The Meaning of 2 Samuel 24:13 Explained

2 Samuel 24:13

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Gad cometh in unto David, and declareth to him, and saith to him, 'Do seven years of famine come in to thee in thy land? or three months art thou fleeing before thine adversary -- and he pursuing thee? or are three days' pestilence in thy land? now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending me.'

Darby: And Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine adversaries while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now be aware and consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

ASV: 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 thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 24:13 Mean?

Study Notes

famine
Scofield " Genesis 12:10 ".

Context Summary

2 Samuel 24:1-14 - A Proud Heart Humbled
The sin of numbering the people lay in its motive. David was animated by a spirit of pride and vainglory. He was eager to make a fine showing among the surrounding nations, and to impress them with such a conception of Israel's greatness that they would not dare to attack any point of the long frontier line. He yielded to the temptation of trusting in chariots and horses, instead of in the victories of faith.
When the enumeration was nearly complete, David's heart smote him. He saw how far he had swerved from the idea of the theocracy, in which God's will was the sole guide of national policy. He had substituted his own wisdom for the divine edict. A night of anguish followed on this self-discovery, but David submitted himself to God's dealings.
It was wise to choose to fall into the hands of God. They are very loving and tender hands, but David viewed them as punitive and not redemptive; and the plague, which devastated the people, cut him to the quick. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 24

1  David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5  The captains, in nine months and twenty days, gather 1,300,000 fighting men
10  David repents, and having three plagues proposed by God, chooses pestilence
15  After the death of 70,000, David by prayer prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18  David, by God's direction, purchases Araunah's threshing floor;
25  and the plague stops

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 24:13 mean?

So came Gad to David and told him and he said to him shall come to you seven years of famine in your land Or three months shall you flee before your enemies and while he pursues you Or shall there be three days' plague in your land now consider and see what I should take back to Him who sent me answer -
וַיָּבֹא־ גָ֥ד אֶל־ דָּוִ֖ד וַיַּגֶּד־ ל֑וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֡וֹ הֲתָב֣וֹא לְךָ֣ שֶֽׁבַע שָׁנִ֣ים ׀ רָעָ֣ב ׀ ؟ בְּאַרְצֶ֡ךָ אִם־ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה חֳ֠דָשִׁים נֻסְךָ֨ לִפְנֵֽי־ צָרֶ֜יךָ וְה֣וּא רֹדְפֶ֗ךָ וְאִם־ הֱ֠יוֹת שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת יָמִ֥ים דֶּ֙בֶר֙ ؟ בְּאַרְצֶ֔ךָ עַתָּה֙ דַּ֣ע וּרְאֵ֔ה מָה־ אָשִׁ֥יב שֹׁלְחִ֖י דָּבָֽר ס

וַיָּבֹא־  So  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
גָ֥ד  Gad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּד  
Sense: seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and full brother of Asher.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיַּגֶּד־  and  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֡וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
הֲתָב֣וֹא  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לְךָ֣  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
שֶֽׁבַע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
שָׁנִ֣ים ׀  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
רָעָ֣ב ׀  of  famine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
؟ בְּאַרְצֶ֡ךָ  in  your  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
חֳ֠דָשִׁים  months 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
נֻסְךָ֨  shall  you  flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
לִפְנֵֽי־  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
צָרֶ֜יךָ  your  enemies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
וְה֣וּא  and  while  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
רֹדְפֶ֗ךָ  pursues  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
הֱ֠יוֹת  shall  there  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
יָמִ֥ים  days' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
דֶּ֙בֶר֙  plague 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
؟ בְּאַרְצֶ֔ךָ  in  your  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עַתָּה֙  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
דַּ֣ע  consider 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וּרְאֵ֔ה  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אָשִׁ֥יב  I  should  take  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
שֹׁלְחִ֖י  to  Him  who  sent  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
דָּבָֽר  answer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation