So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. So David didThis phrase highlights David's obedience to God's command. The Hebrew root for "did" is עָשָׂה (asah), which means to accomplish or to act with purpose. David's actions are a direct response to divine instruction, showcasing his role as a faithful servant of God. His obedience is a model for believers, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's actions with God's will. as the LORD had commanded him
The phrase underscores the divine authority and guidance in David's military actions. The Hebrew word for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies a directive given with authority. This reflects the theocratic nature of Israel's leadership, where God is the ultimate ruler. David's success is attributed not to his own strength but to his adherence to God's command, reminding believers of the power and wisdom of divine guidance. and he struck down the Philistines
The Philistines were a persistent enemy of Israel, often representing opposition to God's people. The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakah) for "struck down" conveys a decisive victory. This victory is not just a military triumph but a spiritual one, symbolizing the defeat of forces that stand against God's purposes. It serves as an encouragement to believers that with God's help, they can overcome their adversaries. all the way from Gibeon to Gezer
This geographical detail provides historical context to the extent of David's victory. Gibeon and Gezer were significant locations in ancient Israel. Gibeon, known for its strategic importance, and Gezer, a key city on the route to Egypt, mark the boundaries of the campaign. This indicates a comprehensive victory, securing Israel's borders and ensuring peace. Archaeological findings in these areas corroborate the biblical narrative, providing tangible evidence of the historical events described. This serves as a reminder of the Bible's historical reliability and God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe anointed king of Israel, known for his heart after God and his military prowess. In this passage, he acts in obedience to God's command. 2. The LORDThe covenant God of Israel, who guides and commands David in his military endeavors. 3. PhilistinesA perennial enemy of Israel, representing opposition to God's people and purposes. 4. GibeonA city in the territory of Benjamin, significant as a site of battles and covenants in Israel's history. 5. GezerA strategic city on the border of Philistine territory, marking the extent of David's victory. Teaching Points Obedience to God's CommandDavid's success is directly linked to his obedience to God's specific instructions. This teaches us the importance of seeking and following God's guidance in our own lives. Divine StrategyGod's ways and strategies may differ from human wisdom. We should be open to His leading, even when it challenges our understanding. Victory Over OppositionJust as David overcame the Philistines, believers are called to overcome spiritual opposition through faith and reliance on God. Faithfulness in LeadershipDavid's leadership is marked by faithfulness to God's commands, setting an example for leaders in all areas of life to prioritize God's will. God's Sovereignty in BattlesThe passage underscores God's sovereignty in the affairs of nations and individuals, reminding us to trust His control over our circumstances. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's obedience to God's command in 2 Samuel 5:25 serve as a model for our own decision-making processes? 2. In what ways can we seek God's guidance in our daily battles, both spiritual and practical, as David did? 3. How does the victory over the Philistines in this passage connect to the broader theme of God's deliverance throughout the Bible? 4. What can we learn from David's leadership style in this passage that can be applied to our roles in family, work, or community? 5. How does understanding God's sovereignty in David's victories encourage us to trust Him in our personal challenges today? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 17David's earlier victory over Goliath, a Philistine, foreshadows his continued triumphs over the Philistines as king. 2 Samuel 5:19-24The preceding verses where David inquires of the LORD and receives specific instructions for battle, highlighting his dependence on divine guidance. Joshua 10:10-11The LORD's intervention in battles during Joshua's time, showing a pattern of divine assistance in Israel's military victories. 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 Attacking, Comest, Commanded, David, Gazer, Geba, Gezer, Gibeon, Overcame, Philistines, Smiteth, Smote, StruckDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 5:25 8404 commands, in OT 2 Samuel 5:17-25 5087 David, reign of
5290 defeat 2 Samuel 5:22-25 4528 trees
5608 warfare, strategies 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 5:25 NIV2 Samuel 5:25 NLT2 Samuel 5:25 ESV2 Samuel 5:25 NASB2 Samuel 5:25 KJV
2 Samuel 5:25 Commentaries
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