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1 Chronicles 14

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David's Kingdom Established in Jerusalem 1–7

1
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house. ​
2
And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel. ​
3
And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters. ​
4
Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, ​
5
And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet,
6
And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
7
And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.

Victory over the Philistines at Baal-perazim 8–12

8
And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them. ​
9
And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
10
And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. ​
11
So they came up to Baalperazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim. ​
12
And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire. ​

The Second Defeat of the Philistines 13–17

13
And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley. ​
14
Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. ​
15
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. ​
16
David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.
17
And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 14

Verse 1

Hiram king of Tyre — He sent cedar, masons and carpenters, as 2 Sam 5:11 also records. Hiram’s cedar became David’s house, of which he said, ‘I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains’ (17:1). Hiram’s friendship lasted into Solomon’s reign: ‘Hiram was ever a lover of David’ (1 Kgs 5:1).

Verse 2

lifted up on high — The Hebrew is nasa, to lift, with maal, above. ‘Confirmed’ is kun, to establish firmly. 2 Sam 5:12 adds that the kingdom was exalted ‘for his people Israel’s sake’. Balaam had said of Israel’s king, ‘his kingdom shall be exalted’ (Num 24:7), and the LORD promised, ‘thy throne shall be established for ever’ (2 Sam 7:16).

Verse 3

took more wives at Jerusalem — The law for a king said, ‘Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away’ (Deut 17:17). 2 Sam 5:13 reads ‘more concubines and wives’. Vv.4–7 name thirteen sons born in Jerusalem, the first four of them also in 3:5.

Verse 4

Nathan, and Solomon — Both sons appear in the genealogy of Christ: Solomon in Matthew’s line (Matt 1:6), Nathan in Luke’s (Luke 3:31). 3:5 gives the first as Shimea, and says the four were born to Bathshua. Shelomoh is from the root for peace; the LORD said, ‘his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel’ (22:9).

Verse 8

anointed king over all Israel — Mashach is the verb of the anointing at Hebron in 11:3. All the Philistines went up ‘to seek’ (baqash) David, as 2 Sam 5:17 also records. They spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim (v.9), where their host had encamped in 11:15.

Verse 10

David enquired of God — Sha’al, to ask, the verb used of Saul in 10:13, who died for ‘asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit’. David asks whether to go up and whether God will deliver them, and the answer is a command and a promise: ‘Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.’ He had enquired of the LORD in the same way before (1 Sam 23:2).

Verse 11

Baalperazim — The name means ‘possessor of breaches’. David’s words use parats and perets, ‘broken in’ and ‘the breaking forth of waters’, the roots of the breach on Uzza in 13:11. 2 Sam 5:20 reads, ‘The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters’. The mountain recurs in Isa 28:21, ‘the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim’.

Verse 12

burned with fire — The Philistines ‘left’ (azab) their gods there, and David commanded that they be burned. The law said, ‘The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire’ (Deut 7:25). 2 Sam 5:21 calls them ‘their images’.

Verse 13

yet again — Yasaph, to add: the Philistines returned to the same valley of Rephaim as in v.9, and 2 Sam 5:22 is nearly identical. ‘Spread themselves abroad’ is pashat, to deploy in hostile array. The answer David gets in v.14 differs from the one in v.10.

Verse 14

David enquired again of God — The second answer was not the first: ‘Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.’ 2 Sam 5:23 adds, ‘fetch a compass behind them’. Baka, ‘mulberry’, is a tree named from the word for weeping; Strong’s gives perhaps the balsam.

Verse 15

a sound of going — Tse’adah is a march or step. The sign was a marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, and the reason is given: ‘God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.’ Deborah used the same words to Barak: ‘is not the LORD gone out before thee?’ (Judg 4:14).

Verse 17

the fame of David — Shem is a name. The LORD had said through Nathan, ‘… and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth’ (17:8). ‘Fear’ is pachad, the ‘dread’ of Deut 2:25, ‘the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations’; and ‘brought’ is the verb natan, to give.