Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 16th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

1 Chronicles 14:15

When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle. For God will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Philistines;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mulberry-Tree;   Tyre or Tyrus;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Mulberry;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Philistia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Balsam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mulberry Tree;   Rephaim, Valley of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Baca;   Rephaim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Philis'tines;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Mulberry Tree;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baca;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
Hebrew Names Version
It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall go out to battle; for God is gone out before you to strike the host of the Pelishtim.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."
New Century Version
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then attack. I, God, will have gone out before you to defeat the Philistine army."
New English Translation
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, then attack. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."
Amplified Bible
"It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the Philistine army."
New American Standard Bible
"When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."
World English Bible
It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then you shall go out to battle; for God is gone out before you to strike the host of the Philistines.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when thou hearest the noyse of one going in the toppes of the mulberie trees, then goe out to battel: for God is gone foorth before thee, to smite the hoste of the Philistims.
Legacy Standard Bible
And it will be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."
Berean Standard Bible
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."
Contemporary English Version
Wait there until you hear the treetops making the sound of marching troops. That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army. So you must then attack quickly!"
Complete Jewish Bible
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out, and attack; because God has gone out ahead of you to defeat the army of the P'lishtim."
Darby Translation
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 will have gone forth before thee to smite the army of the Philistines.
Easy-to-Read Version
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, go out to battle because that is the sign that God has gone out in front of you to defeat the Philistines."
George Lamsa Translation
And it shall be, when you hear the sound of howling in the top of the mountain, then you shall go out to battle; for the LORD has gone forth before you to smite the army of the Philistines.
Good News Translation
When you hear the sound of marching in the treetops, then attack, because I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army."
Lexham English Bible
And it shall be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out into battle, for God goes out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."
Literal Translation
And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the weeping trees, then you shall go out in the battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So whan thou hearest aboue vpon the Peertrees the noyse of the goynge, go thou forth then to the batayll: for God is gone forth then before the to smyte the hoost of the Philistynes.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go out to the fight, for God has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when thou hearest a sounde go in the toppes of the peretrees, then go out to battaile: for God is gone forth before thee, to smyte the hoast of the Philistines.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'
King James Version (1611)
And it shall bee, when thou shalt heare a sound of going in the tops of the mulbery trees, that then thou shalt goe out to battaile: for God is gone foorth before thee, to smite the hoste of the Philistines.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall be, when thou shalt hear the sound of their tumult in the tops of the pear trees, then thou shalt go into the battle: for God has gone out before thee to smite the army of the Philistines.
English Revised Version
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;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne thou schalt here the sowun of a goere in the cop of the pere trees, thanne thou schalt go out to batel; for the Lord is go out byfor thee, to smyte the castels of Filisteis.
Update Bible Version
And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you shall go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the host of the Philistines.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt go out to battle: for God hath gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
New King James Version
And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."
New Living Translation
When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army."
New Revised Standard
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and it shall be, when thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, then, shalt thou go forth into the battle, - for God will have gone forth before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou go out to battle. For God is gone out before thee to strike the army of the Philistines.
Revised Standard Version
And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines."
Young's Literal Translation
and it cometh to pass, when thou hearest the sound of the stepping at the heads of the mulberries, then thou goest out into battle, for God hath gone out before thee to smite the camp of the Philistines.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

Contextual Overview

8 The Philistines heard that David had been chosen as king of all Israel. So they went up to look for him. David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come to fight a surprise battle in the valley of Rephaim. 10 David asked God, "Should I go fight against the Philistines? Will You give them to me?" And the Lord said to him, "Go, for I will give them to you." 11 So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David won the battle against them there. David said, "By my hand God has broken through those who hate me, like the breaking through of a flood." So they gave that place the name Baal-perazim. 12 The Philistines left their gods there. So David had them burned with fire. 13 The Philistines fought another surprise battle in the valley. 14 So David asked God again what he should do. God said to him, "Do not go after them. Go around behind them, and come upon them in front of the balsam trees. 15 When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle. For God will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army." 16 David did just as God had told him, and they destroyed the Philistine army from Gibeon as far as Gezer. 17 Then the name of David became known in all the lands. The Lord brought the fear of him upon all the nations.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when thou shalt hear: Some, taking the word bechaim, translated "mulberry trees," as a proper name, render, "when thou shalt hear a sound of going upon the summits of Bechaim;" other understanding rosh, "a top," in the sense of beginning or entrance, read, "when thou hearest a sound of footsteps at the entrance of the grove of mulberry trees;" and others think a rustling among the leaves is intended. The Targumist read, "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." If there had not been an evident supernatural interference, David might have thought that the ruse de guerre which he had used, was the cause of his victory. Leviticus 26:36, 2 Kings 7:6, 2 Kings 19:7, Acts 2:2

then thou: Judges 4:14, Judges 7:9, Judges 7:15, 1 Samuel 14:9-22, Philippians 2:12, Philippians 2:13

for God: Isaiah 13:4, Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 45:2, Micah 2:12, Micah 2:13

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 5:23 - the mulberry trees 2 Samuel 5:24 - thou shalt bestir Isaiah 52:12 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 14:2
that they made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Genesis 14:3
All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Deuteronomy 15:2
This is the way you are to do it: Every man who has loaned money must forget the debt. He cannot make his neighbor and his brother pay it because the Lord has said that all should be forgotten.
1 Kings 15:18
Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the storerooms of the Lord's house and the king's house, and gave them to his servants. King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus. Asa said,
Psalms 112:5
Good will come to the man who is ready to give much, and fair in what he does.
Acts 9:2
He asked for letters to be written to the Jewish places of worship in the city of Damascus. The letters were to say that if he found any men or women following the Way of Christ he might bring them to Jerusalem in chains.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

:-.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 14:15. A 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.


 
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