In Shmuel II, 24:13 it says "should there come upon you??" Why does it say here "accept on yourself"?
Malbim (Shmuel II, 24:13): Here, it explains that he should accept amidst love.
Why does it say here three years of famine? In Shmuel II, 24:13, it says seven years!
Radak: This was after three consecutive years of famine [due to Sha'ul and the Giv'onim ? 21:1]. If there will be another three, this is six, and even if rain will fall in the seventh year, after six years of famine there will be hunger 1 .
Malbim: Here, Ezra explained that it could be only three years of famine, for David died three years later, and Shlomo was promised Shalom and serenity in his days 2 .
For there is no food saved from previous years. (PF) Also, there will not be bread in the seventh year until the harvest (Radak in Shmuel; perhaps also here, this is his intent).
Since it could be only three years, why did He say seven? Perhaps it is like the seven years of famine in Pharaoh's dream. They were interrupted when Yakov came, and completed afterwards! (PF) In Shmuel, Malbim wrote that three years were in David's lifetime, and four in Shlomo's. Refer to Shmuel II, 24:13:3:2*.
Why does it say here that [if David is pursued] "your enemies' sword will catch you", and [if there is a plague] "Hashem's angel will destroy in all borders of Yisrael"? It does not say so in Shmuel II, 24:13!
Malbim (Shmuel II, 24:13): There it mentions the most stringent first ? the punishment will be seven years, three months or three days. Here it mentions the most stringent last ? the enemies' sword will catch David, or the plague will not be natural, rather, from a Shali'ach of Hashgachah, that all will see the angel holding a sword in his hand.
Why should famine or a plague result from counting Yisrael?
Malbim (Shmuel II, 24:1): Until now, there were not men designated to fight. Each time a war came, an announcement came, and all zealous to fulfill the king's word went. When Sha'ul counted them b'Vezek, there were 300,000 and 30,0000 from Yehudah (Shmuel I, 11:8, and when he counted them via lambs, there were 200,000 and 10,0000 from Yehudah (ibid., 15:4); 100,000 men stayed home! Before Avshalom rebelled, all were loyal to their king. He knew that when he calls, all will come amidst love for him. However, after the rebellions of Avshalom and Sheva ben Bichri, David saw that Yisrael's hearts veer away from him; he feared that when war comes, most will remain in their houses. Therefore, just like David enacted then to collect a tax ? unlike before, when everyone gave willingly (like I explained in Shmuel II, 20:24), so he wanted that all who go to fight will be counted and written in the king's ledger, so at a time of war he will know who is missing and did not come to help, and he will be punished. 1 Kings do so nowadays!
When Yo'av asked why David wants to count Yisrael, why did David not explain this? (PF)
