So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel died.
God sent a devastating plague that killed seventy thousand Israelites as judgment for David's pride in counting his fighting men.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical account of King David's reign, he ordered a census of Israel's fighting men, which was viewed as an expression of pride and a lack of trust in God's protection rather than reliance on divine strength. This act displeased God, who then offered David a choice of three punishments through the prophet Gad: three years of famine, three months of enemy pursuit, or three days of pestilence. As a result, David chose the pestilence, leading to the death of 70,000 men as a demonstration of God's sovereignty and the consequences of human arrogance.
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