American Standard Version
2 Samuel 5:23
23And when David inquired of Jehovah, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.
2 Samuel 5:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
- New International Version (NIV)so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.
Context of 2 Samuel 5:23
21And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away. 22And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of Jehovah, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees. 24And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is Jehovah gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. 25And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.
Read all of 2 Samuel 52 Samuel 5:23 word by word
וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל דָּוִד֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲלֶ֑ה הָסֵב֙ אֶל־אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וּבָ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם מִמּ֥וּל בְּכָאִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 5:23
- 2 Samuel 5:19And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto David, Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
- Joshua 8:2and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: set thee an ambush for the city behind it.
- 1 Chronicles 14:14And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.
- Matthew 9:29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you.
- Matthew 8:23And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him.
- John 9:6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay,
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 5:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Fetch a compass behind them - When they may be had, God will not work without using human means. By this he taught David caution, prudence, and dependence on the Divine strength.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23The mulberry trees - Rather, the Bacah-tree, and found abundantly near Mecca. It is very like the balsam-tree, and probably derives its name from the exudation of the sap in drops like tears when a leaf is torn off. Some think the valley of Baca Psalm 84:6 was so called from this plant growing there.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-25Verses 17-25 The Philistines considered not that David had the presence of God with him, which Saul had forfeited and lost. The kingdom of the Messiah, as soon as it was set up in the world, was thus attacked by the powers of darkness. The heathen raged, and the kings of the earth set themselves to oppose it; but all in vain, Psa 2:1, &c. The destruction will turn, as this did, upon Satan's own kingdom. David owns dependence on God for victory; and refers…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23David asked the Lord again (2 Samuel 5:19), but this time God gave a much more detailed answer. Instead of a direct attack like in 2 Samuel 5:20, God told David to go around behind the enemy.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 5:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries