The total was 7 years. But they had already been in famine for almost 4 years. So David was offering 3 more. For a total of 7. The context passages: http://bible.com/100/2sa.21.1.nasb Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the L ord . And the L ord said, "It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." http://bible.com/100/2sa.24.8.nasb So when they had gone about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days" Three years of famine prior to the census then famine for almost another year during the census. Then David offered 3 more years.