2 Samuel 5:17-25

Victories over the Philistines (J). (Cf. p. 67.) David twice defeats the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim (p. 31, Isaiah 17:5 *). The growing strength of David had roused the apprehensions of his suzerains. These incidents seem prior to the capture of Jerusalem, and are sometimes supposed to have been inserted from another document; they may, however, be from (J), having been transposed by the editor. The hold is perhaps Adullam. The fact that we are told that David named the place Baal-perazim, Baal of Breaches, shows that the author saw nothing wrong in the use of Baal as a title of Yahweh (1 S. 4:49*.) The victors took. away the gods (so LXX and 1 Chronicles 14:12) of the Philistines. The Chronicler, anxious that his readers should not suppose that David intended to worship them, changed 2 Samuel 5:21 b into and they were burned with fire, AV here followed suit by altering took away into burned. In 2 Samuel 5:24, it is Yahweh who marches.

2 Samuel 5:25. Gezer: Joshua 10:33 *, Judges 1:29 *, 1 Kings 9:16 *.