Poole on 2 Samuel 5:17-21: War with the Philistines!

[1047 BC]  Verse 17:[1]  (1 Chron. 11:16; 14:8) But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, (2 Sam. 23:14) and went down to the hold.

[The Philistines consequently heard, etc.]  God foresaw this, so that David would not make war on them first, lest he appear ungrateful.  The Philistines, while they were hearing that the Jews were distressed with civil dissension among themselves, prudently put off war; so that they might tear each other apart, and lest, if an external enemy approach, they should, as it were, return to favor with one another.  But now they begin to wage war with all their might (Martyr); so that they might choke out this fresh shoot [David], before it be grown to maturity (Sanchez).

[So that they might seek David]  That is, to fight with him (Martyr, thus Menochius, Vatablus); even unto death (Piscator).

When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel:  Whilst the civil war lasted between the houses of Saul and David, they wisely forbore all hostilities, and left them to tear out one another’s bowels, that afterwards they might make a more easy conquest of both; but that being ended, and all united under David, they bestir themselves.  To seek David; to find him out, and fight against him, and cut him off now in the infancy of his kingdom; whereby they give David a just occasion to fight against them for his own necessary defence, and acquit him from any note of ingratitude, in opposing them who had formerly exercised kindness and hospitality to him; though indeed David’s obligations were in a manner wholly to Achish, who seems to be dead at this time, there being no mention of him.

[He went down to the hold, ‎אֶל־הַמְּצוּדָה]  To the fortification (Septuagint, Montanus, similarly Munster), or citadel (Jonathan, Pagnine, Tigurinus), so that from the citadel he might advance against the Philistines, as it is explained in 1 Chronicles 14:8 (Malvenda).  He went down to the foot of his own bulwark, and there he set up quarters (Malvenda out of Junius), not so that he might withdraw his attention from his subjects, but lest he rashly and with God not consulted expose himself to danger (Osiander, similarly Junius).  He went down, because the city of Jerusalem was higher than the citadel (Mariana).  He occupied the fortified places, approaches, etc., so that the Philistines might not be able to invade (certain interpreters in Malvenda).  [The Syriac and Arabic take מְצוּדָה/Metsudah as the name of a place.]  He went down, that is, with his army (certain interpreters).

To the hold; to some fortified place to which his people might conveniently resort from all places, and where he might intrench his army, and which lay towards the Philistines.

Verse 18:[2]  The Philistines also came and spread themselves in (Josh. 15:8;[3] Is. 17:5) the valley of Rephaim.

[They were spread out, ‎וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ [4]]  And they spread themselves (Pagnine, Montanus, Tigurinus, Vatablus, similarly Munster).  The term נָטַשׁ, just as also פָּשַׁט signifies to be spread out for prey, verse 2[5] (Mariana).  And they assembled (Septuagint); they were spread out (Jonathan); they were widely scattered (Junius and Tremellius); they fixed their camps (Syriac, Arabic, thus Vatablus).

[In the valley of Rephaim (thus Montanus [and all our men])]  Of the Giants (Syriac, Arabic).  Of the Mighty (Jonathan).  Of the Titans (Septuagint).  Giants lived there of old (Menochius).  It is the name of a place near Jerusalem (Mariana, thus Lapide).  It was a valley on the border of the tribe of Benjamin towards the West, and the region of the Philistines (Menochius).

The valley of Rephaim:  Or, of the giants; which lay westward from Jerusalem, and so was the ready way to Jerusalem, which it seems they designed to take.

Verse 19:[6]  And David (2 Sam. 2:1; 1 Sam. 23:2, 4; 30:8) 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.

[And David consulted the Lord]  Through Abiathar the priest (Menochius, Piscator).  Compare 1 Samuel 23:9; 30:7 (Piscator).

[I, delivering, will give]  These doubled words promise a notable victory (Menochius), and altogether certain (Vatablus).

Verse 20:[7]  And David came to (Is. 28:21) Baal-perazim, 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 Baal-perazim (that is, the plain of breaches[8]).

Baal-perazim; whither the Philistines were come from the valley of Rephaim, 1 Chronicles 14:11.

[As waters are divided, ‎כְּפֶ֣רֶץ מָ֑יִם]  According to, or like, a rupture (division [Pagnine], as a bursting in [Junius and Tremellius]) of waters (Montanus, Malvenda, Vatablus, thus the Syriac), that is, just as the waters in the season of flooding break through their banks and all (Vatablus, similarly Strigelius, Mariana, Munster).  In the manner of an inundation of waters (Munster); just as waters burst (Septuagint, Arabic), or are dispersed (Castalio), are dissipated (Tigurinus); just as water, that is, which, having been poured out, are dissipated, are dried up, and eventually disappear (Osiander).  It is a proverbial expression, signifying that a thing perishes readily and completely (Sanchez).  It signifies that their spirits were rendered soft and effeminate.  For with the great ease waters are able to be divided in innumerable ways, either by a staff, or by a foot, or even a finger.  They flee in this manner, dispersed in many directions (Martyr).

As the breach of waters; as floods or rivers of waters, which break the banks, and overflow a land, and overturn all that stands in their way.

[The name of the place was called]  Hebrew:  he called,[9] that is, someone, or, whoever imposed the name on the place; or it is posited impersonally, for it was called (Malvenda).  Holy men want the eternal memory of the blessings of God to be memorialized (Martyr).

[Baal-perazim, ‎בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃ [10]]  That is, the Lord or God breaches.  Perhaps he mocks the god of the Philistines, who in the conflict deserted them and himself, so that such a breach of men and gods might be produced (Malvenda).  Having a rupture or fracture (Lapide).  In the plain of breaches (Vatablus, Junius, Piscator, Hebrews in Munster).

Verse 21:[11]  And there they left their images, and David and his men (Deut. 7:5, 25; 1 Chron. 14:12) burned them (or, took them away[12]).

[They left there their graven images]  Hebrew:  their sorrows.[13]  See 1 Samuel 31:9.[14]  Hence it is gathered that those Nations were wont to take their idols with them to war (Piscator).  The Gentiles were wont to have their tutelary gods with them, both as companions on the way, and leaders in the fight.  See Virgil’s Æneid 6, Troy’s wandering gods, and agitated deities; and in book 8, where unto the battles of Actium he brings together Egyptian and Roman gods, and every sort of god, monsters, and barking Anubis, etc.  In this manner previously the Hebrews had brought the Ark into the camp (Sanchez).

Their images they seem to have brought into the field to fight for them, as the Israelites had formerly done the ark.

[Which David carried off (thus Munster, Tigurinus, Montanus, Syriac, Arabic), ‎וַיִּשָּׂאֵם]  Which he removed (Junius and Tremellius), took away (Castalio, Grotius), by burning, as it is found in 1 Chronicles 14:12, according to the law in Deuteronomy 7:5 (Grotius, thus Menochius, Lapide, Piscator).  They seized (Septuagint), not so that they might keep them for themselves, but so that they might burn them (Mariana).  Which he burned (Pagnine, Jonathan).  Thus a learned man among the Hebrews explains that word in this place (Vatablus).

David burned them, as God had commanded, Deuteronomy 7:5.

[1] Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים כִּי־מָשְׁח֙וּ אֶת־דָּוִ֤ד לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּעֲל֥וּ כָל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִ֔ד וַיֵּ֖רֶד אֶל־הַמְּצוּדָֽה׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים בָּ֑אוּ וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃

[3] Joshua 15:8:  “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem:  and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants (‎עֵמֶק־רְפָאִים) northward…”

[4] נָטַשׁ, in the Niphal, signifies to be left, or to be loosed.

[5] The reasons for the reference are not clear.

[6] Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁאַ֙ל דָּוִ֤ד בַּֽיהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַאֶֽעֱלֶה֙ אֶל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים הֲתִתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיָדִ֑י וַיֹּ֙אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־דָּוִד֙ עֲלֵ֔ה כִּֽי־נָתֹ֥ן אֶתֵּ֛ן אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃

[7] Hebrew: וַיָּבֹ֙א דָוִ֥ד בְּבַֽעַל־פְּרָצִים֘ וַיַּכֵּ֣ם שָׁ֣ם דָּוִד֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר פָּרַ֙ץ יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־אֹיְבַ֛י לְפָנַ֖י כְּפֶ֣רֶץ מָ֑יִם עַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃

[8] Hebrew:  ‎בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃.

[9] Hebrew:  ‎קָרָא.

[10] בַּעַל/Baal can signify a lord or possessor, and also a place having a thing.

[11] Hebrew:  ‎וַיַּעַזְבוּ־שָׁ֖ם אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׂאֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖ד וַאֲנָשָֽׁיו׃ פ

[12] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשָּׂאֵם.

[13] Hebrew:  ‎עֲצַבֵּיהֶם. עָצַב  can signify to hurt, or to fashion.

[14] 1 Samuel 31:9:  “And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols (‎ בֵּ֥ית עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם), and among the people.”