King James Version

2 Samuel 5:23

And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

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וַיִּשְׁאַ֤לvayishaland demandשָׁאַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and demand”, the next action in the storyH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.דָּוִד֙davidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.בַּֽיהוָ֔הbayhvahin Jehovahיְהֹוָהpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).וַיֹּ֖אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תַעֲלֶ֑הtaalehascend upעָלָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, an unfinished actionH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…הָסֵב֙hasevbringסָבַבverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “bring”, a commandH5437to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figurativelybring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, [idiom] whirl, [idiom] round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, [idiom] circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, rou…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔םachareyhemafterאַחַרpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…וּבָ֥אתָuvataand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and to come”, a completed action in a sequenceH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…לָהֶ֖םlahemtoלָהֶ֖םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toמִמּ֥וּלmimulfrom frontמוּלpreposition, preposition — “from front”H4136properly, abrupt, i.e. a precipice; by implication, the front; used only adverbially (with prepositional prefix) opposite(over) against, before, (fore-) front, from, (God-) ward, toward, with.בְּכָאִֽיםbekhaimmulberry treeבָּכָאnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “mulberry tree”, the ordinary formH1057the weeping tree (some gum-distilling tree, perhaps the balsam)mulberry tree.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

and David asketh of Jehovah, and He saith, 'Thou dost not go up, turn round unto their rear, and thou hast come to them over-against the mulberries,

World English Bible

When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees.

Darby Translation

And David inquired of Jehovah; and he said, Thou shalt not go up; turn round behind them and come upon them opposite the mulberry-trees.

Douay-Rheims

And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands? He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And David enquired of the Lord: and the Lord said, Thou shalt not go up to meet them: turn from them, and thou shalt meet them near the place of weeping.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐπηρώτησε Δαυὶδ διὰ Κυρίου· καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, οὐκ ἀναβήσῃ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν, ἀποστρέφου ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ παρέσῃ αὐτοῖς πλησίον τοῦ κλαυθμῶνος.