Revised Literal Translation
2 Samuel 5:23
23And when David enquired of Yhwh, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass 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 there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. 22And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David enquired of Yhwh, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 24And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall Yhwh go out before thee, to smite the army of the Philistines. 25And David did so, as Yhwh had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
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
- And when Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- enquiredשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- of Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Thou shalt not go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- fetch a compassסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
- behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- them, and comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- upon them over againstמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
- the mulberry treesבָּכָאbâkâ' · balsamH1057
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 5:23
- 2 Samuel 5:19And David enquired of Yhwh, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And Yhwh said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine 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: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
- 1 Chronicles 14:14Therefore 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.
- Matthew 9:29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
- Matthew 8:23And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
- John 9:6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man 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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries