2 Samuel 5:25
in 2 Samuel 5So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.
KJV
And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Geba - Better, as in marginal reference “Gibeon.” Gazer should be “Gezer” (Jos 10:33, etc.); it lay between the nether Bethhoron and the sea; on the direct route therefore which the Philistines, fleeing from Gibeon, would take. The exact site has now been identified (1Ki 9:16).
This site's exposition
came up yet again
on 2 Samuel 5:22-25
The Philistines come up a second time to the same valley, and David enquires again, but the Lord gives a different plan for a second victory, not a straight advance but a flanking march, fetch a compass behind them, and wait for a sign, the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees. Older writers read that sound as the marching of an unseen host sent ahead of David, a signal rather than a weapon, and the point either way is the same: he waits for the sound rather than acting on his own timing. Two victories in one chapter come from two different battle plans, and what carries across both is not the tactic but the enquiry that precedes it.
This site's exposition
David did as the LORD had commanded him
Clarke notes that David did exactly as the LORD commanded, and the victory followed. Barnes places Gezer between Lower Beth-horon and the sea, on the direct road home for Philistines fleeing from Gibeon. Pharaoh later gave Gezer to Solomon's wife, at 1 Kings 9:16.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Here we have only the heads of their address, containing the grounds they went upon in making David king. Their relation to him was some inducement: " We are thy bone and thy flesh (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
When the kingdom of the Messiah was to be set up, the apostles that were to beat down the devil's kingdom must not attempt any thing till they received the promise of the Spirit, who came with a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind ( Acts ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And David did so as the Lord commanded him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2348: “The Lord Leading—David Following” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
In anticipation of an Evangelistic Mission to be conducted by Messrs. Fullerton and Smith. DAVID'S life was a life of war. The Christian life wears other aspects, but still, in very deed and in truth, spiritually, it, also, is a life of war. Our Lord spoke the Truth when He said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2348: “The Lord Leading—David Following” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
In anticipation of an Evangelistic Mission to be conducted by Messrs. Fullerton and Smith. DAVID'S life was a life of war. The Christian life wears other aspects, but still, in very deed and in truth, spiritually, it, also, is a life of war. Our Lord spoke the Truth when He said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." The end of all His great work will be universal peace and the lion shall lie down with the lamb, but, for the present, men fight against the principles which Christ brought into the world and all who become the followers of Christ must expect to be soldiers of One whose life was one great conflict and who died upon the battlefield, yes, and was crowned upon the battlefield, too! Expect, then, to war a good warfare as long as you are here. David had won one great victory over the Philistines, but he was not permitted to sit down and congratulate himself upon his triumph. The Philistines were upon him again. Those Philistines took a great deal of beating, but the powers of evil are not content anywhere with being defeated once or twice. They are up and at us again—they challenge us afresh, they hope to overthrow us sooner or later! And again and again we must be ready to resist them with this as our warcry, "They compassed me about; yes, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them." There must be war even after victory—and we must stand prepared for it. Note well, however, that before David went to war, in each case, he waited upon God—"David enquired of the Lord." Whenever we have any enterprise on hand, it is wise to wait upon God for direction and for help. David had received Divine Guidance before, but counsel in one dilemma is not guidance for another.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And David did so - He punctually obeyed the directions of the Lord, and then every thing succeeded to his wish. How is it that such supernatural directions and assistances are not communicated now? Because they are not asked for; and they are not asked for because they are not expected; and they are not expected because men have not faith; and they have not faith because they are under a refined spirit of atheism, and have no spiritual intercourse with their Maker. Who believes that God sees all things and is everywhere? Who supposes that he concerns himself with the affairs of his creatures? Who acknowledges him in all his ways? Who puts not his own wisdom, prudence, and strength, in the place of God Almighty? Reader, hast thou faith in God? Then exercise it, cultivate it, and thou mayest remove mountains. It is worthy of remark that David was, by the appointment of God, to feed the people. As he had formerly the care of a flock of sheep, which he was to watch over, defend, lead in and out, and for which he was to find pasture; now he is to watch over, defend, lead in and out, feed, and protect, the Israelites. He is to be the shepherd of the people, not the tyrant or oppressor. In ancient times, among the Greeks, kings were denominated ποιμενες λαου, shepherds of the people; and all good kings were really such: but, in process of time, this pleasing title was changed for βασιλευς and τυραννος, sovereign and tyrant; in neither of which names does any thing of the original title exist. And such are the different political constitutions of the kingdoms of the earth, that it is impossible that in any of them, the British excepted, the king can be the shepherd and father of his people. All the other regal constitutions under the sun permit the sovereign to be despotic, and consequently oppressive and tyrannical if he please. […]
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֤עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| כֵּ֔ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֖הוּ | tzivahu | he had commanded him | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּךְ֙ | vaiyakh | and he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| מִגֶּ֖בַע | migeva' | from Geba | H1387 → | |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| בֹּאֲךָ֥ | boakha | coming you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| גָֽזֶר׃ פ | gazer | Gezer | H1507 → |
וַיַּ֤עַשׂand he did
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
כֵּ֔ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֖הוּhe had commanded him
tzivahuH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּךְ֙and he struck down
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
מִגֶּ֖בַעfrom Geba
migeva'H1387 →
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
בֹּאֲךָ֥coming you
boakhaH935 →2568 times
גָֽזֶר׃ פGezer
gazerH1507 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 28:21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 14:11
So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that…
- Joshua 10:12
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley…
- 2 Samuel 5:20
So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.
- Joshua 10:10
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and…
- 1 Chronicles 14:11
Through
Joshua 16:10But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.
it leads to
- Judges 1:29
Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.
- Deuteronomy 7:1–2
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations…
- 1 Kings 9:16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
- Joshua 17:13
However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.
- Judges 1:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2348: “The Lord Leading—David Following” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
