And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel ... stand between the earth and the heaven. This vision was exhibited to David, that he might have time to offer up prayers for the city, which was going to have the infliction of the plague. So that the hovering of the angel was to show that there was room to pray for mercy, just as God was going to deal out the punishment. It was not as yet fallen on the land, nor yet had done any execution. 'When God's wrath is to be executed, the earthly and visible ministers of His judgments, and the unseen armies of heaven, are evermore leagued together. The natural eye sees only those; the spiritual eye beholds the other also behind. It is ever at such moments as it was with Israel of old. The multitude, to whom the purged spiritual eye was wanting, beheld only the outward calamity-the wasting pestilence; but "David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand" (Trench, 'On the Parables,' p. 223).
David and the elders ... clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. They appeared in the garb, and assumed the attitude, of humble penitents, confessing their sins and deprecating the wrath of God.