2 Samuel 5:22

2Sa 5:22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

Ver. 22. And the Philistines came up yet again.] They will have the other bout, though to their bane. No warning will serve obdurate hearts Cimon the Athenian triumphed over the Persians twice in one day. David shall do little less over these foolhardy Philistines.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 5:22-23. And spread themselves — The expression intimates, that they were very numerous, and made a very formidable appearance. So we read, Rev 20:9, of the enemies of the church going up on the breadth of the earth. But the wider they spread themselves, the fairer mark they are for God’s arrows. And when David inquired of the Lord — Though he had been successful before, yet he would attempt nothing further without God’s direction; to whom he knew he owed his former victory. He said, Thou shalt not go up — That is, not directly, to fight in a pitched battle as before. So the following words explain it. But fetch a compass behind them — Where they least expect thee. God’s purposes and promises do not exclude or render unnecessary men’s endeavours.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Meaning, the valley of giants, which David called Baal Perazim, because of his victory.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the Philistines came up yet again--The next year they renewed their hostile attempt with a larger force, but God manifestly interposed in David's favor.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(22) Came up yet again.—As David had not followed up his victory (probably because he was not yet in condition to do so) the Philistines repeated their attack in the same place.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,.... Of a going of the wind on the tops of these trees, making a rustling upon them, and that in such a manner as to resemble the going of men, or march of armies, as if they were moving in the air over the tops of the mulberry trees; which Jarchi and R. Isaiah interpret of angels being sent of God, and moving at that time to help David, and destroy the Philistines; so the Targum on Ch1 14:15. These trees being in Judea account for silk there, Eze 16:10; though some think time was not known so early; others suppose it was, and to be the Hebrew byssus mentioned by Pausanias (a), as being of a yellow colour:

that then thou shall bestir thyself; or move towards the camp of the Philistines, and fall upon them in the rear, who, by reason of the sound in the trees, would not hear the motion of the Israelites; or, if they heard it, would take it to be no other than the motion of the trees they heard, both sounds being confounded together; or they would take the sound they heard for the motion of the enemy in the front, and give way, and so fall into the hands of the Israelites in their rear, which must throw them into the utmost confusion and consternation:

for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines: by an angel or angels; so the Targum,"for then shall go forth the angel of the Lord, to make thee prosperous to slay in the camp of the Philistines;''

that being the precise time for the salvation of Israel, and the destruction of the Philistines, and the token of it.

(a) Eliac. sive, l. 5. p. 294.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Philistines came up again, doubtless with greater force, as those that saw their all lay at stake.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. Came up yet again — Probably soon after the defeat just recorded. They were chagrined at the loss of their gods, and probably David had not followed up his victory.

Thou shalt not go up — So as to meet and attack them face to face as before.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Philistines came up yet again. Their first defeat had probably not been accompanied by much slaughter; for David"s men were few in number, though brave as lions. Retreating then to some distance, the Philistines called in their garrisons, and waited also for reinforcements from home, and then advanced again to the same spot. And as David was prepared to attack them in front, he also must now have gathered round him the chivalry of Israel.

Vers. 22, 23 (THE VALLEY OF REPHAIM.) (1Ch_14:13, 1Ch_14:14)

Renewed conflict.

1. The life of a godly man on earth is a warfare which is perpetually renewed. Hardly has one conflict been passed through before another awaits him with old or new and more formidable foes: the world, the flesh, the devil; ignorance, idolatries, oppressions, sin and misery of all kinds. (1Sa_17:1-11) Yea, each day the "good warfare" begins afresh. "The approach of duty is as a battlefield" (Essenian maxim). "On awaking in the morning, the first thing to be observed by thine inward sight is the listed field in which thou art enclosed; the law of the combat being that he who fights not must there lie dead forever" (Scupeli).

2. Signal success in one conflict does not ensure the like in the next; and it ought, therefore, to be always associated with humility, watchfulness, and prayer; from lack of which many a victory has been turned into a defeat, it was a motto of King Alfred ("Si modo victor eras," etc.)

If today thou be conqueror, beware of the fight of tomorrow; If today thou be conquered, prepare for the fight of tomorrow.

1. One victory affords ground for the confident expectation of another, when the latter is looked for in the same spirit as the former, with dependence on the strength of God, submission to his will, devotion to his glory and the good of his people. "David inquired of the Lord again.

2. The special means to be employed in every new conflict must be adapted to the special circumstances of the case; and both the wisdom to perceive them and the might to make them effectual are from the Lord. "Thou shalt not go up" (directly, in front of them, as in the former conflict, and as he was about to do again); "go round about them to their rear, and come upon them opposite the mulberry trees" (a spot, probably well known to David and his men, where a cluster or grove of baca trees would favour their attack), etc. "The words teach us that in our own strength, and merely with the human weapons of reason and science, we are not to make war against the adversary. Success can only be calculated upon when the conflict is undertaken under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God breathed forth, and in the immediate blessed experience of the gracious presence of the Lord and of the truth of his Word" (Krummacher). D.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And spread themselves - The expression intimates, that they were very numerous, and made a very formidable appearance. So we read, Rev. xx, 9, of the church's enemies going up on the breadth of the earth. But the wider they spread themselves, the fairer mark they are for God's arrows.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the Philistines came up again

They "came up" because the Philistines lived at a lower elevation than David's stronghold.

Valley of Rephaim

This is the name of a place. (See: How to Translate Names)

balsam woods

"Balsam" here is a type of tree, and the "woods" describe many balsam trees growing together. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Philistines

David

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The valley of Rephaim. It is next to Yerusholoyim [as can be seen] in the book of Yehoshua (15, 8).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.