1 Chronicles 14:15

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, for God has gone ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וִ֠יהִי כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ אֶת־ק֤וֹל הַצְּעָדָה֙ בְּרָאשֵׁ֣י הַבְּכָאִ֔ים אָ֖ז תֵּצֵ֣א בַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה כִּֽי־יָצָ֤א הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

Transliteration

And wîhî when-šāmʿăkā ʾet-qôl haṣṣəʿādâ in-rāʾšê habbəkāʾîm, ʾāz tēṣēʾ in-hammilḥāmâ; because-yāṣāʾ hāʾĕlōhîm before-you to-hakkôt ʾet-maḥănēh Pəlištîm.

Grammar Details

• *wîhî*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and it shall be
• *šāmʿăkā*: qal infinitive construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your hearing
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *qôl*: masculine singular construct - sound of
• *haṣṣəʿādâ*: definite article + feminine singular - the marching/stepping
• *rāʾšê*: masculine plural construct - tops of
• *habbəkāʾîm*: definite article + masculine plural - the balsam trees
• *ʾāz*: adverb - then
• *tēṣēʾ*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you shall go out
• *hammilḥāmâ*: definite article + feminine singular - the battle
• *yāṣāʾ*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - has gone out
• *hāʾĕlōhîm*: definite article + masculine plural (divine title) - the God
• *hakkôt*: hiphil infinitive construct - to strike
• *maḥănēh*: masculine singular construct - camp of
• *Pəlištîm*: proper noun, masculine plural - Philistines

Word Meanings

• *haṣṣəʿādâ*: the marching/the stepping/the rustling/the movement
• *habbəkāʾîm*: the balsam trees/the mulberry trees/the weeping trees
• *hammilḥāmâ*: the battle/the warfare

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard 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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone ahead of you to strike the Philistine army.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it shall be, when thou hearest{H8085} the sound{H6963} of marching{H6807} in the tops{H7218} of the mulberry-trees,{H1057} that then thou shalt go out{H3318} to battle;{H4421} for God{H430} is gone out{H3318} before{H6440} thee to smite{H5221} the host{H4264} of the Philistines.{H6430}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it shall be, when thou shalt hear{H8085}{(H8800)} a sound{H6963} of going{H6807} in the tops{H7218} of the mulberry trees{H1057}, that then thou shalt go out{H3318}{(H8799)} to battle{H4421}: for God{H430} is gone forth{H3318}{(H8804)} before{H6440} thee to smite{H5221}{(H8687)} the host{H4264} of the Philistines{H6430}.

• 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.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  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.

• Bishops' 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.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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 (1941)

  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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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 strike the army of the Philistines."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, then attack. For at that moment GOD is going before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

Referenced Verses

• Lev 26:36 : 36 As for those of you who survive, I will bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight, and they will flee as though running from a sword, though no one pursues them.
• Judg 4:14 : 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Get up! This is the day the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
• Judg 7:9 : 9 That night the LORD said to him, "Get up and go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands.
• Judg 7:15 : 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. He returned to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands."
• 1 Sam 14:9-9 : 9 If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will go up, for the Lord has handed them over to us. That will be our sign. 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, 'Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in!' 12 The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, 'Come up to us, and we will teach you a lesson!' So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, 'Climb up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.' 13 Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off. 14 In that first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in an area of about half an acre of land. 15 Then panic struck the whole Philistine camp, those in the field, the outposts, and the raiding parties, and the ground trembled. It was a panic sent by God. 16 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah of Benjamin saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions. 17 Saul said to the men who were with him, 'Muster the troops and see who has left us.' When they counted, they found that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone. 18 Saul said to Ahijah, 'Bring the ark of God here.' (At that time it was with the Israelites.) 19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp kept increasing. So Saul said to the priest, 'Withdraw your hand.' 20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle, and they found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. 21 The Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp changed sides and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined the battle in hot pursuit.
• 2 Kgs 7:6 : 6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!"
• 2 Kgs 19:7 : 7 Behold, I will send a spirit upon him; he will hear a report, return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
• Isa 13:4 : 4 Listen! A tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude. Listen! An uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together. The LORD of Hosts is mustering an army for battle.
• Isa 45:1-2 : 1 This is what the LORD says to His anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have strengthened to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut. 2 I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.
• Mic 2:12-13 : 12 I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will place them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture—a noisy throng of people. 13 The one who breaks through will go before them; they will burst out, pass through the gate, and go out by it. Their king will pass before them, and the LORD will lead the way.
• Acts 2:2 : 2 Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
• Phil 2:12-13 : 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who works in you, both to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.