2Sa 5:17-25 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Sam 5:17-25: 5:17-25 For the first time as king, David engaged the Philistines in battle. • David’s life has been portrayed thus far in 2 Samuel with a repeated pattern: He was crowned king in Hebron (2:4 ), won a battle (2:12-17 ), became stronger (3:1 ), and started a large family (3:2-5 ). Now he was crowned in Jerusalem (5:3 ), became stronger (5:10 ), expanded his family (5:13-14 ), and won a battle (5:17-25 ). This parallel structure draws attention to both of David’s coronations with signs of divine blessing and prosperity.

Summary for 2Sam 5:17-25: 5:17-25 ^a For the first time as king, David engaged the Philistines in battle.

• David’s life has been portrayed thus far in 2 Samuel with a repeated pattern: He was crowned king in Hebron (2:4 ^b), won a battle (2:12-17 ^c), became stronger (3:1 ^d), and started a large family (3:2-5 ^e). Now he was crowned in Jerusalem (5:3 ^f), became stronger (5:10 ^g), expanded his family (5:13-14 ^h), and won a battle (5:17-25 ⁱ). This parallel structure draws attention to both of David’s coronations with signs of divine blessing and prosperity.
5:18 ^j The valley of Rephaim is located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (cp. 23:13-14 ^k).
5:20 ^l Baal-perazim: David used the term Baal to honor the Lord for the victory he gave Israel. The title means “the lord of earthquakes/openings,” and was evidently an acceptable title for Yahweh until the Canaanite worship of Baal became an overwhelming problem in Israel. Every time David engaged in combat with the Philistines in 2 Samuel (5:17-25 ^m; 8:1 ⁿ; 21:15-22 ^o; 23:13-17 ^p), he won without losing a single soldier. How different from Saul, for whom victory over the Philistines was impossible!
5:21 ^q David ... confiscated them: David’s confiscation of the Philistines’ idols was payback for their capture of the Ark during Eli’s time (1 Sam 4:1b-11 ^r). David burned the idols rather than carrying them off as trophies (1 Chr 14:12 ^s).
5:23 ^t David again asked the Lord (5:19 ^u), but this time God gave a much more detailed answer. Unlike the frontal assault of 5:20 ^v, God instructed David to circle around behind the enemy.
5:25 ^w Gibeon: David cleared the Philistines from the central hill country of Israel between Gibeon in the east (in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem) to Gezer in the west.