2 Samuel 5:23
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
And again David asked the LORD what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the LORD replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

King James Bible
And when David inquired 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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
So David inquired of the LORD, but He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs.

NASB 1995
When David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

NASB 1977
And when David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

Legacy Standard Bible
So David asked of Yahweh, and He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

Amplified Bible
When David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall not go up, but circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

Christian Standard Bible
So David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, “Do not attack directly, but circle around behind them and come at them opposite the balsam trees.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So David inquired of the LORD, and He answered, “Do not make a frontal assault. Circle around behind them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David asked of LORD JEHOVAH and LORD JEHOVAH said to him: “Do not go up, but turn yourself from behind them and come upon them from opposite Bakim

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David enquired of the Lord: and the Lord said, Thou shalt not go up to meet them: turn from them, and thou shalt meet them near the place of weeping.

Contemporary English Version
David asked the LORD what he should do, and the LORD answered: Don't attack them from the front. Circle around behind and attack from among the balsam trees.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands? He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees.

English Revised Version
And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David asked the LORD, and he answered, "Don't attack now, but circle around behind them, and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

Good News Translation
Once more David consulted the LORD, who answered, "Don't attack them from here, but go around and get ready to attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees.

International Standard Version
When David asked the LORD about it, he said, "Don't attack them directly. Instead, go around to the rear and attack them opposite those balsam trees.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

Literal Standard Version
and David asks of YHWH, and He says, “You do not go up, turn around to their rear, and you have come to them from the front [[or in front]] of the mulberries,

Majority Standard Bible
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

New American Bible
and again David inquired of the LORD, who replied: Do not attack the front—circle behind them and come against them near the balsam trees.

NET Bible
So David asked the LORD what he should do. This time the LORD said to him, "Don't march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.

New Revised Standard Version
When David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.

New Heart English Bible
And David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD said to him, "You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when David inquired 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.

World English Bible
When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees.

Young's Literal Translation
and David asketh of Jehovah, and He saith, 'Thou dost not go up, turn round unto their rear, and thou hast come to them over-against the mulberries,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Two Victories over the Philistines
22Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 22:15
Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father's household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair--not in part or in whole."

1 Samuel 23:2
So David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

2 Samuel 5:19
So David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" "Go," replied the LORD, "for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand."

1 Chronicles 14:14
So David again inquired of God, who answered him, "Do not march up after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.


Treasury of Scripture

And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, You shall not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come on them over against the mulberry trees.

enquired

2 Samuel 5:19
And David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

fetch

Joshua 8:2,7
And 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 14:14
Therefore David inquired 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 9:29,30
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you…

the mulberry trees.

1 Chronicles 14:14,15
Therefore David inquired 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…

Jump to Previous
Attack Balsam Circle Circuit Compass David Directions Directly Fetch Front Inquired Mulberries Mulberry Mulberry-Trees Opposite Over-Against Rear Round Spice-Trees Straight Trees Turn
Jump to Next
Attack Balsam Circle Circuit Compass David Directions Directly Fetch Front Inquired Mulberries Mulberry Mulberry-Trees Opposite Over-Against Rear Round Spice-Trees Straight Trees Turn
2 Samuel 5
1. The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel,
4. David's age
6. Taking Zion from the Jebusites, he dwells in it
11. Hiram sends to David,
13. Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem
17. David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim
22. And again at the mulberry trees














(23) Shall not go up.--The enemy, on the same battle-expound, would have prepared for attack from the same direction as before; consequently David is directed to go round them and attack them unexpectedly from the opposite quarter.

Verse 23. - Thou shalt not go up. The attack in front is forbidden, and the answer shows that the priest with the ephod did more than give a mere affirmative or negative reply. For David receives full instructions. Taking advantage of the valleys, he is to creep round into the rear of the Philistines, and approach them under cover of a thicket of baca trees. Mulberry trees; Hebrew, baca trees. This suggests the idea that David's place of attack was the Baca valley (Psalm 84:6), and that there was such a valley, though this is not certain. For the Revised Version translates "valley of weeping," concluding that baca is not there a proper name. By baca trees the LXX. and Vulgate "pear trees," but as bacah means "to weep," it is probably some balsamic shrub, from which a resin exudes. The Revised Version puts here in the margin, "balsam trees." Dr. Tristram thinks it was a sort of aspen, but the authority of the Vulgate is great in such matters, as Jerome obtained his information in Palestine itself.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

inquired
וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל (way·yiš·’al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

of the LORD,
בַּֽיהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who answered,
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

march straight up,
תַעֲלֶ֑ה (ṯa·‘ă·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

but circle
הָסֵב֙ (hā·sêḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

around
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

behind
אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם (’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

them and attack
וּבָ֥אתָ (ū·ḇā·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

them
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

in front
מִמּ֥וּל (mim·mūl)
Preposition-m
Strong's 4136: Abrupt, a precipice, the front, opposite

of the balsam trees.
בְּכָאִֽים׃ (bə·ḵā·’îm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1057: The weeping tree


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OT History: 2 Samuel 5:23 When David inquired of Yahweh he said (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 5:22
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