2 Samuel 24:15So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
The setting
Israel, ~1000 BC. A plague spreads from the northern border at Dan to the southern city of Beersheba, covering the entire kingdom. Modern-day Israel/Palestine witnesses mass death.
The emotion here: horrified at recording mass death from one man's pride
The original word
deber (דֶּבֶר) — pestilence, a divine plague sent as judgment
Why it matters
Dan to Beersheba was the standard phrase for all Israel, about 150 miles north to south
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 24:15
The plague stopped at exactly the 'appointed time' — God set a precise limit
Common misconceptionPeople think this was random divine wrath, but it was the direct consequence of David's prideful census that violated God's command about numbering Israel.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 24:15
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 24:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 24:15 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, suffering. Notable phrases: seventy thousand died.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 24:15 mean to you, today?
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