2 Samuel 24:17

17 David, voyant l'ange qui frappait parmi le peuple, dit à l'Eternel: Voici, j'ai péché! C'est moi qui suis coupable; mais ces brebis, qu'ont-elles fait? Que ta main soit donc sur moi et sur la maison de mon père!

2 Samuel 24:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 24:17

And David spake unto the Lord
In prayer; he and the elders of Israel being clothed in sackcloth, and fallen on their faces, he prayed, not unto the angel, but to Jehovah that sent him; see ( 1 Chronicles 21:16 1 Chronicles 21:17 ) ;

when he saw the angel that smote the people;
in the air over Jerusalem, with a drawn sword in his hand, which made him appear terrible:

and said, lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly;
in numbering the people:

but these sheep, what have they done?
he looked upon himself as the only transgressor, and his people as innocent, and as harmless as sheep; he thought of no sins but his own; these were uppermost in his mind, and lay heavy on his conscience; and it grieved him extremely the his people should suffer on his account: but they were not so innocent as he thought and suggests; and it was not only for his, but their sins, this evil came; he was suffered to do what he did, to bring upon them deserved punishment for their rebellion against him, and other sins; however, this shows the high opinion he had of them, the great affection he had for them, and his sympathy with them in this time of distress:

let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's
house;
let me and mine die, and not they; a type of Christ, the good Shepherd, willing to lay down his life for the sheep, and suffer in their stead, that they might go free.

2 Samuel 24:17 In-Context

15 L'Eternel envoya la peste en Israël, depuis le matin jusqu'au temps fixé; et, de Dan à Beer-Schéba, il mourut soixante-dix mille hommes parmi le peuple.
16 Comme l'ange étendait la main sur Jérusalem pour la détruire, l'Eternel se repentit de ce mal, et il dit à l'ange qui faisait périr le peuple: Assez! Retire maintenant ta main. L'ange de l'Eternel était près de l'aire d'Aravna, le Jébusien.
17 David, voyant l'ange qui frappait parmi le peuple, dit à l'Eternel: Voici, j'ai péché! C'est moi qui suis coupable; mais ces brebis, qu'ont-elles fait? Que ta main soit donc sur moi et sur la maison de mon père!
18 Ce jour-là, Gad vint auprès de David, et lui dit: Monte, élève un autel à l'Eternel dans l'aire d'Aravna, le Jébusien.
19 David monta, selon la parole de Gad, comme l'Eternel l'avait ordonné.
The Louis Segond 1910 is in the public domain.