John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 24:13

"So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days` pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me." — 2 Samuel 24:13 (ASV)

So Gad came to David, and told him
Said nothing to him about his sin, but correction for it; which confirms that David was made sensible of his sin before he came to him:

and said unto him, shall seven years of famine come unto thee in your
land ?
in (1 Chronicles 21:12) , only "three years" are mentioned, and so the Septuagint version here; but Josephus ^F4 , the Targum, the Syriac and Arabic versions, have the number "seven"; three seems to be more agreeable to the numbers after mentioned, and no more as were designed to come, though seven are here expressed; for the reconciling of which let it be observed, that there has been three years of famine already because of Saul's sin, (2 Samuel 21:1) ; and in the current year, because the rains did not fall in the proper time, the land was barren and unfruitful; or because of the scarcity of the preceding years the famine would be continued at least until the harvest; and then three years more now proposed made seven years; or, if these three years would have immediately followed the other three, the following in course would be a sabbatical year, in which there was no ploughing, sowing, nor reaping, or the current year was such a one: and the sense is, shall there be a continuance of seven years of famine, that is, three more added to what has been? which must be most dreadful to think of; but a learned writer ^F5

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or wilt thou flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue
thee ?
be in such a condition as not to be able to face or fight your enemies, or, if he did, would not be able to stand his ground, but be forced to flee before them, and be pursued by them for three months running; during which time a prodigious number might well be thought to be slain, sad devastations made in the land, and great shame and disgrace endured, and what a man of David's spirit could not bear the thoughts of:

or that there be three days' pestilence in your land ?
which in (1 Chronicles 21:12) is called "the sword of the Lord", in distinction from the sword of man, it coming immediately from him, and the destroying angel, in all the coasts of the land; being inflicted by means of one:

now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me ;
that is, consult with himself, or with his friends, or both, what answer the prophet must return to the Lord that sent him; for he means Him.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Antiqu. l. 7. c. 13. sect. 2.
• F5: Dr. Kennicott's Dissert. 1. p. 474.