2 Samuel 5:23

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

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.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל דָּוִד֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲלֶ֑ה הָסֵב֙ אֶל־אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וּבָ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם מִמּ֥וּל בְּכָאִֽים׃

Transliteration

wə-yišʾal dāwid in-YHWH wə-yōʾmer not taʿăleh hāsēḇ to-behind-them and-ḇāʾtā to-them from-opposite bəḵāʾîm

Grammar Details

*wə-yišʾal*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he inquired
*dāwid*: proper noun - David
*YHWH*: proper noun with preposition - in/of YHWH
*wə-yōʾmer*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
*lōʾ*: negative particle - not
*taʿăleh*: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you shall go up
*hāsēḇ*: Hiphil imperative masculine singular - go around
*ʾaḥărêhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - behind them
*ḇāʾtā*: Qal perfect 2nd masculine singular - you shall come
*lāhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - to them
*mimmûl*: preposition - opposite from
*bəḵāʾîm*: proper noun - Baca trees/mulberry trees

Word Meanings

*hāsēḇ*: circle around/go around/make a detour
*bəḵāʾîm*: balsam trees/mulberry trees/baca trees

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Josh 8:2 : 2 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: set thee an ambush for the city behind it.
Josh 8:7 : 7 and ye shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.
1 Chr 14:14 : 14 And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.
Matt 8:23-25 : 23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Save, Lord; we perish.
Matt 9:29-30 : 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
John 9:6-7 : 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed {G1909} his eyes with the clay, 7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

1 Chr 14:13-16
4 verses
92%
13And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley.
14And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.
15And 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.
16And David did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.
2 Sam 5:24-25
2 verses
88%
24And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is Jehovah gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
25And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.
2 Sam 5:17-20
4 verses
80%
17And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.
18Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto David, Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
20And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.
1 Sam 23:1-5
5 verses
79%
1And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.
2Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3And David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Keilah.
1 Chr 14:8-10
3 verses
77%
8And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out against them.
9Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim.
10And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thy hand.
1 Sam 30:8
72%
8And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and shalt without fail recover [all].
1 Sam 22:5
71%
5And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
1 Chr 21:30
71%
30But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah.
2 Sam 5:22
71%
22And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
1 Sam 30:23
70%
23Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
2 Sam 2:1
70%
1And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
1 Sam 23:15
70%
15And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
1 Sam 17:20
70%
20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
1 Sam 30:15
70%
15And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.
2 Sam 24:19
70%
19And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.
1 Chr 21:18-19
2 verses
70%
18Then the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of Jehovah.
1 Sam 23:23
69%
23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
1 Sam 28:1
69%
1And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men.
1 Sam 17:45
69%
45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1 Sam 17:48
69%
48And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1 Sam 17:41
69%
41And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
1 Sam 26:13
69%
13Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;
1 Sam 26:10
69%
10And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.
1 Sam 23:10
69%
10Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
1 Sam 23:12
69%
12Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
1 Sam 30:21
69%
21And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
2 Chr 20:16
69%
16To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
1 Sam 24:9
69%
9And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
1 Sam 23:26
68%
26And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
1 Sam 22:3
68%
3And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me.
2 Sam 23:13
68%
13And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
1 Sam 26:5
68%
5And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him.
1 Sam 17:37
68%
37And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with thee.
1 Sam 29:2
68%
2And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.
1 Sam 29:7
68%
7Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.
1 Sam 14:37
68%
37And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.