2 Samuel 5:18
New International Version
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;

New Living Translation
The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

English Standard Version
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

King James Bible
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

New King James Version
The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

New American Standard Bible
Now the Philistines came and overran the Valley of Rephaim.

NASB 1995
Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.

NASB 1977
Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.

Amplified Bible
Now the Philistines had come and spread out [for battle] in the Valley of Rephaim.

Christian Standard Bible
So the Philistines came and spread out in Rephaim Valley.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

American Standard Version
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

Contemporary English Version
So the Philistines camped in Rephaim Valley.

English Revised Version
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Philistines had come and overrun the valley of Rephaim.

Good News Translation
The Philistines arrived at Rephaim Valley and occupied it.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley,

Majority Standard Bible
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

NET Bible
Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

New Heart English Bible
Now the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

Webster's Bible Translation
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

World English Bible
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the Philistines have come, and are spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

Young's Literal Translation
and the Philistines have come, and are spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the rovers came and they will be dispersed in the valley of Rephaim.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Philistines coming spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the Philistines, arriving, spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.

New American Bible
Meanwhile the Philistines had come and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

New Revised Standard Version
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The Philistines also came and encamped in the Valley of Giants.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistines came and they camped in the Valley of the Giants
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Philistines came, and assembled in the valley of the giants.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Two Victories over the Philistines
17When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went down to the stronghold. 18Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 14:9
Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim.

1 Samuel 17:1
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

Judges 3:3
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

2 Samuel 23:13
At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

1 Chronicles 11:15
Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

1 Samuel 23:13-14
Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth. / And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

1 Samuel 30:1
On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.

2 Samuel 8:1
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

2 Samuel 21:15
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines. But David became exhausted.

2 Samuel 22:1
And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

1 Samuel 13:5
Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

1 Samuel 28:4
The Philistines gathered together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.

1 Samuel 7:7
When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines

1 Samuel 14:22
When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined the battle in close pursuit.

1 Samuel 31:1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.


Treasury of Scripture

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

the valley

2 Samuel 23:13
And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

Genesis 14:5
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

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 northward:

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Direction Philistines Rephaim Reph'aim Spread Themselves Valley
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Direction Philistines Rephaim Reph'aim Spread Themselves Valley
2 Samuel 5
1. The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel,
4. David's age
6. Taking Zion from the Jebusites, he dwells in it
11. Hiram sends to David,
13. Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem
17. David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim
22. And again at the mulberry trees














Now the Philistines
The Philistines were a significant and recurring adversary of Israel throughout the Old Testament. Their presence in the narrative of 2 Samuel highlights the ongoing struggle between the Israelites and their enemies. The Philistines were a seafaring people, likely originating from the Aegean region, and they settled along the coastal plains of Canaan. Their advanced military technology, including the use of iron weapons, made them formidable foes. In a spiritual sense, the Philistines can be seen as representing the persistent challenges and temptations that believers face in their walk with God. The mention of the Philistines here sets the stage for a divine intervention that underscores God's sovereignty and faithfulness to His people.

had come and spread out
This phrase indicates a strategic military maneuver by the Philistines. The Hebrew root for "spread out" (פָּרַשׂ, paras) suggests a deliberate and extensive deployment of forces, emphasizing the threat they posed to Israel. The Philistines' action of spreading out can be seen as an attempt to intimidate and dominate, reflecting the spiritual battles believers face when confronted by overwhelming circumstances. It serves as a reminder that the enemy often seeks to encroach upon the territory of God's people, but it is in these moments that reliance on God's guidance and strength becomes crucial.

in the Valley of Rephaim
The Valley of Rephaim was located southwest of Jerusalem and was known for its fertile land. The name "Rephaim" is often associated with ancient giants, adding a layer of historical and mythological significance to the location. This valley was a strategic area for military campaigns, as controlling it would provide a tactical advantage. In a spiritual context, the Valley of Rephaim can symbolize the battlegrounds of life where believers must confront their giants—those seemingly insurmountable challenges that test faith and resolve. The choice of this location by the Philistines underscores the importance of spiritual vigilance and the need for divine intervention in overcoming the adversities that arise in the journey of faith.

(18) Rephaim.--Translated in Joshua 15:8, the valley of the giants. It was a fruitful valley, stretching some three miles S. and S.W. from Jerusalem, and only separated from the valley of Hinnom by a narrow ridge. It gave ample room for a large encampment, and its situation is an additional proof that the capture of Jerusalem had already been made, since the Philistines came here "to seek David." They had, however, encamped in the same place at earlier times also (see 2Samuel 23:13).

Verse 18. - The valley of Rephaim. This fruitful valley (Isaiah 17:5) is about three miles in length, and two in breadth. Occupying it in vast numbers, the Philistines sent out bodies of men to plunder the whole country, while a sufficient force watched Jerusalem, intending to take it by famine. The Rephaim were an aboriginal race, first mentioned in Genesis 14:5, and evidently in early times very widely spread in Palestine. The idea that they were giants has no more to be said in its favour than that they were ghosts - the meaning of the word in Isaiah 26:14, 19. No sensible philologist will endeavour to explain the names of these primitive races and of their towns by Hebrew roots, though there has been too much of this craze in past times. The Rephaim seem. however, to have been physically a well-developed people, and several races of Canaan of great stature are described in Deuteronomy 2:11 as having belonged to them, as did Og, who was a man of extraordinary dimensions (Deuteronomy 3:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now the Philistines
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (ū·p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

had come
בָּ֑אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and spread out
וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ (way·yin·nā·ṭə·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5203: To pound, smite, to disperse, to thrust off, down, out, upon

in the Valley
בְּעֵ֥מֶק (bə·‘ê·meq)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6010: A vale

of Rephaim.
רְפָאִֽים׃ (rə·p̄ā·’îm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 7497: Rephaim -- inhabitants of an area East of the Jordan


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OT History: 2 Samuel 5:18 Now the Philistines had come and spread (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 5:17
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