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).
