וַיֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛ד אֶל־גָּ֖ד צַר־לִ֣י מְאֹ֑ד נִפְּלָה־נָּ֤א בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים רחמו [רַֽחֲמָ֔יו] וּבְיַד־אָדָ֖ם אַל־אֶפֹּֽלָה׃
And David said unto Gad: ‘I am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.’
Rashi on II Samuel
I am in great anguish. The least of them is very difficult.
Rashi on II Samuel
Let us fall into the hand of Adonoy. I.e. Pestilence20Controlled exclusively by God. and not the sword nor famine because it [famine] is also controlled by the rich who have store houses of produce. Rabbi Alexandri said, Dovid reasoned, "If I choose the sword then [the people of] Yisroel will say [about me], 'he is relying on his strength to save himself from death but others will die', and if I choose famine they will say, He is relying on his wealth [to save himself]. I will choose pestilence against which everyone is equal."21Midrash Tehilim 17:4.