2 Samuel 5:17-25 – Wiping Out The Philistines

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 20 Feb 2022

Introduction

vs. 17-19 Philistines’ response to news of David’s kingship

Vs. 20-21 David’s First Attack On the Philistines at Rephaim

Vs. 22-25 David’s Second Attack

Conclusion

2 Samuel 05:17-25- Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT 2S5

MT 1Chr

NAW

17 Καὶ ἤκουσαν ἀλλόφυλοι ὅτι κέχρισται Δαυιδ X βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ισραηλ, καὶ ἀνέβησαν πάντες οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυιδ· καὶ ἤκουσεν Δαυιδ καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὴν περιοχήν.

17 And the Philistines heard that David was anointed X king over Israel; and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard [of it], and went down to the strong hold.

17 And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel: and they X all came X to seek David: and [when] David heard [of it], he went down to a strong hold.

17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David X king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

17 Now, when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to try to get David, but David heard, and he went down to the stronghold.

17 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי- מָשְׁחוּ אֶת-B דָּוִד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ כָל- פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת- דָּוִד וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִד וַיֵּרֶד אֶל-הַמְּצוּדָ:

14:8 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי- נִמְשַׁחX דָּוִיד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל- כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ כָל- פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת- דָּוִיד וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִיד וַיֵּצֵא x לִפְנֵיהֶם:

8 Now, when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed to be King over all Israel, all the Philis­tines went up to try to get David, but David heard, and he went out to face them.

18 καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι παραγίνονται καὶ συνέπεσαν εἰς τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν τιτάνων.

18 And the Philistines came, and assembled in the valley of the giants.

18 And the Philistines coming spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

18 And when the Philistines came, they spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.

18 וּפְלִשְׁתִּים בָּאוּ וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים:

14:9 וּפְלִשְׁתִּים בָּאוּ וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים:

9 And when the Philistines came, they spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.

19 καὶ ἠρώτη­σεν Δαυιδ διὰ κυρίου λέγων Εἰ ἀναβῶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀλλοφύλ­ους [καὶ] παρα­δώσεις αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖράς μου; καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Δαυιδ Ἀνά­βαινε, ὅτι παραδιδοὺς παραδώσω τοὺς ἀλλοφύλ­ους εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου.

19 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? [and] wilt thou deliver them into my hand[s]? and the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thine hand[s].

19 And David consulted the Lord, Saying: Shall I go up to the Philistines? [and] wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David: Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

19 And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

19 Then David enquired with Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philis­tines? Will you give them into my control?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go up, for I have utterly given the Philistines into your control.”

19 וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהוָה לֵאמֹרC הַאֶעֱלֶה אֶל- פְּלִשְׁתִּיםD הֲתִתְּנֵם בְּיָדִי וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-דָּוִדE עֲלֵה כִּי-נָתֹן אֶתֵּן אֶת-הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֶךָF:

14:10 וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִיד בֵּאלֹהִים לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה עַל-פְּלִשְׁתִּיִּים G וּנְתַתָּם בְּיָדִי וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יְהוָה עֲלֵה וּנְתַתִּים X X X בְּיָדֶךָ:

10 Then David enquired with God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will He give them into my control?” And Yahweh said to him, “Go up, and they will be given into your control.”

20 καὶ ἦλθεν Δαυιδ ἐκ τῶν ἐπάνω διακοπ­ῶν καὶ ἔκοψεν τοὺς [ἀλλοφύλ­ους] ἐκεῖ, καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ Διέκοψεν κύρ­ιος τοὺς ἐχθρ­ούς μου [τοὺς ἀλλοφύλ­ους] ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ ὡς δια­κόπτεται ὕδατα· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνο­μα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Ἐπάνω διακοπῶν.

20 And David came from Upper Breach­es, and smote the [Philis­tines] there: and David said, The Lord has destroyed the hostile [Philis­tines] before me, as water is dispersed; therefore the name of that place was called Over Breaches.

20 And David came to Baal Pharisim: and X defeated them there, and he said, The Lord hath divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided. Therefore the name of the place was called Baal Pharisim.

20 And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.

20 So David went to Baal-Perazim, and David made a strike against them there, and he said, “Yahweh burst through my enemies in front of me just like the bursting out of water!” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

20 וַיָּבֹא דָוִד בְּבַעַל- פְּרָצִים וַיַּכֵּם שָׁם דָּוִדH וַיֹּאמֶר פָּרַץ יְהוָה אֶת- אֹיְבַי לְפָנַי כְּפֶרֶץ מָיִם עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בַּעַלI פְּרָצִים:

14:11 וַיַּעֲלוּ בְּבַעַל-פְּרָצִים וַיַּכֵּם שָׁם דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד פָּרַץ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת- אוֹיְבַי בְּיָדִי כְּפֶרֶץ מָיִם עַל-כֵּן קָרְאוּ שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בַּעַל פְּרָצִים:

11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David made a strike there, and David said, “God burst through my enemies by means of my hand just like the bursting out of water!” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

21 καὶ κατα­λιμ­πάνουσιν ἐκεῖ τοὺς θε­οὺς αὐτ­ῶν, καὶ ἐλάβο­σαν αὐτ­οὺς Δα­υιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ. --

21 And they leave there their gods, and David and his men with him took them.

21 And they left there their idols: which David and his men took away.

21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burnedJ them.

21 They, on the other hand, abandoned their idols there, so David and his men picked them up.

21 וַיַּעַזְבוּ- שָׁם אֶת- עֲצַבֵּיהֶם וַיִּשָּׂאֵםK דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו: פ

14:12 וַיַּעַזְבוּ- שָׁם אֶת- אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד וַיִּשָּׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ:פ

12 They, on the other hand, abandoned their gods there, so David said, “Now let them be burned in the fire!”

22 καὶ προσέθεντο ἔτι ἀλλόφυλοι τοῦ ἀναβῆναι καὶ συνέπεσαν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τῶν τιτάνων.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and assembled in the valley of Giants.

22 And the Philistines came up again and spread themselves into the valley of Raphaim.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

22 Presently the Philistines once again went up and spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.

22 וַיֹּסִפוּ עוֹד פְּלִשְׁתִּים לַעֲלוֹת וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים:

14:13 וַיֹּסִיפוּ עוֹד פְּלִשְׁתִּים X וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ בָּעֵמֶק X:

13 Presently, the Philistines once again spread themselves out in the valley.

23 καὶ ἐπηρώ­τησεν Δαυιδ διὰ κυρίου, καὶ εἶπεν [κύριος] Οὐκ ἀναβήσει [εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν], ἀπο­στρέφου ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν καὶ παρέσει αὐτοῖς πλησίον τοῦ κλαυθμῶνος·

23 And David enquired of the Lord: and the [Lord] said, Thou shalt not go up [to meet them]: turn from them, and thou shalt meet them near the place of weeping.

23 And David consulted X the Lord: [Shall I go up against the Philis­tines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands?] X He answered: Go not up [against them] [but] fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees.

23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

23 So David inquired with Yahweh, and He said, “Don’t go up {toward them}; go around {from} behind them, and then go against them from the direction of the balsam-trees.

23 וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תַעֲלֶה הָסֵב אֶל- אַחֲרֵיהֶםL וּבָאתָ לָהֶם מִמּוּל בְּכָאִיםM:

14:14 וַיִּשְׁאַל עוֹד דָּוִיד בֵּאלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים לֹא תַעֲלֶה אַחֲרֵיהֶם הָסֵב מֵעֲלֵיהֶם וּבָאתָ לָהֶם מִמּוּל הַבְּכָאִים:

14 So David inquired again with God, and God said to him, “Don’t go up after them; go around from them and then go against them from the direction of the balsam-trees.

24 καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαί σε τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ συγκλεισμοῦ τοῦ ἄλσους τοῦ κλαυθμῶ­νος, τότε καταβήσει [πρὸς αὐτούς], ὅτι τότε ἐξ­ελεύσεται κύριος ἔμ­προσθέν σου κόπτειν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων.

24 And it shall come to pass when thou hearest the sound of a clashing together from the groveN of weeping, then thou shalt go down [to them], for then the Lord shall go forth before thee to make havoc in the battle with the Philistines.

24 And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face to strike X the army of the Philistines.

24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite X the host of the Philistines.

24 And when you hear the sound of a cadence in the tops of the balsam-trees, then act decisively, for then Yahweh will go out before you to make a strike against the army-camp of the Philistines.”

24 וִיהִי בְּשָׁמְעֲךָO אֶת- קוֹל צְעָדָהP בְּרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים אָז תֶּחֱרָץQ כִּי אָז יָצָא יְהוָה לְפָנֶיךָ לְהַכּוֹת בְּמַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים:

14:15 וִיהִי כְּשָׁמְעֲךָ אֶת- קוֹל הַצְּעָדָה בְּרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים אָז תֵּצֵא בַמִּלְחָמָה כִּי X-יָצָא הָאֱלֹהִים לְפָנֶיךָ לְהַכּוֹת אֶת-מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים:

15 And when you hear the sound of the cadence in the tops of the balsam-trees, then go out into the battle, for your God goes out before you to strike down the army-camp of the Philistines.”

25 καὶ ἐποίη­σεν Δαυιδ X καθὼς ἐνετείλ­ατο αὐτῷ κύριος, καὶ ἐπάταξεν τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἀπὸ Γαβαων ἕως τῆς γῆς Γαζηρα.

25 And David did X as the Lord commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Gabaon as far as the land of Gazera.

25 And David did X as the Lord had commanded him, and he smote the Philistines from Gabaa until thou come to Gezer.

25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.

25 And David did {} just what Yahweh had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as you can go to Gezer.

25 וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד כֵּןR כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהוָה וַיַּךְ אֶת- פְּלִשְׁתִּים מִגֶּבַע עַד- בֹּאֲךָ גָזֶר: פ

14:16 וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִיד X כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּכּוּ אֶת-מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים מִגִּבְעוֹן וְעַד- גָּזְרָה:

16 So David did according to what God commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even unto Gezer.







14:17 ויֵּצֵא שֵׁם־דָּוִיד בְּכָל־ הָאֲרָצוֹת וַיהוָה נָתַן אֶת־פַּחְדּוֹ עַל־כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִם׃

17 Then David’s fame went out into all the lands, for it was Yahweh who extended dread of him over all the nations.


1Gill agreed that it was not Jerusalem but some place below it. Goldman and Keil & Delitzsch agreed that it was David’s old haunt in the Judean wilderness. Willett (and Tsumura), on the other hand, believed this stronghold was the “tower of Sion” (or the old Jebusite citadel) in Jerusalem. Neither Matthew Henry nor Robert Jameison ventured an opinion.

2Gill noted: “Baalperazim... being the hill, to which... the valley [ran], computed to be about three miles from Jerusalem, in the way to Bethlehem, between which places were two hours' travel...”

3thus Robert Jamieson’s commentary, which cites Royle in support.

4Gill cites Pausanias (Eliac. sive, l. 5. p. 294.) translating it as “byssus... as being of a yellow colour.”

5“Baca, according to Abulfadl, is the name given in Arabic to a shrub which grows at Mecca and resembles the balsam, except that it has longer leaves and larger and rounder fruit, and from which, if a leaf be broken off, there flows a white pungent sap, like a white tear, which in all probability gave rise to the name בָּכָא = בָּכָה, to weep.” ~Keil & Delitzsch

6cf. Webster’s Dictionary (1828): “This name is given to a genus of plants called Clusia; to another, called Copaifera, which produces the balsam of Copaiba; and to a third, called Pistacia, turpentine tree or mastich tree.”

7See Keil & Delitzsch for an extensive treatment of the difference between 1 Chron’s “Gibeon” and 2 Sam’s “Geba.”

8Gill cited Kimchi on this.

AMy original chart includes the NASB, ESV, and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing 2 Samuel 5 is 4Q51Samuela, which contains fragments of vs. 1-19, and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX (or Vulgate) with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

BMT, Vulgate, Geneva, KJV, RV, LS French, and NASB render “they anointed David,” but LXX, NIV, ESV, NET, NLT and the parallel passage in 1 Chron render it passive “David had been anointed.” DSS is obliterated here. Such synonymous differences between the 2 Sam. and 1 Chron. accounts show the range of what translation and tradition can do without changing the word of God.

CDSS omits “saying,” but it’s in the LXX and Vulgate and the parallel passage. It doesn’t change the meaning, though, for it is just a synonymous verb of speech to “inquired.”

DThe DSS is obliterated here, but there is space for 28-35 Hebrew letters and spaces between here and the את, but the MT has 43. Changing to the 1 Chron text in the MT would be 35 letters and spaces, so that might be the reading of the DSS. However, the LXX and Vulgate match the longer reading of the MT here.

E1 Chron substitutes "to him."

FLXX, Syriac, and 2 Hebrew manuscripts read “hands” (plural), but in this figurative use of the word, it means the same.

GQere corrects the spelling to פְּלִשְׁתִּים by removing the extra yod.

HLXX shifts David’s name as the explicit subject down to the next verb, but the Vulgate and Syriac omit it. This doesn’t change the meaning, however, since the understood subject (“he”) is still David.

IG epanw, L de super, T mjsr

JThe Geneva Bible also reads “burned,” but no other English Bible does, as far as I can tell. Even the NKJV ammends it to “carried them away.”

KTargums read ‎ אוֹקֵידִנֻון (“burned”), which is what the parallel passage in 1 Chron. says, and KJV picks up on that.

LSeveral Hebrew manuscripts read “from” instead of “to” here (and in 1 Chron. 14), and that seems to be what the LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac followed.

MThe only place in the Bible outside this story which uses this word is Psalm 84:7, which speaks of a Valley of Baka which seems to refer to “weeping.”

NThe Hebrew “heads/tops” is plural, but the Greek is singular. Kittel claimed that the Vulgate cacumine is singular, but Douay translated it plural. Kittel also claimed that the Syriac (ברישׁה) and Targums (‎בְרֵישֵׁי) are singular, but I suspect he was only correct about the Syriac. It doesn’t change the story either way.

OQere כְּשָׁמְעֲךָ corrects the initial beth preposition (“in/by/with/during”) to the coph preposition (“like/as/about”), which is the 1 Chronicles reading, and can mean the same thing.

PBased on the idea of a “step.” Perhaps “cadence.” The only other place in the Bible that this word shows up outside of this story is Isa. 3:20 describing an armlet or anklet or chain.

QIn its Qal form this verb is used before Samuel to denote making noise (Exod. 11:7 – dog barking; Jos. 10:21 – people criticizing) and after Samuel it denotes making a judicial decision (1 Ki. 20:40; Job 14:5; Isa. 10:22). The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles substitutes the phrase “go out into battle.”

RThis word is omitted from the LXX, Vulgate, and 1 Chron. accounts. It is redundant to the next word so it is dispensable without changing meaning.

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