שמואל ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק כ׳

A moment of intense fear is suddenly interrupted when a royal delegation approaches Araunah's property. At this time, Araunah is staying in a hiding place out of deep anxiety. He has taken refuge from a destroying angel he just saw, a detail mentioned in the parallel historical account in Chronicles [רש״י]. Because of this threat, he remains safely concealed, simply looking out and observing the area [מצודת ציון]. From the safety of his hiding spot, he carefully peeks through a window to see what is happening outside [מלבי״ם].

As he watches, he notices King David and his men approaching. The primary approach among commentators is that the royal group is passing right next to his location. The moment Araunah recognizes the king, he immediately leaves his safe haven. He steps out to meet the group and throws himself to the ground, falling with his face to the earth as a sign of respect and submission.