But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
But David could not go to the altar to pray and ask God for guidance, because he was terrified of the angel of the LORD's sword.
David was too afraid to approach God's altar because he had seen the destroying angel with his sword drawn.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, King David had ordered a census of Israel, which was seen as a lack of faith in God, leading to His anger and a devastating plague upon the land. As judgment, an angel of the Lord was sent with a drawn sword to destroy Jerusalem, but David interceded in prayer, and the angel halted at the threshing floor of Araunah. Because of the intense fear from witnessing the angel's sword, David was unable to go to the tabernacle to seek God's guidance.
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