meaning of the words is this, As thou hast already had four years of famine, shall three years more come? And that it is said of these seven years, that they shall come, it is a synecdochical expression frequent in Scripture, because part of the years were yet to come; even as it is said of the Israelites, that they should wander in the wilderness forty years, Num 14:33, when part of that time was already spent.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Shall seven years of famine comeunto theethat is, in addition to the three that had beenalready, with the current year included (see on 1Ch21:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So Gad came to David, and told him,…. Said nothing to him about his sin, but correction for it; which confirms it that David was made sensible of his sin before he came to him:
and said unto him, shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? in 1Ch 21:12, only “three years” are mentioned, and so the Septuagint version here; but Josephus d, the Targum, the Syriac and Arabic versions, have the number “seven”; three seems to be more agreeable to the numbers after mentioned, and no more as to come were designed, though seven are here expressed; for the reconciling of which let it be observed, that there had been three years of famine already on account of the sin of Saul, 2Sa 21:1; and in the current year, through the rains not falling in the proper time, the land was barren and unfruitful; or through the penury of the preceding years the famine would be continued at least until the harvest; and then three years more now proposed made seven years; or, if these three years would have immediately followed the other three, the following in course would be a sabbatical year, in which were no ploughing, sowing, nor reaping, or the current year was such an one: and the sense is, shall there be a continuance of seven years of famine, that is, three more added to what had been? which must be most dreadful to think of; but a learned writer e thinks it a mistake of the copier, writing , “seven”, for , “three”:
or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? be in such a condition as not to be able to face or fight his enemies, or, if he did, would not be able to stand his ground, but be forced to flee before them, and be pursued by them three months running; during which time a prodigious number might well be thought to be slain, sad devastations made in the land, and great shame and disgrace endured, and what a man of David’s spirit could not bear the thoughts of:
or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? which in
1Ch 21:12 is called “the sword of the Lord”, in distinction from the sword of man, it coming immediately from him, and the destroying angel, in all the coasts of the land; being inflicted by means of one:
now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me; that is, consult with himself, or with his friends, or both, what answer the prophet must return to the Lord that sent him; for him he means.
d Antiqu. l. 7. c. 13. sect. 2. e Dr. Kennicott’s Dissert. 1. p. 474.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13) Seven years.In Chronicles three years, and so the LXX. reads here also. This would be more in accordance with the three months and three days.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 24:13. Seven years of famine In 1Ch 21:12 it is three years, which is the reading of the LXX; a reading, says Houbigant, which I prefer in this place, because the three years answer to the three months and the three days.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
Ver. 13. Shall seven years of famine? ] That is, Shall there to the three bygone years of famine, and to this Sabbatical year – qui nova messe destitutus priora damna resarcire non potest, which, having no new harvest, cannot make up the losses of the last years – be added three more such? 1Ch 21:11
Or that there be three days’ pestilence in the land?] An extraordinary pestilence, inflicted by the hand of a destroying angel. Hippocrates Pestem Y , vocat. a But how happy was Ferdinand III, king of Spain, who reigned thirty-five years, and during all that time there was neither famine nor pestilence in his dominions. b
a In Prognost.
b Lopez, Gloss. in Prolog., part. i.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
seven years, 1Ch 21:12 -three years; also Septuagint. The Hebrew numeral letters for three and seven were probably very much alike. Hence perhaps mistaken by an ancient scribe. Both maybe right = “seven, or even three. “
advise = consider, or know.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
famine
Scofield “Gen 12:10”.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
seven: 2Sa 21:1, Lev 26:20, 1Ki 17:1-7, 1Ch 21:12, Eze 14:13, Eze 14:21, Luk 4:25
flee: Lev 26:17, Lev 26:36, Lev 26:37, Deu 28:25, Deu 28:52
three days’: Lev 26:16, Lev 26:25, Deu 28:22, Deu 28:27, Deu 28:35, Psa 91:6, Eze 14:19-21
Reciprocal: Gen 41:30 – seven years Exo 7:25 – General 1Sa 25:12 – came 2Sa 23:39 – thirty and seven in all 1Ki 8:35 – heaven 1Ki 13:21 – thou hast disobeyed 2Ki 8:1 – seven years 2Ch 7:13 – I send Joh 1:22 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall {g} seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
(g) Three years of famine were past for the Gibeonites and this was the fourth year to which should have been added another three more years, 1Ch 21:12.