So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, "Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me." So he called that place Baal-perazim. So David went to Baal-perazimThe name "Baal-perazim" translates to "Lord of the Breakthroughs" in Hebrew. This location is significant as it marks a pivotal victory for David over the Philistines. The act of David going to Baal-perazim signifies his obedience and reliance on God's guidance. Historically, this site is believed to be near the Valley of Rephaim, a strategic location for military encounters. David's journey to this place underscores his role as a divinely appointed leader who seeks God's direction in battle. and there he defeated them
The phrase highlights David's military success, which is attributed to divine intervention rather than mere human strategy. The Hebrew root for "defeated" conveys a sense of striking down or overcoming, emphasizing the completeness of the victory. This victory is not just a physical triumph but also a spiritual one, as it demonstrates God's power working through David. It serves as a reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where God promises to fight for His people. and said, 'As waters break out
This metaphor of waters breaking out is vivid and powerful, illustrating the unstoppable force of God's intervention. In the Hebrew context, water often symbolizes chaos and overwhelming power. Here, it signifies the sudden and decisive nature of God's action against the enemies. The imagery of water breaking through barriers reflects the idea that no obstacle can withstand God's will. It inspires believers to trust in God's ability to overcome any challenge they face. the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.'
The use of "LORD" (YHWH) emphasizes the covenant name of God, highlighting His faithfulness and sovereignty. The phrase "broken out" suggests a divine eruption or breakthrough, indicating that the victory was not by David's might but by God's intervention. This acknowledgment of God's hand in the victory serves as a testament to David's humility and recognition of God's supremacy. It encourages believers to attribute their successes to God's providence and to remain humble in their achievements. So he called that place Baal-perazim
Naming the place "Baal-perazim" serves as a memorial to God's deliverance and power. In ancient times, naming a location after a significant event was a way to commemorate God's acts and ensure that future generations would remember His deeds. This act of naming also reflects the importance of testimony in the life of faith, as it bears witness to God's faithfulness and encourages others to trust in Him. It reminds believers of the importance of remembering and recounting God's interventions in their lives. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe anointed king of Israel, known for his faithfulness to God and his military prowess. In this passage, he leads Israel to victory over the Philistines. 2. Baal-perazimThe location where David defeated the Philistines. The name means "Lord of Breakthroughs," signifying God's intervention in the battle. 3. PhilistinesA recurring enemy of Israel, known for their advanced military technology and frequent conflicts with the Israelites. 4. The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who is credited by David for the victory over the Philistines, emphasizing His role as the divine warrior. 5. BattleThe event where David, under God's guidance, defeats the Philistines, demonstrating God's power and faithfulness to His people. Teaching Points God as the Source of VictoryRecognize that true victory comes from God, who fights on behalf of His people. Trust in His power and timing. Divine BreakthroughsJust as God broke through David's enemies, He can break through the challenges and obstacles in our lives. Seek His guidance and intervention. Naming and Remembering God's ActsLike David naming the place Baal-perazim, we should remember and commemorate God's faithfulness and breakthroughs in our lives. Faith and ObedienceDavid's success was rooted in his obedience to God's instructions. We should strive to follow God's will in our decisions and actions. Spiritual WarfareUnderstand that our battles are not just physical but spiritual. Equip yourself with prayer and the Word of God to face challenges. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's acknowledgment of God's role in his victory at Baal-perazim challenge us to view our own successes and achievements? 2. In what ways can we identify and commemorate the "breakthroughs" God has provided in our lives, similar to David naming Baal-perazim? 3. How can the account of David's victory at Baal-perazim encourage us in times of spiritual or personal battles? 4. What lessons can we learn from David's obedience to God in this passage, and how can we apply them to our daily walk with Christ? 5. How does the concept of God as a "breaker" or one who breaks through obstacles connect with other biblical accounts of deliverance and victory? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Chronicles 14:11This parallel account of the same event reinforces the significance of God's intervention in David's victory. Isaiah 28:21Refers to God's acts at Baal-perazim, highlighting His power to deliver and break through obstacles. Psalm 18:29David's psalm of praise, where he acknowledges God's strength in overcoming his enemies, similar to the breakthrough at Baal-perazim. People David, Eliada, Eliphalet, Eliphelet, Elishama, Elishua, Gibeon, Hiram, Ibhar, Japhia, Jebusites, Nathan, Nepheg, Saul, Shammua, Shammuah, Shobab, SolomonPlaces Baal-perazim, Geba, Gezer, Hebron, Jerusalem, Millo, Tyre, Valley of Rephaim, ZionTopics Baal, Baalperazim, Baal-perazim, Ba'al-pera'zim, Breach, Break, Breaking, Breakthrough, Broken, Bursting, David, Defeated, Enemies, Fighting, Flood, Forces, Forth, Named, Overcame, Perazim, Rushing, Smiteth, Smote, Struck, Wall, WatersDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 5:20 4260 rivers and streams 2 Samuel 5:17-20 8131 guidance, results 2 Samuel 5:17-25 5087 David, reign of
5290 defeat Library One Fold and one Shepherd
'Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4. David was …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Sound in the Mulberry Trees
My brethren, let us learn from David to take no steps without God. The last time you moved, or went into another business, or changed your situation in life, you asked God's help, and then did it, and you were blessed in the doing of it. You have been up to this time a successful man, you have always sought God, but do not think that the stream of providence necessarily runs in a continuous current; remember, you may to-morrow without seeking God's advice venture upon a step which you will regret …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857 Early Days
The life of David is naturally divided into epochs, of which we may avail ourselves for the more ready arrangement of our material. These are--his early years up to his escape from the court of Saul, his exile, the prosperous beginning of his reign, his sin and penitence, his flight before Absalom's rebellion, and the darkened end. We have but faint incidental traces of his life up to his anointing by Samuel, with which the narrative in the historical books opens. But perhaps the fact that the story …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David God's Strange Work
'That He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.'--ISAIAH xxviii. 21. How the great events of one generation fall dead to another! There is something very pathetic in the oblivion that swallows up world- resounding deeds. Here the prophet selects two instances which to him are solemn and singular examples of divine judgment, and we have difficulty in finding out to what he refers. To him they seemed the most luminous illustrations he could find of the principle …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The King.
We have now to turn and see the sudden change of fortune which lifted the exile to a throne. The heavy cloud which had brooded so long over the doomed king broke in lightning crash on the disastrous field of Gilboa. Where is there a sadder and more solemn story of the fate of a soul which makes shipwreck "of faith and of a good conscience," than that awful page which tells how, godless, wretched, mad with despair and measureless pride, he flung himself on his bloody sword, and died a suicide's death, …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Samuel 5:20 NIV2 Samuel 5:20 NLT2 Samuel 5:20 ESV2 Samuel 5:20 NASB2 Samuel 5:20 KJV
2 Samuel 5:20 Commentaries
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