1 Chronicles 14
The full text of 1 Chronicles 14 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build him a palace.
2 David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
3 David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.
4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. When David heard of it, he went out against them.
9 The Philistines had come and raided in the Valley of Rephaim.
10 David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" The LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand."
11 So they went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a bursting flood." Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim.
12 They abandoned their gods there, and David gave the command, and they were burned with fire.
13 The Philistines raided the valley again.
14 David again inquired of God, and God said to him, "Do not go up after them. Circle around them and come against them opposite the balsam trees.
15 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."
16 David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.
17 The fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD put the fear of him on all nations.
Translation notes (5)
- 1 Chronicles 14:7a The name Beeliada is rendered Eliada in the parallel account in 2 Samuel 5:16 and 1 Chronicles 3:8. The meaning of Beeliada is 'Baal knows', while Eliada means 'God knows'.
- 1 Chronicles 14:11a The place name Baal-perazim (בַּעַל־פְּרָצִים) means 'master of breakings through', and the verse turns on this wordplay: the Hebrew verb parats, 'to break through', describes God's action, and the plural noun peratsim supplies the name. Here baal carries its common sense 'master' or 'possessor' rather than referring to the Canaanite deity. The parallel account appears in 2 Samuel 5:20.
- 1 Chronicles 14:12a The parallel account in 2 Samuel 5:21 states only that David and his men carried the abandoned idols away; the Chronicler records their burning, an act conforming to the command of Deuteronomy 7:5 and 7:25 that the carved images of foreign gods be burned with fire.
- 1 Chronicles 14:15a Hebrew tse'adah, 'marching' or 'stepping', presents the sound in the treetops as the footfall of God advancing at the head of the army, the agreed signal to attack. The identity of the baka' tree is uncertain; the King James tradition rendered it 'mulberry trees', while most lexicons now suggest a balsam or aspen whose leaves rustle audibly. The parallel account appears in 2 Samuel 5:24.
- 1 Chronicles 14:17a The language of this verse, particularly the LORD putting the fear of David on all nations, echoes the promises in Deuteronomy 2:25 and 11:25 concerning the fear of Israel among the nations.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own translation of Scripture, made directly from the original Hebrew. Completed in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation available, and it is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Reading the TBV here on the web is free — the full study edition, with original-language tools and translator’s notes, lives in the Trinity Bible app.
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