Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 5:21
And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.
21. their images ] Cp. 1Sa 31:9 (E. V. idols). They brought them into the field to ensure victory, as the Edomites appear to have done (2Ch 25:14), and as the Israelites brought out the Ark (1Sa 4:3).
burnt them ] Render, took them away, as spoil, perhaps to display in his triumphal procession. According to 1Ch 14:12 he afterwards burnt them, in compliance with the law of Deu 7:5; Deu 7:25. The E. V. here “burned them” is a gloss, adopted from the Targum and the passage in 1 Chr. Thus the old disgrace of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines was avenged.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And there they left their images – An indication of the precipitancy of their flight, and the suddenness with which the Israelites burst upon them like a breach of waters. The King James Version rendering Burned them, does not give a translation (compare the margin), but a gloss, warranted by the explanation given in marginal references
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. They left their images] It was the custom of most nations to carry their gods with them to battle: in imitation of this custom the Israelites once took the ark and lost it in the field; see 1Sa 4:10-11.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Their images they seem to have brought into the field to fight for them, as the Israelites had formerly done the ark.
David burned them, as God had commanded, Deu 7:5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. there they left theirimagesprobably their “lares” or household deities,which they had brought into the field to fight for them. They wereburnt as ordained by law (De 7:5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they left their images,…. Their idol gods, which they brought with them to protect and defend them, and give them success; perhaps in imitation of the Israelites, who formerly brought the ark of God into their camp against the Philistines, 1Sa 4:3; and it appears to have been the custom of other countries, in later times, to bring their gods with them to battle x:
and David and his men burnt them: that is, his men burnt them at his command, 1Ch 14:12; agreeably to the law of God, that so no profit might be made of them, De 7:5; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and others, render it, “and took them”, or “carried them away” y; as they might do, and, after they had exposed them in triumph, then burnt them.
x “Omnigenumque Deum”, c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 8. y , Sept. “tulit”, V. L. Tigurine version, Montanus “sustulit”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) Their images.The Philistines took their idols with them to battle, as the Israelites had formerly taken the ark, and the suddenness and completeness of their defeat is shown by their leaving them on the field. The statement that David burned them is taken from 1Ch. 14:12, the Hebrew here being simply took them away. (See Deu. 7:5.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Their images Their idol-gods, (1Ch 14:13,) which they carried with them into battle, as Israel once did the ark, (1Sa 4:3,) expecting they would therefore be led to certain victory. The capture of them by the Israelites was a striking counterpart to the capture of the ark by the Philistines.
Burned them As the law required. Deu 7:5; Deu 7:25. The Hebrew text reads, took them away. “Burned” has been supplied from Chronicles.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 5:21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.
Ver. 21. And there they left their images ] Heb., Their terrors. a The Chaldee hath it, Their errors. See Psa 16:4 . See Trapp on “ Psa 16:4 “ These idols they had brought into the field with them, in hope of help by them; and perhaps in imitation of the Hebrews, who sometimes took the ark with them. It hath been before set forth how it befell the Popish Norfolk rebels in King Edward VI’s days, with their cart load of trinkets and relics brought into the battle, and there laid in the dust. b
a Terricula sua.
b Act. and Mon., fol. 1190.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
David: Deu 7:5, Deu 7:25, 1Sa 5:2-6, 1Ch 14:11, 1Ch 14:12, Isa 37:19
burned them: or, took them away, Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2, Jer 43:12
Reciprocal: Gen 31:30 – my gods 2Ki 10:26 – and burned them 2Ki 19:18 – have cast 2Ch 25:14 – his gods Jer 22:28 – a despised
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 5:21. And there they left their images Their gods, which they had brought into the field with them to be carried before their host. Such was the consternation into which they were thrown. Thus we read, 2Ch 25:14, that the Edomites had their gods along with them when they fought with Amaziah. And perhaps they learned this from the Israelites, who carried the ark (the symbol of Gods presence) in their army when they went to fight with the Philistines; who saw it, and took it, as the Israelites now did their images, 1Sa 4:4-5, &c. But behold here the difference between the ark and these images! When the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines it consumed them; but when these images fell into the hands of the Israelites, they could neither hurt them, nor save themselves from being consumed.