Joab and the captains of the army were forced by David to carry out his commission to number the people (vv. 4-9). The people were numbered throughout the country for nine months and twenty days. The total number of valiant men who drew the sword was 800,000 in Israel and 500,000 in Judah.
David repented and confessed his sin in numbering the people. His heart smote him, and he said to Jehovah, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, O Jehovah, put away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly" (v. 10).
In verses 11 through 14 God's punishment came through Gad the prophet, David's seer. God offered David three choices: seven years of famine coming upon the land, fleeing before his adversaries for three months under their pursuing, and three days of pestilence in the land (v. 13). David, in a great strait, chose to fall into the hand of Jehovah, for His compassions are great, and was not willing to fall into the hand of man (v. 14).
Jehovah sent a pestilence in Israel, and 70,000 people died from Dan to Beer-sheba (v. 15).
In verses 16 and 17 we see God's repenting of the harm and David's confession. When the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented of the harm and said to the angel, "It is enough; now hold your hand" (v. 16b). When David saw the angel striking the people, he said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have acted wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against the house of my father" (v. 17).
David built an altar to Jehovah to stay the plague among the people (vv. 18-25). David did this according to God's command through Gad the prophet (vv. 18-19). The altar was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (vv. 20-24), and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (v. 25a). Jehovah responded to the entreaty for the land (v. 25b), and the plague was stayed in Israel (v. 25c).