2 Samuel 24:13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me."
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~970 BC. Prophet Gad stands before King David, delivering the most difficult message of his prophetic career...
The emotion here: trembling with dread at delivering this message to his king
The original word
ra'ab (רָעָב) — severe famine, not just hunger but societal collapse
Why it matters
Each punishment would last a different time period, giving David control over duration
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 24:13
Gad is visibly shaking as he delivers this - prophets felt the weight of terrible messages
Common misconceptionPeople think Gad is being dramatic, but he's literally offering David a choice between national disasters that will kill thousands
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 24:13
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 24:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 24:13 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Gad. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, consequences. Notable phrases: seven years of famine; three months before your enemies. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 24:13 mean to you, today?
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