2 Samuel 5:18
Ver. 18. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. Or "of the giants", as Jos 15:8; which lay to the west of Jerusalem; of which, See Gill on "Jos 15:8"; the Philistines spreading themselves in it, shows that they were very numerous. 2 Samuel 5:19Ver. 19. And David inquired of the Lord,.... By Abiathar, and the Urim and Thummim, in the ephod he had on:saying, shall I go up to the Philistines? who by this time were gone from the valley to an higher place, to Mount Perazim, as in Isa 28:21;wilt thou deliver them into my hand? here two questions are put together, and an answer returned to both, contrary to a notion of the Jews, See Gill on "1Sa 23:11";and the Lord said to David, go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand; by which oracle he had both the mind of God that he should go up, and was assured of victory. 2 Samuel 5:20Ver. 20. And David came to Baalperazim,.... As it was after called, for here it has its name by anticipation, and whither the Philistines were come from the valley of Rephaim; see 1Ch 14:11; which was at no great distance, the one being the hill, to which the other was the valley, computed to be about three miles from Jerusalem, in the way to Bethlehem {u}, between which places were two hours' travels {w}:and David smote them there; there a battle was fought, in which David had the victory assured him:and said, the Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters; as when waters, through their mighty force, break down the banks of rivers, and carry all before them; or as one breaks an earthen vessel full of water, so the Targum on 1Ch 14:11.therefore he called the name of the place Baalperazim; which signifies "the master of breaches", where the Philistines were broke in upon, and broken to pieces, of which God was the author, and which gave David the mastery over his enemies; the Targum renders it "the plain of breaches", and seems to take it to be the same with the valley of Rephaim; see 2Sa 5:22.{u} Bunting's Travels, &c. p. 138. {w} Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 87. ed. 7. 2 Samuel 5:21Ver. 21. And they left their images,.... Their idol gods, which they brought with them to protect and defend them, and give them success; perhaps in imitation of the Israelites, who formerly brought the ark of God into their camp against the Philistines, 1Sa 4:3; and it appears to have been the custom of other countries, in later times, to bring their gods with them to battle {x}:and David and his men burnt them: that is, his men burnt them at his command, 1Ch 14:12; agreeably to the law of God, that so no profit might be made of them, De 7:5; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and others, render it, "and took them", or "carried them away" {y}; as they might do, and, after they had exposed them in triumph, then burnt them.{x} "Omnigenumque Deum", &c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 8. {y} Mavyw kai elabosan autouv, Sept. "tulit", V. L. Tigurine version, Montanus; "sustulit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. 2 Samuel 5:22Ver. 22. And the Philistines came up yet again,.... And, as Josephus says {z}, with an army three times larger than the former:and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim; in the same place where they were before, 2Sa 5:20.{z} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 4. sect. 1. 2 Samuel 5:23Ver. 23. And when David inquired of the Lord,.... For though he had success before, and got the victory, he would not engage again with them without having the mind and will of God, on whom he knew victory alone depended:he said, thou shalt not go up; that is, directly, and in a straight line:[but] fetch a compass behind them; and get to the rear of them, instead of falling upon them in the front:and come upon them over against the mulberry trees: which grew in the valley of Rephaim, and near where the Philistines had pitched. 2 Samuel 5:24Ver. 24. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,.... Of a going of the wind on the tops of these trees, making a rustling upon them, and that in such a manner as to resemble the going of men, or march of armies, as if they were moving in the air over the tops of the mulberry trees; which Jarchi and R. Isaiah interpret of angels being sent of God, and moving at that time to help David, and destroy the Philistines; so the Targum on1Ch 14:15. These trees being in Judea account for silk there, Eze 16:10; though some think time was not known so early; others suppose it was, and to be the Hebrew byssus mentioned by Pausanias {a}, as being of a yellow colour:that then thou shall bestir thyself; or move towards the camp of the Philistines, and fall upon them in the rear, who, by reason of the sound in the trees, would not hear the motion of the Israelites; or, if they heard it, would take it to be no other than the motion of the trees they heard, both sounds being confounded together; or they would take the sound they heard for the motion of the enemy in the front, and give way, and so fall into the hands of the Israelites in their rear, which must throw them into the utmost confusion and consternation:for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines: by an angel or angels; so the Targum,"for then shall go forth the angel of the Lord, to make thee prosperous to slay in the camp of the Philistines;''that being the precise time for the salvation of Israel, and the destruction of the Philistines, and the token of it.{a} Eliac. sive, l. 5. p. 294. 2 Samuel 5:25Ver. 25. And David did so as the Lord commanded him,.... In all things he was obedient to the command of God; Saul was not: he got behind the army of the Philistines, as he was directed; and when he heard the sound in the mulberry trees, he arose and fell upon his enemies:and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer; or from Gibeon, as in 1Ch 14:16; a city in the tribe of Benjamin, near to which this battle was fought, and where the pursuit began, which was carried as far as Gazer, a city that lay on the borders of the Philistines, as Josephus says {b}; and so far they were pursued, and were smitten as they fled; and, according to Bunting {c}, it was a space of eighteen miles.{b} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 4. sect. 1. {c} Travels, &c. p. 138.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.