דברי הימים א, פרק כ״א, פסוק י״ז

In a moment of deep soul-searching, David steps forward to absorb the tragic consequences of his own actions. Taking full responsibility for the census he conducted, he pleads to redirect the punishment away from the public and onto himself and his family. He openly admits his guilt, questioning why the nation must bear the weight of his personal failure.

In his desperate plea, David refers to the Israelites as a flock of sheep [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This imagery captures the complete helplessness of the people, likening them to sheep being led to the slaughter, entirely unable to save themselves from their tragic fate [רש״י]. David argues that the people have done nothing to justify such devastation and therefore do not deserve to suffer.

Driven by this sense of justice, he begs God to let His striking hand—which manifests as the deadly plague [מצודת דוד]—fall upon him and his father's house instead. His ultimate request is for the sickness to be lifted from the Israelites entirely, asking that God's hand no longer rule over them in the form of this severe plague [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].