2 Samuel 5:20

20 Therefore David came into Baalperazim, and smote them there (and he struck them there), and said, The Lord hath parted mine enemies before me, as waters be parted. Therefore the name of that place was called Baalperazim, that is, The Field, either Plain, of Parting.

2 Samuel 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 5:20

And David came to Baalperazim
As it was after called, for here it has its name by anticipation, and whither the Philistines were come from the valley of Rephaim; see ( 1 Chronicles 14:11 ) ; which was at no great distance, the one being the hill, to which the other was the valley, computed to be about three miles from Jerusalem, in the way to Bethlehem ^F21, between which places were two hours' travels ^F23:

and David smote them there;
there a battle was fought, in which David had the victory assured him:

and said, the Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as
the breach of waters;
as when waters, through their mighty force, break down the banks of rivers, and carry all before them; or as one breaks an earthen vessel full of water, so the Targum on ( 1 Chronicles 14:11 ) .

therefore he called the name of the place Baalperazim;
which signifies "the master of breaches", where the Philistines were broke in upon, and broken to pieces, of which God was the author, and which gave David the mastery over his enemies; the Targum renders it "the plain of breaches", and seems to take it to be the same with the valley of Rephaim; see ( 2 Samuel 5:22 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Bunting's Travels p. 138.
F23 Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo p. 87. ed. 7.

2 Samuel 5:20 In-Context

18 And the Philistines came, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim. (And the Philistines came, and they were spread all over the Rephaim Valley.)

19 And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up to Philistines, and whether thou shalt give them in mine hand? And the Lord said to David, Go thou up, for I shall betake the Philistines, and I shall give them in thine hand. (And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I go up to the Philistines? and shalt thou give them into my hands? And the Lord said to David, Go thou up, for I shall deliver the Philistines into thy hands.)

20 Therefore David came into Baalperazim, and smote them there (and he struck them there), and said, The Lord hath parted mine enemies before me, as waters be parted. Therefore the name of that place was called Baalperazim, that is, The Field, either Plain, of Parting.

21 And they left there their sculptures, (or their images,) which David burnt, and his men. (And they left their idols there, which David and his men burned to ashes.)

22 And [the] Philistines added yet, that they should ascend, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim. (And the Philistines attacked again, and they were spread all over the Rephaim Valley.)