1 Chronicles 14:15
in 1 Chronicles 14As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God is gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
KJV
And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 14
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA sound of going - “When thou shalt hear the sound of the angels coming to thy assistance, then go out to battle; for an angel is sent from the presence of God, that he may render thy way prosperous.” - T.
This site's exposition
Once again the Philistines raided the valley
on 1 Chronicles 14:13-16
The Philistines raided the valley, and God told David to attack in front of the balsam trees. He was to move out at the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees. Clarke records an older reading that took the sound as an army sent ahead of David.
This site's exposition
the sound of marching in
The sound in the treetops is God's own army moving out ahead of David's, as the verse itself explains. Clarke reports that the Targum hears it as angels sent from God's presence to help. 2 Samuel 5:24 gives the same signal.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
David's Kingdom Established. 1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house. 2 And David perceived that the L ORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.
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The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
for God is gone forth before thee--"a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees," that is, the rustling of the leaves by a strong breeze suddenly rising, was the sign by which David was divinely apprised of the precise moment for the attack.
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
circle them The Divine Standard of Justice said to the Omnipresent, “Lord of the universe, why did You dismiss Saul for David?” [God] replied, “Because he did not wait seven days for Samuel as he had commanded him” [as in I Sam.:8–14].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וִ֠יהִי | vihi | so may it be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ | keshameakha | when hearing you | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ק֤וֹל | kol | [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הַצְּעָדָה֙ | hatzeadah | <the> marching | H6807 → | |
| בְּרָאשֵׁ֣י | berashei | in [the] tops of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַבְּכָאִ֔ים | habekhaim | the balsam trees | H1057 → | |
| אָ֖ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| תֵּצֵ֣א | tetze' | you will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה | vamilchamah | in <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָצָ֤א | yatza' | he has gone out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְפָנֶ֔יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לְהַכּ֖וֹת | lehakot | to strike down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַחֲנֵ֥ה | machaneh | [the] camp of | H4264 → | 215 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
וִ֠יהִיso may it be
vihiH1961 →3559 times
כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞when hearing you
keshameakhaH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
ק֤וֹל[the] sound of
kolH6963 →506 times
הַצְּעָדָה֙<the> marching
hatzeadahH6807 →
בְּרָאשֵׁ֣יin [the] tops of
berasheiH7218 →599 times
הַבְּכָאִ֔יםthe balsam trees
habekhaimH1057 →
אָ֖זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
תֵּצֵ֣אyou will go out
tetze'H3318 →1067 times
בַמִּלְחָמָ֑הin <the> battle
vamilchamahH4421 →320 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָצָ֤אhe has gone out
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
לְהַכּ֖וֹתto strike down
lehakotH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַחֲנֵ֥ה[the] camp of
machanehH4264 →215 times
פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 2:2Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
it leads to
- Acts 4:31
After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
- 1 Kings 19:11
Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered…
- Psalms 18:10
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
- John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
- Acts 16:25–26
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
- Acts 4:31
Through
Isaiah 13:4Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.
it leads to
- Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
- Joel 3:14
Through
2 Kings 19:7Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 7:6
For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the…
- Obadiah 1:1
This is the vision of Obadiah: This is what the Lord GOD says about Edom—We have heard a message from the LORD; an envoy has been sent among the nations to say, “Rise up,…
- 2 Kings 7:6
About 1 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Berean Standard Bible, 2 Samuel 5:24; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.