He was proud of the multitude of his people, but divine Justice took a course to make them fewer. Justly is that taken from us, weakened, or embittered to us, which we are proud of. But now God numbers them after another manner, numbers to the sword, Isa. He sees the destroying angel, with his sword drawn against Jerusalem, v. 16 . This could not but be very terrible to him, as it was a visible indication of the anger of Heaven, and threatened the utter destruction of that beloved city.
Pestilences make the greatest devastations in the most populous places.
While we lie under the wrath of God the holy angels are armed against us, though we see them not as David did. How he bore the correction. He made a very penitent confession of his sin, and prayed earnestly for the pardon of it, v. 8 . Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great, v. 13 . Good men, even when God frowns upon them, think well of him.