Chapter 14 of I Chronicles presents three subjects: the building of David's palace with the help of Hiram, king of Tyre; the list of children born to him in Jerusalem; and the two military campaigns against the Philistines, who mobilized once they heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel. We will go through the verses in order, drawing upon the commentaries of the Malbim, the commentary attributed to Rashi, and the Metzudos, and see how Ezra in Divrei HaYamim comes to explain and complement what was recorded in Sefer Shmuel.
וַיִּשְׁלַח (חירם) [חוּרָם] מֶלֶךְ־צֹר מַלְאָכִים אֶל־דָּוִיד וַעֲצֵי אֲרָזִים וְחָרָשֵׁי קִיר וְחָרָשֵׁי עֵצִים לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בָּיִת׃ - Huram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timbers, stonemasons, and carpenters to build him a house.
His name is read here as "Churam", though the written text has "Chiram", which is how it appears elsewhere. Hiram was the king of Tyre, and he sends messengers to David with cedar logs and craftsmen: "stonemasons" (charashei kir) are artisans skilled in masonry, and "carpenters" (charashei etzim) are craftsmen skilled in woodwork. The purpose was to build a house for David. In later years, when Shlomo would build the Beis HaMikdash, he too would receive assistance and import cedars from Lebanon; here, however, the verse refers to the construction of David's personal palace.
The commentary attributed to Rashi cites a Midrash: "This man was accustomed to loving the tribe of Judah, just as Chirah the Adullamite acted toward Judah." He connects Chirah with Hiram, indicating that while they were not the same individual, it was an established tradition across generations in this family to aid the tribe of Judah - and David, of course, was from Judah.
The Malbim addresses the difference between our passage and Sefer Shmuel. There, in chapter 5, this account appears before the bringing up of the Aron, whereas here, the transport of the Aron appears first and only afterward do we read of David's house and the craftsmen who came to build it. The Malbim explains that in Shmuel, the text sought to recount the narrative of bringing the Aron, and therefore grouped two events together and related them as one. Ezra, however, reveals to us that there were two distinct stages: in the first stage, immediately after David captured the fortress of Zion and designated the City of David as his residence, the Aron was brought to the house of Oved-Edom the Gittite. During the period the Aron remained in Oved-Edom's house, Hiram king of Tyre sent cedar logs and craftsmen to David, and only in the subsequent stage did David bring up the Aron. Thus, Ezra provides the exact chronology, whereas Sefer Shmuel grouped both matters together even though they occurred at different times.
וַיֵּדַע דָּוִיד כִּי־הֱכִינוֹ יְהֹוָה לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־נִשֵּׂאת לְמַעְלָה מַלְכוּתוֹ בַּעֲבוּר עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted on high for the sake of His people Israel.
And what was the source of this awareness? The Malbim explains: it stemmed from the fact that all of Israel gathered, from Shihor of Egypt to the approach of Chamas, at David's command - obeying his voice, with everyone assembling together. Initially, not everyone had come to crown him, and he spent seven years in Hebron; now, however, everyone united under him. Through this, David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, that his kingship was firmly grounded and his dominion extended over the entirety of Israel. Furthermore, from the fact that Hiram sent emissaries to him, he recognized that "his kingdom was exalted on high" - his monarchy rose to such prominence that gentile kings acknowledged him, considering it an honor to be allied with him. From this, he understood that the Holy One, Blessed be He, had exalted his reign.
The Metzudas David likewise notes in the language of the verse, "in that people he had not known would serve him" - through this it became known to him that the LORD had exalted and elevated his kingdom. Yet he highlights an additional point demonstrating David's modesty and humility: King David immediately attributes this "for the sake of His people Israel." It is not because of who I am, not because I have finally become king, but entirely for the sake of His people Israel. It was in the merit of His people Israel that his kingdom was exalted and he was established as king over them. The Jewish people possess merit; it was not on my account, nor by my own doing.
וַיִּקַּח דָּוִיד עוֹד נָשִׁים בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וַיּוֹלֶד דָּוִיד עוֹד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃ - And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: the entire Book of Divrei HaYamim comes to recount the praise of David, and this too is part of David's strength - that he took more wives and had many sons.
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הַיְלוּדִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ־לוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם שַׁמּוּעַ וְשׁוֹבָב נָתָן וּשְׁלֹמֹה׃ - And these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Natan, and Shlomo.
Earlier we saw, "And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea" (1 Chronicles 3:5), whereas here it is written "Shammua." The Metzudas David comments: Shammua or Shimea, it is all the same person. We have already explained that names appear in several variations because all those names belonged to him - just as people say Yaakov, Yankel, Yankee, Jackie, and Jacob, and it is all the same person. So too here: at times you see him called Shammua and at times Shimea, and it refers to the same individual; and as we will see further on, other names appear with slight variations as well.
The Malbim already noted earlier that Shlomo does not appear first, but rather fourth - "Shammua, and Shobab, Natan, and Shlomo." Why? In the manner of the author of the book, who casts aside the pebbles first and only afterward mentions the primary one. That is, he first enumerates those with whom he does not intend to deal, the less central ones, and delays Shlomo - who is the foremost one and whom he will focus on later.
וְיִבְחָר וֶאֱלִישׁוּעַ וְאֶלְפָּלֶט׃ - And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet.
"Elishua" is the Elishama mentioned earlier, and here too we see a slight variation in name. "And Elpelet" - in the Book of Shmuel he appears under the name Eliphelet, and here too the name appears with a slight variation. Earlier in chapter 3, verse 6, it is written, "And Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet," and later, "And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet" - he had two sons, as we noted back then, and both were named Eliphelet. Here the text differentiates their names: the first is called "Elpelet" rather than Eliphelet, and the second is called "Eliphelet." There is another variation as well: here it is written "Baaliada," who is the very same person who appears earlier under the name Eliada.
וֶאֱלִישָׁמָע וּבְעֶלְיָדָע וֶאֱלִיפָלֶט׃ - And Elishama, and Baaliada, and Eliphelet.
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי־נִמְשַׁח דָּוִיד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ כָל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־דָּוִיד וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִיד וַיֵּצֵא לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ - And 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.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: until then, the Philistines had ruled over the Jewish people constantly, until Shaul and David arose. We see this in the era of Shimshon: "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us?" - the Philistines held dominion over us. Likewise in I Samuel 4, when the Aron was brought down: "Strengthen yourselves and be men, O Philistines, lest you serve the Hebrews as they served you" - "as they served you," meaning that we were subjugated under their control. And similarly earlier: "And all Israel saw... and they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them" - again you see that the Philistines held dominion, dwelling in the very places that the people of Israel had abandoned.
During those seven years that David reigned in Hebron, they had no fear at all and did not view it as a threat: what of it if he rules in Hebron? It was as if they had merely appointed a governor or prefect over Hebron, a kind of local authority - should we go to war over that? But when they saw that he was anointed king over all Israel, that already posed a threat: they want to cast off our yoke and break free of it. Therefore, all the Philistines went up to seek David - they did not want him to become king over Israel, as that would diminish their dominion over us.
The Malbim adds that until now, David had also been their ally in a certain sense, as seen when he fled to Achish king of Gath and seemingly came to assist him in battle, until they said: Is this not David of whom they sang, "Shaul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands," and how will he reconcile himself to his master if not by fighting against us? - and they sent him home. Not in truth, of course, but ostensibly he had come to fight alongside them against Shaul. And now they see that the one who was ostensibly on their side is turning against them, receiving a kingdom of his own, and becoming an independent monarch with no ties to them.
וּפְלִשְׁתִּים בָּאוּ וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים׃ - And the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
In Shmuel it is written, "and he went down to the stronghold," whereas here Ezra relates that David "went out before them." This means he went to preempt the Philistines. He reasoned: If I wait until the Philistines arrive, I will be at a disadvantage; I will go out and surprise them before they arrive, and then I will hold the upper hand. Therefore, he went to the stronghold - this is the stronghold in the Wilderness of Maon, which was close to the land of the Philistines - and approached their territory to attack them, preempting the strike. But while David was preparing to march out, they moved first and deployed in the Valley of Rephaim, and he suddenly saw them right beside him. He had intended to preempt them, but it turned out they had already spread out - and that is the meaning of "and they spread out in the Valley of Rephaim," deploying across that valley poised to attack David.
וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִיד בֵּאלֹהִים לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה עַל־[פְּלִשְׁתִּים] וּנְתַתָּם בְּיָדִי וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יְהֹוָה עֲלֵה וּנְתַתִּים בְּיָדֶךָ׃ - David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines, and will You deliver them into my hand?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up, and I will deliver them into your hand."
"David inquired of God" - the commentary attributed to Rashi explains: through the Urim VeTumim. And why did he ask, "Shall I go up [ha'e'eleh]"? After all, as we explained, he had marched toward the wilderness to surprise the Philistines, and then discovered they had already arrived here. Now he was returning toward Jerusalem, and whoever heads toward Jerusalem goes "up" (ascends). Therefore, he asked, "Shall I go up?" Had he been setting out directly from Jerusalem, on the contrary, it would have been a descent; but since he had already set out toward the Philistines, once he realized they had drawn close to here, he had to ascend toward them.
וַיַּעֲלוּ בְּבַעַל־פְּרָצִים וַיַּכֵּם שָׁם דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד פָּרַץ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־אוֹיְבַי בְּיָדִי כְּפֶרֶץ מָיִם עַל־כֵּן קָרְאוּ שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בַּעַל פְּרָצִים׃ - So they went up to Baal Peratzim, and David struck them down there. And David said, "God has burst through my enemies by my hand like a burst of water." Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Peratzim.
"Baal Peratzim" is the name that would be given to the place later on; at the time they went up there, the site was called the Valley of Rephaim. We find an example in the Torah of Scripture calling a place by a name it would receive in the future: "And they came to the Brook of Eshkol" - named for the fact that on their return they would bring back a cluster [eshkol] of grapes, yet the verse already calls it the Brook of Eshkol beforehand. Why? Because when the narrative is recounted, it uses the name familiar to everyone today: You know where that happened? In the Brook of Eshkol, the place you know by that name today. But at that time, no such place name existed yet. It is just like someone today relating events that occurred before the establishment of the State, using modern names that did not exist back then - so that you understand where it is located, because you recognize the name today. The same applies here: Scripture refers to the place as "Baal Peratzim," even though that name came about only as a result of the incident about to be described.
David struck them there and declared, "God has burst through my enemies by my hand like a burst of water": Hashem breached my enemies and delivered them into my hands, and they broke through like a breach in the sea or a broken dam - fleeing before me like a burst of water that crashes through its barrier with tremendous roaring power, in a mighty torrent. "Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Peratzim," which is why Scripture stated at the outset, "So they went up to Baal Peratzim" - referring to the place as Baal Peratzim in retrospect, following this event.
The Malbim notes that in the Book of Shmuel it says, "And David came to Baal Peratzim," whereas here it says, "So they went up to Baal Peratzim." One can explain that Shmuel's intent is that when David arrived at Baal Peratzim, the Philistines advanced toward him to wage war. Ezra then clarifies that the Philistines "went up to Baal Peratzim," meaning they ascended from the valley to the mountain to approach Jerusalem, and David came from behind them. For David had originally set out to preempt them, and when he discovered along the way that they were already near Jerusalem, he doubled back, attacking them from the rear and striking them down. Furthermore, in the Book of Shmuel it says, "therefore he called" in the singular, whereas here it says, "they called." Ezra clarifies who coined the name - it was David who named it, which is why Shmuel uses the singular; and here it says "they called" because following David's designation, everyone subsequently called the place Baal Peratzim. Thus, both accounts are true.
There is a remarkable and little-known Midrash here. It is well known that many Midrashim have been lost to us - as the verse says, "and maidens without number [va'alamot ein mispar]," which the sages homiletically interpret as referring to hidden teachings [ne'elamot]: these are the Midrashim, of which there are truly countless numbers. There are many Midrashim that we encounter, and if one were to ask a scholar, "Where is this written?", he would reply, "We do not have that Midrash." How then do we know such a Midrash existed? Because Rabbeinu Avraham HaNagid, or another early authority, quotes it - and once he quotes it, we know that such a Midrash existed, even if we cannot locate it today. There are many smaller Midrashim, such as Midrash Avkir, Midrash Chazita, Midrash Tadshe - Midrashim named after their opening word: the first verse expounded there is "Let the earth sprout grass [tadshe ha'aretz deshe]," hence Midrash Tadshe; and Midrash Chazita is named because it begins by expounding, "Have you seen a man diligent in his work [chazita ish mahir bimlakhto]? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men." Someone cited a Midrash stating that David, too, had the sun stand still for him, noting that he could not find the original source. Yet the Yemenite community preserved a unique compilation - the Midrash HaGadol - in which many Midrashim quoted by others without an extant source were ultimately found.
And indeed, the following appears in Midrash HaGadol on Devarim (Mossad Harav Kook edition, p. 46): "For David, too, the Holy One, blessed be He, caused the sphere of the sun to stand still in the battles he waged at Baal Peratzim. It was an exceedingly fierce battle, in which he struck down all those multitudes, as it is stated: 'And David struck them from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped.'" And the Midrash asks: "'Until the evening' - did he wage war at night? Rather, this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, caused the sun and moon to stand still for him, just as He did for Yehoshua."
And the Midrash cites a verse regarding this: "And so it says: 'For like Mount Peratzim Hashem will arise, like the valley in Givon He will rage, to do His deed - strange is His deed; and to work His work - alien is His work.'" We will not explain the simple meaning of the verse here; anyone who wishes may hear that in the lessons on Yeshayahu 28. But look how the Midrash expounds the verse concerning our subject. What is "like Mount Peratzim, like the valley in Givon"? This refers to the sun and moon that He halted in their place just like in the valley of Givon, as it is written, "Sun, stand still at Givon, and moon in the valley of Ayalon" - so too it was at Mount Peratzim, where David also stopped the sun. And what is "He will rage"? That the Holy One, blessed be He, raged at the nations of the world who joined together against Israel. And what is "to do His deed - strange is His deed"? To do His deed in a way that the gods of the nations cannot do: their deities cannot make the sun stand still, but for David, Hashem stopped the sun.
וַיַּעַזְבוּ שָׁם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד וַיִּשָּׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ׃ - And they left their gods there, and David gave the command, and they were burned in fire.
In Sefer Shmuel it says "their idols" (atzabeihem), while here it says "their gods" (elokeihem). The Malbim explains that Ezra comes to clarify this, so that one would not assume "their idols" meant a kind of talismans (telasma'ot). What were talismans? They would construct various figures for themselves, and through these figures they would divine hidden things. They would make forms through which they drew down higher powers - powers of demons, spirits, and the like - and these would reveal themselves to them; or they would perform rituals to draw down the spirits of the dead, and for this purpose they needed some image to channel that force. Such an image is not necessarily outright idolatry (avodah zarah), but rather a functional device to receive the influence and inspiration of those forces. The Torah forbids this, since it is prohibited to consult demons or the dead, but in any case it is not idolatry in the literal sense. Says the Malbim: from the wording "their idols" in Shmuel, one could have understood that these were merely talismans, so Ezra comes and clarifies, "and they left their gods there" - that it was literal idolatry.
"And they were burned in fire" - this was David's command. Yet in the Book of Shmuel it says, "and David carried them away" (vayissa'em), which might have been understood to mean that he carried them to Jerusalem; Ezra therefore comes and clarifies that he burned them. Since it was actual idolatry, it had to be burned. Even though one might have thought that because they abandoned their gods there, a non-Jew who nullifies an idol renders it nullified, David may not have relied on this, or perhaps as a stringency because of "nothing of the proscribed item shall cling to your hand," he went and burned them. And how does the expression "they were burned" reconcile with "and he carried them away"? The Malbim explains that they are one and the same: "and he carried them away" means he burned them like a column of rising smoke (mas'et ashan), and that is the meaning of "he carried them away" - that they burned them, just as Ezra clarifies: "and they were burned in fire."
וַיֹּסִיפוּ עוֹד פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ בָּעֵמֶק׃ - And the Philistines raided again and spread out in the valley.
The Philistines once again spread out and raid the valley, meaning they come back for another round of battle. As we have explained several times, the Philistines remind us very much of the Palestinians: they never quit, you cannot put an end to them; you strike them, and it only holds until the next round. And so it was throughout history: with the Philistines it was never a finished matter, there was no "one blow and it's over." A blow is struck, they raise their heads again, another blow, and again they raise their heads, recurring continuously. Here too, after the first campaign concludes, they return for a new campaign, "and they spread out in the valley" - deploying and raiding with their army across the valley.
וַיִּשְׁאַל עוֹד דָּוִיד בֵּאלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים לֹא תַעֲלֶה אַחֲרֵיהֶם הָסֵב מֵעֲלֵיהֶם וּבָאתָ לָהֶם מִמּוּל הַבְּכָאִים׃ - And David inquired again of God, and God said to him, "Do not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them from opposite the mulberry trees."
Here, the commentary attributed to Rashi cites a very famous Midrash: The Attribute of Justice said before the Omnipresent: Master of the Universe, why did You remove Shaul in favor of David? He replied: Because he did not wait seven days for Shmuel as he had commanded him. Shmuel had told him, "Wait seven days, do not offer the burnt-offering until I arrive," and only then go out to war. But Shaul saw the people scattering from him - and this was the Achilles' heel of his entire leadership, as we have discussed, that he was overly attentive to and dependent upon the people instead of leading them - and so he offered the burnt-offering before Shmuel arrived. And as soon as he finished offering it, Shmuel arrived toward the end of the seventh day, saying to him, "You have acted foolishly; your kingdom shall not endure." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Attribute of Justice: See the difference between Shaul and David; here I tested David, commanding "circle around them," etc. - and David observed all of this meticulously.
Let us read the verses in II Samuel, chapter 5, verse 22: "And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of Hashem, and He said: Do not go up; circle around behind them and come upon them from opposite the mulberry trees. And let it be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance, for then Hashem will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. And David did so, as Hashem commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Geva until you come to Gezer." Concerning this, the commentary attributed to Rashi notes that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Attribute of Justice: See the difference between Shaul and David - when Hashem tested him and told him that only when you hear the sound of marching may you go out and attack, David HaMelech stood firm in the command of the Holy One, blessed be He. In that merit he earned the monarchy, wherein he showed that he was unaffected by the stirrings of the people, that he was a leader and not one who is led.
What are the bekha'im? Metzudat Tziyon explains: mulberry trees. He told him: go in that valley of the bekha'im, in the place where those trees are found. And the Malbim explains: there in Shmuel it says, "Do not go up, circle around behind them," and Ezra comes and clarifies here in Divrei HaYamim that the intention is, "Do not go up after them" as you did the first time - for the first time he attacked them from behind. This time the tactic would be different: "circle around" - swing around them and do not advance directly after them, but rather approach them by making a detour.
וִיהִי כְּשָׁמְעֲךָ אֶת־קוֹל הַצְּעָדָה בְּרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים אָז תֵּצֵא בַמִּלְחָמָה כִּי־יָצָא הָאֱלֹהִים לְפָנֶיךָ לְהַכּוֹת אֶת־מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים׃ - And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.
The Metzudat David explains: When you hear the sound of marching, you will know that Hashem has sent His angel to strike them. And the Metzudat David adds: Even though there is no restraint for Hashem to save without tactical detours and without setting a specific time - is Hashem bound by time, that you must wait until this very moment? He could strike right now as well. And is a flanking maneuver truly necessary? He could strike them head-on, "for there is no restraint for Hashem to save by many or by few." Why, then, are all these tactical maneuvers necessary? Says the Metzudat David, as we mentioned earlier: He told him this to test him - to see whether he would observe His commandments regarding battle, or whether he would treat them lightly as Shaul had treated them lightly.
וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִיד כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים מִגִּבְעוֹן וְעַד־גָּזְרָה׃ - And David did as God commanded him, and they struck the camp of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.
"From Gibeon" - as they fled from Gibeon, they continued pursuing and striking them all the way to the place called Gezer, and this is the meaning of "to Gezer." Gibeon appears in Sefer Shemuel under the name "Geba," and it is the exact same place: Geba and Gibeon are one and the same.
וַיֵּצֵא שֵׁם־דָּוִיד בְּכָל־הָאֲרָצוֹת וַיהֹוָה נָתַן אֶת־פַּחְדּוֹ עַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם׃ - And the fame of David went out into all the lands, and Hashem put the dread of him upon all the nations.
In this chapter, we learned how Ezra completes and clarifies the account in Sefer Shemuel: the chronology of Hiram's mission and the bringing up of the Ark, the identity of who named the place "Baal Perazim," the fact that these were actual idols that were burned in fire, and the meaning of the instruction to "circle around them." We saw David's realization that Hashem had established him as king - both from the gathering of all Israel and from the honor shown by the gentile kings - alongside his profound humility: "for the sake of His people Israel," not for my own sake. We saw the teaching from the Midrash HaGadol that the Holy One, blessed be He, caused the sphere of the sun to stand still for David as well during the battle of Baal Perazim. And finally, the central lesson: the contrast between Shaul and David. Shaul treated the commandment lightly because he was swayed by the people, whereas David waited and fulfilled precisely what he was commanded - and by virtue of being a true leader rather than one who is led, he merited the kingdom, until "the fame of David went out into all the lands."