1 Chronicles 14 · Verse 15

1 Chronicles 14:15

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.
1 Chronicles 14:15, King James Version

1 Chronicles 14:15 in other translations

BSBAs soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”
WEBWhen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTand 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.'
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd 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.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 1 Chronicles 14:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. for God is gone forth before thee--"a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees," that is, the rustling of the leaves by a strong breeze suddenly rising, was the sign by which David was divinely apprised of the precise moment for the attack. The impetuosity of his onset was like the gush of a pent-up torrent, which sweeps away all in its course; and in allusion to this incident the place got its name.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

1 Chronicles 14:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וִ֠יהִיVi.hiso may it beH1961
כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ke.sha.me.'a.Khawhen hearing youH8085
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
ק֤וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
הַצְּעָדָה֙ha.tze.'a.Dah<the> marchingH6807
בְּרָאשֵׁ֣יbe.ra.Sheiin [the] tops ofH7218
הַבְּכָאִ֔יםha.be.kha.'Imthe balsam treesH1057
אָ֖ז'azthenH227
תֵּצֵ֣אte.Tze'you will go outH3318
בַמִּלְחָמָ֑הva.mil.cha.Mahin <the> battleH4421
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
יָצָ֤אya.Tza'he has gone outH3318
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
לְפָנֶ֔יךָle.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440
לְהַכּ֖וֹתle.ha.Kotto strike downH5221
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַחֲנֵ֥הma.cha.Neh[the] camp ofH4264
פְלִשְׁתִּֽים\׃fe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 14:15

  • Isaiah 13:4

    The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

  • Acts 2:2

    And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

  • 2 Kings 19:7

    Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

  • Isaiah 45:1-2

    Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

  • Philippians 2:12-13

    Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

  • Micah 2:12-13

    I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.

  • Judges 7:9

    And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

  • Judges 7:15

    And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

  • 1 Samuel 14:9-22

    If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. …

  • Judges 4:14

    And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

  • Leviticus 26:36

    And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

  • 2 Kings 7:6

    For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when thou shalt hear.Some, taking the word {bechaïm,} translated "mulberry trees," as a proper name, render, "when thou shalt hear a sound of going upon the summits of Bechaïm;" 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.
Le 26:36; 2Ki 7:6; 19:7; Ac 2:2
then thou.
Jud 4:14; 7:9,15; 1Sa 14:9-22; Php 2:12,13
for God.
Isa 13:4; 45:1,2; Mic 2:12,13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 14:14

    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.

  • 1 Chronicles 14:15

    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.

  • 1 Chronicles 14:16

    David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.

Read all of 1 Chronicles 14

1 Chronicles 14:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y así que oyeres venir un estruendo por las copas de los morales, sal luego á la batalla: porque Dios saldrá delante de ti, y herirá el campo de los Filisteos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et aussitôt que tu entendras sur le sommet des mûriers un bruit de gens qui marchent, alors tu sortiras pour la bataille, car Dieu sera sorti devant toi pour frapper l’armée des Philistins.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sobald du das Geräusch eines Daherschreitens in den Wipfeln der Bakabäume hörst, alsdann sollst du zum Angriff schreiten; denn Gott ist vor dir ausgezogen, um das Heerlager der Philister zu schlagen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque audieris sonitum gradientis in cacumine pyrorum, tunc egredieris ad bellum: egressus est enim Deus ante te, ut percutiat castra Philisthiim.