1 Chronicles 14 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around 1003 to 1000 BC, the years just after Jerusalem became David's capital
Location
Jerusalem, and the Valley of Rephaim, a broad approach running southwest from the city toward Philistine country
Audience
Judeans living in a small province surrounded by larger powers
Situation
Hiram, king of the Phoenician port of Tyre, sends cedar and craftsmen to build David a palace; David's family grows; and twice the Philistines march up into the Valley of Rephaim, and twice David defeats them after asking God how to fight.
Key Background
Tyre controlled the cedar forests of Lebanon and the timber trade, and its gift is a diplomatic signal that a neighbouring power now treated David as a king worth dealing with rather than a hill chieftain. The Philistine attacks come precisely because of that: an Israelite ruler uniting north and south threatened their control of the coastal plain and its trade routes. Carrying idols into battle and abandoning them in flight, as the Philistines do here, was a standard ancient practice, and the burning of those images reverses the earlier scene where Saul's armour hung in a Philistine temple.
king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build him a palace.
David knew that had him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom had been for the sake of his people Israel.
David married more wives in Jerusalem and had more sons and daughters.
These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
Elishama, and Eliphelet.
When the heard that David had been king over all Israel, they all came out to hunt him down. David heard about it and went out to meet them.
The Philistines had come and raided the of
David "Should I go attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" Yahweh told him, "Go. I will hand them over to you."
So they went up to and David defeated them there. David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like water breaking through a dam." That's why they named that place
The Philistines abandoned their there, and David ordered them burned with fire.
The Philistines raided the valley again.
David asked God again, and God told him, "Don't go straight up after them. Circle around behind them and come at them from in front of the
"When you hear the of in the tops of the balsam trees, then move out to fight, because God will have out of you to strike down the Philistine army."
David did exactly what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from to
David's spread throughout every land, and Yahweh made all the nations of him.