1. David's victories over the Philistines 5:17-25

God's greatest blessing on David and Israel, the ultimate in fertility, came when God covenanted with David to make his line of descendants everlasting (ch. 7). However before that took place, God blessed His anointed with victories over his enemies and peaceful conditions.

"So long as David was king only of Judah, the Philistines were content to tolerate his rule, but when he was proclaimed king of all Israel he became too powerful to be trusted, hence these two concerted efforts to divide his territory, and so weaken his effectiveness."⁶⁹

"Although by no means the only battles King David fought against the Philistines (cf. 8:1), these serve as a paradigm to summarize the continuing conflict."⁷⁰

 The first battle 5:17-21

The battle described in these verses appears to be the one retold in 23:13-17. It could have taken place between David's anointing as king over all Israel (v. 17; cf. v. 3) and his capture of Jerusalem (vv. 6-9)⁷¹or perhaps shortly after he had conquered Jerusalem.⁷²The stronghold (v. 17) in the first case may have been the cave of Adullam (23:13) northwest of Hebron (v. 3) about 11 miles.⁷³If this battle took place after the capture of Jerusalem, the stronghold probably refers to Zion (v. 7). The valley of Rephaim (v. 18; 23:13) was just southwest of Jerusalem where the Philistines massed for battle. Bethlehem, the site of the Philistine garrison (23:14), stood beside this valley. The Philistines probably wanted to defeat David at once before he could take the offensive and begin to establish himself and expand his kingdom.

God granted David's request for his sovereign's strategy, and victory followed for Israel. Baal-perazim (lit. lord of breakthroughs) memorialized the Lord's victory (v. 20). Notice how David acknowledged Yahweh's ultimate authority over Israel in contrast to how Saul did not. The Philistines' idols that they carried into battle to secure victory (blessing) proved useless, so the Philistines abandoned them (v. 21). The Israelites then burned them (1 Chron. 14:12).

 The second battle 5:22-25

This time in response to David's prayer the Lord prescribed an attack from the rear (v. 23). The sound of marching in the tree tops among which the Israelites took cover (wind?) would be the sign that the Lord was going before his army to strike the enemy (v. 24; cf. Acts 2:2). The name "Gibeon"replaces "Geba"in the text in the parallel account of this battle (1 Chron. 14:16). Gibeon is probably correct. If David pursued the Philistines through the Aijalon valley, he probably went through Gibeon northwest of Jerusalem rather than Geba to the northeast. Gezer stood in the Shephelah 14 miles west of Gibeon on the Philistine border.

These victories cleared the Philistines from the hill country of Judah and Benjamin and made it possible for David to establish a secure capital in Jerusalem. Had he not defeated them his reign would have gotten off to a much weaker start. Saul had also begun his reign by defeating the Philistines (1 Sam. 7).