A House, a Family, and Two Victories
1 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build him a house. 2 David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted, for his people Israel’s sake. 3 David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children whom he had 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 was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. 10 David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?” Yahweh said to him, “Go up; for I will deliver them into your hand.” 11 So they came up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like waters breaking out. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 12 They left their gods there; and David gave a command, and they were burned with fire. 13 The Philistines made another raid in the valley. 14 David inquired again of God; and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them opposite the mulberry trees. 15 When 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.” 16 David did as God commanded him; and they attacked the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer. 17 The fame of David went out into all lands; and Yahweh brought the fear of him on all nations.
Between the two attempts on the ark stands a chapter in which David asks before acting and is answered differently each time.
The chapter interrupts the ark narrative, and its placement is the argument. Between a disaster and its correction the writer sets a sequence in which David inquires first and succeeds.
It opens with a foreign king's gift: cedar, masons and carpenters sent from Tyre to build a palace 1 Chronicles 14:1. David's response is not pride but inference. He perceived that Yahweh had established him king — and the reason given is not his own standing but his people Israel's sake 1 Chronicles 14:2. A house of cedar is read as evidence about a nation, not about a man.
Then the sons born in Jerusalem, thirteen of them named 1 Chronicles 14:4–7. The list is quiet, and the reader who noticed the register in chapter 3 will notice that these names are being entered twice.
The Philistines come up as soon as they hear of the anointing, and here the chapter makes its point. David inquired of God, and asks two questions rather than one: shall I go, and will you deliver them 1 Chronicles 14:10. Permission and outcome are both requested. The answer grants both, the battle is won, and David names the place for a figure of water bursting a bank — God has broken my enemies by my hand 1 Chronicles 14:11. The instrument is named as an instrument.
The abandoned Philistine gods are burned 1 Chronicles 14:12. The victors take no trophies, which is precisely what the victors did on Gilboa four chapters earlier.
The Philistines raid again, and this is the verse the chapter exists for. David inquired again 1 Chronicles 14:14 — the same enemy, the same valley, and he does not assume the same answer. This time he is told not to go up but to circle, and to wait for a sound in the tops of the trees, because God has gone out before you 1 Chronicles 14:15.
A man who had repeated last time's method with the ark does not repeat last time's method here. He asks twice and gets two different instructions, and obeys the second as readily as the first.
The result closes the chapter in the same register as the palace: his fame spread, and Yahweh brought the fear of him on all nations 1 Chronicles 14:17. Reputation, like the cedar, is reported as something done to him.
settled What this mark means