1 Chronicles 14:12 kjv
And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
1 Chronicles 14:12 nkjv
And when they left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
1 Chronicles 14:12 niv
The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
1 Chronicles 14:12 esv
And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.
1 Chronicles 14:12 nlt
The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them.
1 Chronicles 14 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 7:5 | "you shall destroy their altars, and break down their images..." | Command to destroy pagan symbols. |
| Deut 7:25 | "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire..." | Explicit instruction to burn idols. |
| Deut 12:3 | "and burn their groves with fire; and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods..." | Further instruction on idol destruction. |
| Exod 32:20 | "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire..." | Moses' destruction of the golden calf. |
| 1 Sam 5:1-5 | Dagon falling before the Ark of the Covenant... | Yahweh's superiority over pagan gods. |
| Isa 44:9-20 | "They that make a graven image are all of them vanity..." | Scorn for man-made idols and their creators. |
| Ps 115:4-7 | "Their idols are silver and gold... they have mouths, but they speak not..." | Description of idols as powerless and dead. |
| Jer 10:3-5 | "...it is wood... they deck it with silver and with gold... for they cannot speak." | Emphasizes the inanimate nature of idols. |
| 1 Cor 8:4 | "...we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one." | Apostolic declaration of an idol's nullity. |
| Ps 96:5 | "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens." | God's creative power contrasts with idols. |
| 1 Sam 7:3-4 | "...put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you..." | Call to forsake foreign gods in Israel. |
| Josh 24:23 | "Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you..." | Joshua's exhortation to reject idolatry. |
| Judg 10:16 | "And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD..." | Israelites turning from idols to God. |
| 2 Sam 5:21 | "And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them." | Parallel account of this event. |
| Isa 46:1-2 | "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols were upon the beasts..." | Pagan gods are carried away, defeated. |
| Rom 1:21-25 | "...changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image... served the creature more than the Creator." | Description of man's turn to idolatry. |
| Col 3:5 | "...covetousness, which is idolatry." | New Testament identifies modern forms of idolatry. |
| Eph 5:5 | "...nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance..." | Linking covetousness to idolatry in the NT. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." | New Testament exhortation against idolatry. |
| Acts 13:22 | "He raised up unto them David to be their king; of whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David..." | David's heart for God and obedience. |
| Ps 18:30 | "As for God, his way is perfect..." | Reflects God's perfect law which David obeyed. |
| 2 Kgs 23:4-14 | Josiah's comprehensive destruction of idols. | Example of righteous king destroying idols. |
1 Chronicles 14 verses
1 Chronicles 14 12 Meaning
The Philistines, having been defeated by David and the Israelite army at Baal-perazim, fled and abandoned their pagan gods and idols on the battlefield. David, as king, acted promptly and righteously by issuing a command that these idols be gathered and completely destroyed by fire, signifying the absolute worthlessness and impotence of these false deities in the face of the living God of Israel.
1 Chronicles 14 12 Context
First Chronicles chapter 14 describes a significant phase in David's reign. After securing his kingdom and household in Jerusalem (1 Chron 14:1-7), David faces his perennial enemies, the Philistines. The Philistines attack once David's kingship over all Israel becomes widely known (1 Chron 14:8). In contrast to pagan rulers who would consult idols or omens, David consults the Lord for divine guidance on how to engage in battle (1 Chron 14:10). The Lord gives David specific instructions and promises victory. David then decisively defeats the Philistines at Baal-perazim (meaning "Lord of breaking through," a name David gave to commemorate God's victory). Verse 12 immediately follows this victory, highlighting the Philistines' flight and abandonment of their false gods on the battlefield, leading to David's command for their destruction. This act not only signifies military triumph but, more profoundly, the spiritual supremacy of Yahweh over the Philistine deities, which were proven utterly useless in the conflict.
1 Chronicles 14 12 Word analysis
- And they left (`וַיַּעַזְבוּ` - wayyaʿazḇû): From the Hebrew verb `עָזַב` (`ʿāzaḇ`), meaning "to abandon," "forsake," or "leave behind." Here, it signifies the Philistines' hasty retreat and desperate abandonment of their most sacred possessions, their gods, because these idols offered no help in battle. It highlights the gods' impotence and their worshippers' despair.
- their gods (`אֱלֹהֵיהֶם` - ʾĕlōhêhem): Refers to the Philistines' deities or idols. The plural form emphasizes the multitude of false gods worshipped in the pagan world. The Hebrew term `אֱלֹהִים` (ʾĕlōhîm), while sometimes used for the true God, in this context clearly refers to foreign, false deities, reinforcing the contrast with Yahweh.
- there (`שָׁם` - šām): Locative adverb meaning "there," referring to the battlefield or the specific location where the Philistines abandoned their idols. This detail marks the scene of the spiritual defeat as clearly as the military one.
- therefore (`עַל־כֵּן` - ʿal-kēn): A conjunctive phrase meaning "on account of this," "because of this," or "thus." It establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship: because the idols were left behind, implying their uselessness and their worshippers' defilement by them, David took a specific action.
- David gave a commandment (`וַיְצַו דָּוִיד` - wayṣaw dāwîḏ): David commanded. The verb `צָוָה` (`ṣāwāh`) means "to command," "appoint," or "charge." This emphasizes David's authority as king and, more importantly, his immediate obedience to God's law regarding idolatry. He did not claim the idols as spoils or allow them to remain; he recognized the spiritual obligation to destroy them.
- and they were burned (`שָׂרְפוּם` - śārfûm) with fire (`בָּאֵשׁ` - bāʾēš): The verb `שָׂרַף` (`śārap̄`) means "to burn" or "consume with fire." The passive or impersonal active form implies that the burning was carried out by David's men on his command. Burning with fire was the prescribed method in the Mosaic Law for the destruction of idols (Deut 7:25), signifying complete annihilation, purification, and contempt for what is spiritually abhorrent. This act reinforces Yahweh's holiness and supremacy, cleansing the land of spiritual defilement.
Word-group analysis:
- "And they left their gods there": This phrase dramatically portrays the defeat of the Philistines and, by extension, their deities. It's a powerful statement that these "gods" could not save their worshippers, nor could they save themselves from abandonment. The public display of discarded idols signifies the absolute defeat of a pagan worldview before the might of the true God.
- "therefore David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire": This indicates David's decisive action, not merely a military clean-up but a theological act. It is an affirmation of Yahweh's singular authority and a demonstration of David's commitment to upholding God's covenant commands. The method of destruction, burning, carries deep symbolic weight in biblical thought for items utterly rejected as defiled or anathema.
1 Chronicles 14 12 Bonus section
The Chronicler's specific mention of the idols being burned with fire, unlike the shorter account in 2 Samuel 5:21 that only states "David and his men carried them away," adds a crucial theological layer. The Chronicler, writing to a post-exilic community, emphasizes David's role as a faithful king who upheld God's laws, setting a paradigm for righteous leadership. This detailed action serves as a strong polemic against idolatry, assuring the returning exiles that adherence to Yahweh alone is the path to divine blessing and national restoration. The abandonment of the idols by the Philistines also foreshadows a future when all false gods will be universally acknowledged as futile and destroyed (Isa 2:18-21; Rev 19:20).
1 Chronicles 14 12 Commentary
1 Chronicles 14:12 concisely articulates a pivotal moment in David’s reign that transcends military victory to declare spiritual truth. The Philistines' panicked abandonment of their idols on the battlefield serves as undeniable proof of the impotence of their false gods. They literally "left their gods there," exposed and helpless, highlighting the core biblical message that "an idol is nothing in the world" (1 Cor 8:4). David's immediate response to command their burning demonstrates his deep reverence for Yahweh and his commitment to the Law (Deut 7:25), which mandated the destruction of such abominations. This act was not merely practical sanitation of a battlefield, but a profound theological statement: Yahweh alone is the sovereign, true God, before whom all other gods crumble to dust. It purified the land from defilement and unequivocally proclaimed the triumph of divine power over pagan superstition.