John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: September 12

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John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: September 12

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The Philistine Wars

2Sa_5:17-25; 2Sa_8:1

The Philistines had kept themselves quiet so long as David was king of Judah alone, and found sufficient employment for his resources in upholding himself against the designs of Abner. But when he became king over all Israel—when he reigned without a rival, and all the resources of the nation were in such strong hands, they became alarmed. Still they moved not until after the success of his attempt to gain possession of Jerusalem. This they seem to have interpreted as an indication of aggressive policy, not to be by them regarded with indifference—especially as it is highly probable that the dispossessed Jebusites were allies of theirs. Seeing that war would in no long time be inevitable, they deemed it best to take the initiative, and to march against Jerusalem at once, without, by longer delay, allowing the king to consolidate a power which would, as they supposed, be eventually employed for their destruction. Military men will say this was a wise policy, seeing that in war the offensive attitude has many advantages over a defensive one.

The Philistines then appeared in great force upon the high plain of Rephaim to the south, or rather south-west, of Mount Zion, where they encamped. David could not behold this sight unmoved, and he was deeply sensible of the importance of the occasion. It was a question with him whether to remain in Jerusalem, until the force of the tribes could be brought into operation, or at once march out against them. He inquired of the Lord by the usual means, and being assured of victory, he marched against the embattled host of the Philistines, with all the confidence which such an intimation was calculated to awaken in the breast of a man of his unwavering faith. Apprized of this movement, the Philistines advanced to meet him, and were repulsed by David, who obtained possession of the images of their gods, which they left behind them, and which were committed by his orders to the flames. From this it would appear that these idols were of wood, and were probably attached to the standards, like the Roman eagles. By this, as well as by the expression of his abhorrence of the “blind and lame” idols of the Jebusites, David afforded sufficient evidence that he regarded hostility to idolatry as belonging to the functions of his office, being the only indication of practical hostility against the gods of the heathen, when not introduced for worship among the Israelites, that has hitherto appeared. The Philistines had dealt very differently with the ark—which they regarded as the God of the Israelites—having, as being themselves polytheists and idolaters, no objection on principle to recognize it as a god. But, apart from the true Mosaical dislike to all idolatrous images, the step taken by David was one of great prudence, as it might be feared that the Israelites, from their deplorable propensity to adopt the worship of foreign idols, might themselves be ensnared by such dangerous trophies, if allowed to be preserved.

David called the name of the place where this transaction occurred Baal-Perazim, “Lord of breaches,” for the reason which is assigned—“God hath broken in upon mine enemies by my hand, like the breaking in of waters,” 1Ch_14:11; or, as in 2Sa_5:20, “The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters;” or rather, perhaps, as this may be translated, “God hath broken or divided mine enemies as waters are broken.” This is as fine an image, perhaps finer, than any in Homer. It is familiar with David to consider a host of enemies as a great flood or sea, ready to break in and overwhelm him with its waves: thus—“The sorrows of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;” “They came round about me like water, and compassed me together on every side;” “The floods are risen, O Lord; the floods have lift up their voice; the floods have lift up their waves.” Note: Psa_18:4; Psa_88:17; Psa_93:3. But in the present instance, an army coming up in one vast body, broken in upon by a brave enemy, put to flight, and in their flight scattered into a great many broken parties, is finely compared to a vast flood or body of water broken or dispersed into many streams. Nothing is more common with Homer than to describe an army under the image of a flood of waters, wave impelling wave. Many instances of this might be indicated, but one will suffice:

“As when the waves, by Zephyrus up-heaved,

Crowd fast towards soiree sounding shore, at first,

On the broad bosom of the deep, their heads

They curl on high, then breaking on the land

Thunder, and o’er the rocks that breast the flood,

Borne turgid, scatter far the showery spray;

So moved the Greeks successive, rank by rank,

And phalanx after phalanx.”—Iliad, iv. 78.

But Homer has nowhere painted, like David, the rout of an army under the image of a flood of waters, broken and dispersed by a storm.

Although repulsed, the Philistines were not discouraged. After an interval of uncertain duration, they reappear in the plain of Rephaim, probably with increased force, for all David’s language in reference to this incursion implies that their numbers were great. Once more the sacred oracle was consulted, and this time he was forbidden to go out and assail them in front, but to fetch a compass, and to come out secretly behind them over against a certain mulberry plantation, which it would seem stood in the rear of the enemy’s camp. He was to remain quiet till he heard “the sound of a going upon the tops of the mulberry trees”—a sound probably like the rush of a mighty host to battle—which was to be a signal to him that the Divine power was moving forth to destroy and defeat his enemies; and then he was to march out against them. It was, doubtless, to assure his faith that the Lord wrought for him, that this sensible token of the Divine assistance—which he was always ready to acknowledge—was graciously afforded to him.

The king followed these directions most implicitly, and the enemy hearing, it would seem, the sound of a mighty army in their rear, which they might easily imagine to be even more numerous and formidable than that led by David, and which appeared at the very moment these sounds were heard, fell into panic and confusion, and were easily put to the rout. The victors pursued them hard for many long miles, even to the frontier of their own territory. From this the Philistines learned that they were not able to contend with the king of Israel single-handed, and however they might dread the increase of his power, they had no means of keeping it in check. They found that it would therefore be their wisest policy to remain quiet in future. But after a time David himself became the aggressor in his turn, by invading Philistia. That he was entirely successful we know; but the exact character of his success we are not told. He probably left them under tribute, retaining in his hands some frontier fortresses to hold them under control. The fortress called Metheg-Ammah, or Bridle of Ammah, is particularly named, the acquisition of it being probably the most important result if the expedition. This is explained in Chronicles to denote “Gath and her towns.”