18 and the Philistines have come, and are spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
and the border hath gone up the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite on the south (it `is' Jerusalem), and the border hath gone up unto the top of the hill-country which `is' on the front of the valley of Hinnom westward, which `is' in the extremity of the valley of the Rephaim northward;
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings who `are' with him, and they smite the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
and the border hath come down unto the extremity of the hill which `is' on the front of the valley of the son of Hinnom, which `is' in the valley of the Rephaim northward, and hath gone down the valley of Hinnom unto the side of Jebusi southward, and gone down `to' En-Rogel,
And three of the thirty heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 5
Commentary on 2 Samuel 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
How far Abner's deserting the house of Saul, his murder, and the murder of Ish-bosheth, might contribute to the perfecting of the revolution, and the establishing of David as king over all Israel, does not appear; but, it should seem, that happy change followed presently thereupon, which in this chapter we have an account of. Here is,
2Sa 5:1-5
Here is,
2Sa 5:6-10
If Salem, the place of which Melchizedec was king, was Jerusalem (as seems probable from Ps. 76:2), it was famous in Abraham's time. Joshua, in his time, found it the chief city of the south part of Canaan, Jos. 10:1-3. It fell to Benjamin's lot (Jos. 18:28), but joined close to Judah's, Jos. 15:8. The children of Judah had taken it (Jdg. 1:8), but the children of Benjamin suffered the Jebusites to dwell among them (Jdg. 1:21), and they grew so upon them that it became a city of Jebusites, Jdg. 19:11. Now the very first exploit David did, after he was anointed king over all Israel, was to gain Jerusalem out of the hand of the Jebusites, which, because it belonged to Benjamin, he could not well attempt till that tribe, which long adhered to Saul's house (1 Chr. 12:29), submitted to him. Here we have,
2Sa 5:11-16
Here is,
2Sa 5:17-25
The particular service for which David was raised up was to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, ch. 3:18. This therefore divine Providence, in the first place, gives him an opportunity of accomplishing. Two great victories obtained over the Philistines we have here an account of, by which David not only balanced the disgrace and retrieved the loss Israel had sustained in the battle wherein Saul was slain, but went far towards the total subduing of those vexatious neighbours, the last remains of the devoted nations.