| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
2 Samuel
Chapter Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 5
In
this chapter we have an account of all the tribes of Israel coming to Hebron
and anointing David king over them
2 Samuel 5:1; of
his expedition against the Jebusites in Jerusalem
and taking from them the
strong hold of Zion
2 Samuel 5:6; of
his building an house for himself
and of his building up his family
by taking
more wives and concubines
and having more children
whose names are given
2 Samuel 5:11; and
of an invasion of the land by the Philistines
and David's victory over them
2 Samuel 5:17.
2 Samuel 5:1 Then
all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke
saying
“Indeed we are
your bone and your flesh.
YLT
1And all the tribes of
Israel come unto David
to Hebron
and speak
saying
`Lo
we [are] thy bone
and thy flesh;
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron
.... All the
rest of the tribes
save the tribe of Judah
who had made him king over them in
Hebron seven years ago. These were ambassadors sent in the name of the several
tribes to him
quickly after the deaths of Abner and Ishbosheth; from having
any hand in which David had sufficiently cleared himself
and which had tended
to reconcile the minds of the people of Israel to him:
and spake
saying
we are thy bone and thy flesh; for though he
was of the tribe of Judah
yet as all the tribes sprung from one man
they were
all one bone
flesh
and blood; all nearly related to each other
all of the
same general family of which David was; and so
according to their law
a fit
person to be their king
Deuteronomy 16:18;
and from whom they might expect clemency and tenderness
being so near akin to
them.
2 Samuel 5:2 2 Also
in time past
when
Saul was king over us
you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in;
and the Lord
said to you
‘You shall shepherd My people Israel
and be ruler over Israel.’”
YLT
2also heretofore
in Saul's
being king over us
thou hast been he who is bringing out and bringing in
Israel
and Jehovah saith to thee
Thou dost feed My people Israel
and thou
art for leader over Israel.'
Also in time past
when Saul was king over us
.... Even over
all the tribes of Israel:
thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; that led out
the armies of Israel against their enemies
fought their battles for them
obtained victories
and brought the troops under his command home in safety;
and the remembrance of these valiant acts of his
which then endeared him to
the people
was now another reason for their choosing him king: and another
follows
the chiefest of them all:
and the Lord said to thee; when anointed by Samuel;
for though what follows is not recorded in so many words
yet the sense of it
is expressed in the anointing him to be king
whose office
as such
lay in doing
the following things:
thou shalt feed my people Israel; as a shepherd feeds his
flock; hence kings were frequently called shepherds
and David particularly
in
which he was an eminent type of Christ
see Psalm 78:71
and thou shalt be a captain over Israel; the Targum
is
"and thou shalt be king over Israel;'which gives the true sense of the
tribes
and which was the chief and prevailing reason with them to make him
their king; and which they
at least many of them
would have done before
even
immediately upon the death of Saul
but that they were persuaded by Abner to
yield obedience to Ishbosheth he set up.
2 Samuel 5:3 3 Therefore all the elders
of Israel came to the king at Hebron
and King David made a covenant with them
at Hebron before the Lord.
And they anointed David king over Israel.
YLT
3And all the elders of
Israel come unto the king
to Hebron
and king David maketh with them a
covenant in Hebron before Jehovah
and they anoint David for king over Israel.
So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron
.... Which
either explains what is meant by the tribes coming to him
2 Samuel 5:1;
namely
coming by their elders as their representatives; or else the meaning
is
that the messengers the tribes sent
when they returned and reported the
favourable reception they had met with from David; the elders of the several
tribes
the princes or principal men met
and came together to David in Hebron:
and King David made a league with them before the Lord; the states of
the nation; he entered into a covenant with them; he on his part promising to
rule them in justice and judgment according to the laws
and they promising to
yield a cheerful obedience to him in all things just and lawful: and this was
done "before the Lord"; either before the ark of the Lord
as
Abarbinel; but that was in Kirjathjearim
from whence it was after this brought
by David to this city; rather
as Kimchi observes
wherever all Israel
or the
greater part of them
were assembled
there the divine Shechinah or Majesty
dwelt; so that what was done in a public assembly was reckoned as done before
the Lord
and in his presence; or this covenant was made before the Lord
and
each party appealed to him as witness of it
so that it was a very solemn one:
and they anointed David king over Israel; that is
over
all Israel
which was the third time of his being anointed; the first was by
Samuel
pointing out the person the Lord chose and appointed king; the second
was by the tribe of Judah
when they invested him with the office of a king
over them; and now by all the tribes
when he was inaugurated into the whole
kingdom of Israel; and not only the elders came at this time
but great numbers
of the people from the several tribes
and continued with David some days
eating
drinking and rejoicing
see 1 Chronicles 12:1.
2 Samuel 5:4 4 David was thirty
years old when he began to reign
and he reigned forty years.
YLT
4A son of thirty years [is]
David in his being king; forty years he hath reigned;
David was thirty years old when he began reign
.... Over
Judah
which was the age of his antitype Christ
when he entered upon his
public ministry
Luke 3:23
and he reigned forty years; and six
months
as appears by 2 Samuel 5:5; but
the months are not mentioned
only the round number of years given: two reasons
the JewsF1Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 77. I. give for this;
the one
that he fled six months from Absalom; the other is
that he was ill in
Hebron so long
and therefore are not reckoned.
2 Samuel 5:5 5 In Hebron he reigned over
Judah seven years and six months
and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three
years over all Israel and Judah.
YLT
5in Hebron he reigned over
Judah seven years and six months
and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three
years
over all Israel and Judah.
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months
.... So long
the kingdom of Israel continued in the house of Saul after his death; and by
this it appears that David was near thirty eight years of age when the elders
of Israel came and made him their king:
and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel
and Judah; which in all made forty years and six months
see 1 Kings 2:11; upon
his being made king over all the tribes
as soon as he had taken the strong
hold of Zion
which he immediately attacked
as follows
he removed the seat of
his kingdom from Hebron to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 5:6 6 And the king and his men
went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites
the inhabitants of the land
who spoke
to David
saying
“You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will
repel you
” thinking
“David cannot come in here.”
YLT
6And the king goeth
and his
men
to Jerusalem
unto the Jebusite
the inhabitant of the land
and they
speak to David
saying
`Thou dost not come in hither
except thou turn aside
the blind and the lame;' saying
`David doth not come in hither.'
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem
.... Which
at
least part of it
belonged to the tribe of Benjamin; and therefore until all
Israel
and that tribe
with the rest
made him king
he did not attempt the
reduction of it
but now he immediately set out on an expedition against it:
unto the Jebusites
the inhabitants of the land: who inhabited
the country about it
and even dwelt in that itself; for the tribe of Judah
could not drive them out at first from that part of it which belonged to them
nor the tribe of Benjamin from that part which was theirs; in short
they
became so much masters of it
that it was called
even in later times
Jebus
and the city of the Jebusites; see Joshua 15:63 Judges 1:21
which spake unto David; when he came up against
them
and besieged them:
except thou take away the blind and lame
thou shalt not come in
hither; which many understand of their idols and images
which had eyes
but saw not
and feet
but walked not
which therefore David and his men in
derision called the blind and lame; these the Jebusites placed for the defence
of their city
and put great confidence in them for the security of it
and therefore
said to David
unless you can remove these
which you scornfully call the blind
and the lame
you will never be able to take the place. And certain it is the
Heathens had their tutelar gods for their cities as well as their houses
in
which they greatly trusted for their safety; and therefore with the Romans
when they besieged a city
the first thing they attempted to do was by any
means
as by songs particularly
to get the tutelar gods out of itF2Vid.
Valtrinum de re militar. Rom. l. 5. c. 5. ; believing otherwise it would never
be taken by them; or if it could
it was not lawful to make the gods captivesF3Vid.
Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 9. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 6. c. 4. : and to
this sense most of the Jewish commentators agree
as Kimchi
Jarchi
Ben
Gersom
and R. Isaiah
who take them to be images; some say
made of brass
which were placed either in the streets of the city
or on the towers: it was
usual with all nations to place on their walls both their household and country
gods
to defend them from the enemyF4Cornel. Nepot. Vit. Themistocl.
l. 2. c. 7. . A learned countryman of oursF5Gregory's Notes and
Observations
&c. ch. 7. is of opinion that these were statues or images
talismanically made
under a certain constellation
by some skilful in
astrology
placed in the recess of the fort
and intrusted with the keeping of
it
and in which the utmost confidence was put: but it seems better with Aben
Ezra and Abarbinel
and so JosephusF6Antiqu. l. 7. c. 3. sect. 1.
to understand this of blind and lame men; and that the sense is
that the
Jebusites had such an opinion of the strength of their city
that a few blind
and lame men were sufficient to defend it against David and his army; and
perhaps in contempt of him placed some invalids
blind and lame men
on the
walls of it
and jeeringly told him
that unless he could remove them
he would
never take the city:
thinking: or "saying"F7לאמר
"dicendo"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; this was the substance of what they
said
or what they meant by it:
David cannot come in hither; it is impossible for him
to enter it
he cannot and shall not do it
and very probably these words were
put into the mouths of the blind and lame
and they said them frequently.
2 Samuel 5:7 7 Nevertheless David took the
stronghold of Zion (that is
the City of David).
YLT
7And David captureth the
fortress of Zion
it [is] the city of David.
Nevertheless
David took the strong hold of Zion
.... A
fortress without the city
and separate from it
and which was very strong; and
the taking it might facilitate the taking of the city
which yet as appears by
what follows
was very difficult to do:
the same is the city of David; it was
afterwards so called
where he built an house
and dwelt.
2 Samuel 5:8 8 Now David said on that
day
“Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites
(the lame and the blind
who are hated by David’s soul)
he shall be
chief and captain.”[a] Therefore
they say
“The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
YLT
8And David saith on that
day
`Any one smiting the Jebusite
(let him go up by the watercourse)
and the
lame and the blind -- the hated of David's soul
' -- because the blind and lame
say
`He doth not come into the house.'
And David said on that day
.... On which he took the
strong hold of Zion:
whosoever getteth up to the gutter; where it is generally
supposed the blind and lame were
whether images or real men: but what is meant
by "Tzinnur"
we render "gutter"
is not easy to say; we
follow some of the Jewish writers
who take it to be a canal
or water spout
used to carry off the water from roofs of houses into cisterns
as the word is
rendered in Psalm 42:7; which
is the only place besides this in which it is used in Scripture; but R. Isaiah
takes it to be the bar or bolt of the gate
and the sense to be
whoever got up
to the gate
and got in at that
unbolting it
or breaking through it; the
Targum interprets it of the tower of the city
or strong fortress
and so
Abarbinel; but Jarchi says it was a ditch
agreeably to which BochartF8Phaleg.
l. 4. c. 36. col. 304. translates the words
and indeed more agreeably to the
order of them;"whosoever smites the Jebusites
let him cast into the ditch
(next the wall) both the blind and the lame
extremely hated by David.'But a
learned modern writerF9Dr. Kennicott's Dissert. 1. p. 35. gives a
more ingenious and probable interpretation of these words thus;"whosoever
(first) smiteth the Jebusites
and through the subterraneous passages reaches
the lame and the blind
&c.'and which seems to be favoured by Josephus
as
he observes; who saysF11Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 3. sect. 1.)
the king promised the command of the whole army to him who should δια των υποκειμενων φαραγγων
"through the subterraneous cavities"
go up to the citadel
and take
it: to which I would add that the word is used in the Chaldee paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 1:7
of the several subterraneous passages
through which the rivers flow out of and
reflow into the ocean: remarkable is the note of Theodoret
"a
certain Hebrew says
Aquila renders it "through a pipe"; on which
he
observes
David being willing to spare the walls of the city
ordered the
citizens should enter into the city by an aqueduct;'according to the Jews
there
was a cave underground
which reached from the king's house in Jerusalem
to Jericho
when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar; See Gill on Jeremiah 39:4; in
which story there may be a mixture of fable; yet it is not improbable that
there was such a subterraneous passage; since Dio CassiusF12Hist. l.
66. speaks of several such
through which the Jews made their escape in the
last siege of the city:
and smiteth the Jebusites
and the lame and the blind; or even the
lame and the blind men the Jebusites had placed to mock David; and therefore it
follows:
that are hated of
David's soul: because he was despised and jeered at by them
and through them:
if these could be understood of their idols and images
the phrase would be
easily accounted for
nothing being more abominable to David than idolatry:
he shall be chief and captain; these words are not in
the original text here
but are supplied from 1 Chronicles 11:6;
that is
he shall be chief commander of the army
as Joab became
who was the
first that went up and smote them:
wherefore they said
the blind and the lame shall not come into
the house; that is
either the Jebusites said this
that their images
called in derision by David the blind and the lame
if these did not keep David
out
they should never be intrusted with the safety of their fort any moreF13Gregory
ut supra. (Notes and Observations
&c. ch. 7.) ; or rather because the
blind and the lame men said this of David
he shall not come into the house
the fort
or citadel
therefore David hated them; which is the sense of the
above learned writerF14Dr. Kennicott
ut supra. (Dissert. 1. p. 35.)
.
2 Samuel 5:9 9 Then David dwelt in the
stronghold
and called it the City of David. And David built all around from
the Millo[b] and
inward.
YLT
9And David dwelleth in the
fortress
and calleth it -- City of David
and David buildeth round about
from
Millo and inward
So David dwelt in the fort
.... The strong hold of
Zion
which he took:
and called it the city of David; from his own name
to
keep up the memory of his taking it
and of his habitation in it:
and David built round about
from Millo and inward; built a wall
about it
and enlarged the place
increased the buildings both within and
without. Millo is supposed to be a ditch round the fort
full of water
from
whence it had its name; or was a large hollow place which divided the fort from
the lower city
and which afterwards Solomon filled up
and made it a level
and therefore is called so here by anticipation; though Jarchi says it was done
by David. According to Dr. LightfootF15Works
vol. 2. Chorograph.
Cent. c. 24. p. 25.
it was a part or Sion
or some hillock
east up against
it on the west side; his first sense is best
Millo being no other than the
fortress or citadel; which
as Josephus saysF16Antiqu. l. 7. c. 3.
sect. 2.
David joined to the lower city
and made them one body
and erecting
walls about it made Joab superintendent of them; and this was the "round
about"
or circuit
which David made
reaching from Millo
or the citadel
to that again
which is meant by "inward"
or "to the
house"F17וביתה "et ad
domum".
as it should be rendered; that is
to the house of Millo
as in 2 Kings 12:20; and
so it is said 1 Chronicles 11:8;
that David built the city "from Millo round about"; that is
to the
same place from whence he beganF18See Dr. Kennicott
ut supra
(Dissert. 1.) p. 49
&c. .
2 Samuel 5:10 10 So David went on and
became great
and the Lord
God of hosts was with him.
YLT
10and David goeth
going on
and becoming great
and Jehovah
God of Hosts
[is] with him.
And David went on
and grew great
.... In honour and
wealth
in fame and reputation
in subduing his enemies
obtaining conquests
over them
and enlarging his dominions:
and the Lord God of hosts
of armies above and
below:
was with him: to whom all
his prosperity and success was owing. The Targum is
"the Word of the Lord
God of hosts was for his help
'or his helper.
2 Samuel 5:11 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre
sent messengers to David
and cedar trees
and carpenters and masons. And they
built David a house.
YLT
11And Hiram king of Tyre
sendeth messengers unto David
and cedar-trees
and artificers of wood
and
artificers of stone
for walls
and they build a house for David
And Hiram king of Tyre
.... This was father of
that Hiram that lived in the times of Solomon
whose name was Abibalus before
he took the name of Hiram
which became a common name of the kings of Tyre; his
former name may be seen in the ancient historians quoted by JosephusF19Contr.
Apion. l. 1. sect. 17
18. ; of the city of Tyre; see Gill on Isaiah 23:1; which
was built one year before the destruction of TroyF20Justin e Trogo
l. 18. c. 3. . This king
on hearing of David's being acknowledged king by all
Israel
and of his taking Jerusalem out of the hands of the Jebusites:
sent messengers to David; to congratulate him upon
all this:
and cedar trees
and carpenters
and masons; these might
not be sent at first
but David intending to build himself an house
might
by
the messengers on their return
request of Hiram to send him timber and workmen
for that purpose; the people of Israel being chiefly employed in cultivating
their fields
and vineyards
and oliveyards
and feeding their flocks and
herds
few of them had any skill in hewing: timber and stone
and building
houses
at least not like the Tyrians and Sidonians; see 1 Kings 5:6; and
accordingly he sent him cedars from Lebanon
a great part of which was in his
dominions
and artificers in wood and stone
to build his house in the most
elegant manner:
and they built David an house; to dwell in
a stately
palace
called an house of cedar
2 Samuel 7:2.
2 Samuel 5:12 12 So David knew that the Lord had
established him as king over Israel
and that He had exalted His kingdom for
the sake of His people Israel.
YLT
12and David knoweth that
Jehovah hath established him for king over Israel
and that He hath lifted up
his kingdom
because of His people Israel.
And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over
Israel
.... By the prosperity and success which attended him in
everything he set his hand to:
and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake; for their
advantage and glory more than for his own.
2 Samuel 5:13 13 And David took more
concubines and wives from Jerusalem
after he had come from Hebron. Also more
sons and daughters were born to David.
YLT
13And David taketh again
concubines and wives out of Jerusalem
after his coming from Hebron
and there
are born again to David sons and daughters.
And David took him more concubines and wives out of
Jerusalem
after he was come from Hebron
.... He had six when he
was at Hebron
2 Samuel 3:2
and
now he took more
which was not to his honour
and contrary to the law of God
Deuteronomy 17:17;
the concubines were a sort of half wives
as the word may signify
or secondary
ones
and under the others:
and there were yet sons and daughters born to David; besides those
in Hebron mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:2.
2 Samuel 5:14 14 Now these are the
names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua
[c] Shobab
Nathan
Solomon
YLT
14And these [are] the names
of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammuah
and Shobab
and Nathan
and
Solomon
And these be the names of those that were born unto him in
Jerusalem
.... The names of his sons
for his daughters are not mentioned
and these seem to be such only that were born of his wives
see 1 Chronicles 3:9
Shammua
and Shobab
and Nathan
and Solomon; these four
were by Bathsheba; the first of these is called Shimea
1 Chronicles 3:5.
2 Samuel 5:15 15 Ibhar
Elishua
[d] Nepheg
Japhia
YLT
15and Ibhar
and Elishua
and
Nepheg
and Japhia
Ibhar also
and Elishua
and Nepheg
and Japhia. Elishua is
called Elishama
1 Chronicles 3:6.
2 Samuel 5:16 16 Elishama
Eliada
and
Eliphelet.
YLT
16and Elishama
and Eliada
and Eliphalet.
And Elishama
and Eliada
and Eliphalet. Seven more by
some other wife or wives; nine are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:6;
there being in that account two Eliphalets
and another called Nogah; which
two
one of the Eliphalets
and Nogah
might die without sons
as Kimchi
thinks
and so are not mentioned here.
2 Samuel 5:17 17 Now when the Philistines
heard that they had anointed David king over Israel
all the Philistines went
up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the
stronghold.
YLT
17And the Philistines hear
that they have anointed David for king over Israel
and all the Philistines
come up to seek David
and David heareth
and goeth down unto the fortress
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king
over Israel
.... That the civil war in the nation was now at an end
which
they hoped would have issued in their destruction
and therefore lay still and
quiet; but now being united under the government of David
and he hereby
greatly strengthened and become powerful; and hearing also of his success
against Jerusalem
and the friendship he had contracted with Hiram king of
Tyre
they thought it was high time to bestir themselves
and put a stop to his
power and greatness; and now it was
as Kimchi thinks
that David penned the
second psalm
which begins
"why do the Heathen rage"
&c. Psalm 2:1
all the Philistines came up to seek David: in order to
fight him
all the five principalities of the Philistines combined together
against him; perhaps his old friend Achish king of Gath was now dead
or had
now entertained a different opinion of him:
and David heard of it; that they had invaded
his kingdom
and sought to fight him:
and went down to the hold; some fortified place or
strong hold near Jerusalem
which lay lower than the city
or than the strong
hold of Zion
in which David dwelt; hither he went
not so much for safety
or
with an intention to abide there
but as a rendezvous for his men
and to
prepare to meet the Philistines.
2 Samuel 5:18 18 The Philistines also went
and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.
YLT
18and the Philistines have
come
and are spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of
Rephaim. Or "of the giants"
as Joshua 15:8; which
lay to the west of Jerusalem; of which; see Gill on Joshua 15:8; the
Philistines spreading themselves in it
shows that they were very numerous.
2 Samuel 5:19 19 So David inquired of the Lord
saying
“Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And
the Lord
said to David
“Go up
for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your
hand.”
YLT
19And David asketh of
Jehovah
saying
`Do I go up unto the Philistines? dost Thou give them into my
hand?' And Jehovah saith unto David
`Go up
for I certainly give the
Philistines into thy hand.'
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 Isaiah 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 1 Samuel 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 5:20 20 So David went to Baal
Perazim
and David defeated them there; and he said
“The Lord has broken
through my enemies before me
like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he
called the name of that place Baal Perazim.[e]
YLT
20And David cometh in to
Baal-Perazim
and David smiteth them there
and saith
`Jehovah hath broken
forth [on] mine enemies before me
as the breaking forth of waters;' therefore
he hath called the name of that place Baal-Perazim.
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 1 Chronicles 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
BethlehemF21Bunting's Travels
&c. p. 138.
between which
places were two hours' travelsF23Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo
&c. p. 87. ed. 7. :
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 1 Chronicles 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 2 Samuel 5:22.
2 Samuel 5:21 21 And they left their images
there
and David and his men carried them away.
YLT
21And they forsake there
their idols
and David and his men lift them up.
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
1 Samuel 4:3; and
it appears to have been the custom of other countries
in later times
to bring
their gods with them to battleF24"Omnigenumque Deum"
&c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 8. :
and David and his men burnt them: that is
his men burnt
them at his command
1 Chronicles 14:12;
agreeably to the law of God
that so no profit might be made of them
Deuteronomy 7:5;
the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions
and others
render it
"and
took them"
or "carried them away"F25וישאם και
ελαβοσαν αυτους
Sept. "tulit"
V. L. Tigurine version
Montanus;
"sustulit"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; as they might do
and
after they had exposed them in triumph
then burnt them.
2 Samuel 5:22 22 Then the Philistines went
up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.
YLT
22And the Philistines add
again to come up
and are spread out in the valley of Rephaim
And the Philistines came up yet again
.... And
as
Josephus saysF26Antiqu. l. 7. c. 4. sect. 1.
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
2 Samuel 5:20.
2 Samuel 5:23 23 Therefore David inquired
of the Lord
and He said
“You shall not go up; circle around behind them
and come upon
them in front of the mulberry trees.
YLT
23and David asketh of
Jehovah
and He saith
`Thou dost not go up
turn round unto their rear
and
thou hast come to them over-against the mulberries
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 5:24 24 And it shall be
when you
hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees
then you shall
advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to
strike the camp of the Philistines.”
YLT
24and it cometh to pass
in
thy hearing the sound of a stepping in the tops of the mulberries
then thou
dost move sharply
for then hath Jehovah gone out before thee to smite in the
camp of the Philistines.'
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 on 1 Chronicles 14:15.
These trees being in Judea account for silk there
Ezekiel 16:10;
though some think time was not known so early; others suppose it was
and to be
the Hebrew byssus mentioned by PausaniasF1Eliac. sive
l. 5. p. 294.
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.
2 Samuel 5:25 25 And David did so
as the Lord commanded him;
and he drove back the Philistines from Geba[f] as far as
Gezer.
YLT
25And David doth so
as
Jehovah commanded him
and smiteth the Philistines from Geba unto thy coming to
Gazer.
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 1 Chronicles 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 saysF2Antiqu. l. 7. c.
4. sect. 1. ; and so far they were pursued
and were smitten as they fled; and
according to BuntingF3Travels
&c. p. 138.
it was a space of
eighteen miles.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)