2 Samuel 5 21

2 Samuel 5:21 kjv

And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

2 Samuel 5:21 nkjv

And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away.

2 Samuel 5:21 niv

The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

2 Samuel 5:21 esv

And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

2 Samuel 5:21 nlt

The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.

2 Samuel 5 verses

2 Samuel 5 21 Meaning

2 Samuel 5:21 describes the aftermath of David's first victorious battle against the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim. After being routed by the power of the Lord through David and his men, the Philistines abandoned their idols on the battlefield. David and his men then took these idols away, an action signifying not only the military defeat of the Philistines but also the overwhelming impotence and humiliation of their false gods before the mighty God of Israel.

2 Samuel 5 21 Context

This verse occurs after David has been anointed king over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5) and has conquered Jerusalem, establishing it as his capital (2 Sam 5:6-10). The Philistines, recognizing David's rising power and no longer tolerating a unified Israelite kingdom, came up against him in the Valley of Rephaim (2 Sam 5:17). David, unlike Saul, meticulously inquired of the Lord for guidance before engaging in battle (2 Sam 5:19). God granted David a decisive victory, describing His personal involvement as breaking through the enemy "like a bursting flood" (2 Sam 5:20). The Philistines' practice of bringing their gods into battle was common in the ancient Near East, as they believed their deities would fight for them and guarantee victory. Their abandonment of these idols upon defeat signifies a profound military, psychological, and theological blow to them, setting the stage for David's response in this verse.

2 Samuel 5 21 Word analysis

• וַיִּנְטְשׁוּ (va-yintəshū): "and they abandoned / forsook." From the root nātash (נטשׁ), meaning to leave, forsake, abandon, or let go. In this context, it vividly describes the complete disarray and defeat of the Philistines. They were in such haste and panic that they abandoned what they held most sacred for battle—their idols. This act shows their trust in these gods was broken.
• שָׁם (shām): "there." This adverb specifies the location: on the battlefield in the Valley of Rephaim. This indicates the Philistines left their idols precisely where they were defeated, emphasizing the scene of divine judgment against them and their deities.
• אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶם (et-atzabbêhem): "their idols." The word atzab (עָצָב) refers to an image, a god, or an idol. It can also imply something causing pain or grief, suggesting the futility or distressing nature of these false gods. The possessive suffix "-hem" ("their") highlights these were the Philistines' specific gods, upon whom they relied.
• וַיִּשָּׂאֵם (va-yiśśāʾēm): "and David and his men carried them away." This is a crucial point for understanding the verse. The Hebrew verb nāsa (נשׂא) primarily means "to lift," "to carry," or "to bear." Most modern English translations reflect this meaning ("carried them away," ESV, NIV, NASB). However, the King James Version renders it "burned them." The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 14:12 explicitly states David's men "burned them with fire."
  • Words-group analysis: "And they left there their idols, and David and his men carried them away" (ESV/NIV): This highlights the complete reversal of power. The Philistines brought their gods to battle as their protectors and guarantors of victory, but were forced to abandon them. David and his men, instruments of Yahweh, then took possession of these symbols of pagan power. "Carrying away" implied seizure, desacralization, and disposal, which could include breaking or burning them, as indeed specified in the parallel Chronicler account. This act visually represented Yahweh's ultimate victory and supremacy over all false gods. David did not allow the idols to remain, potentially tempting the Israelites or serving as symbols of continued pagan power.
  • The nasa vs. "burned" distinction: The difference in translation points to an interpretation, where "carrying away" ultimately led to their destruction. The Chronicler's account provides a fuller detail of what happened to the idols (they were burned), while Samuel focuses on their removal from the battlefield as spoils, and symbolic subjugation. Both actions emphasize their defeat and ultimate demise. This shows God’s command to destroy idols (e.g., Deut 7:25) being put into practice.
• דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו (Dāwiḏ va'ănašāw): "David and his men." This shows David’s leadership in demonstrating complete desecration of the enemy’s spiritual strength. He acted immediately to remove these abominations from the holy land. His involvement underscored his dedication to Yahweh and rejection of pagan worship.

2 Samuel 5 21 Bonus section

The abandonment and subsequent handling of the idols by David also functions as a stark polemic against polytheism and idolatry. In the ancient world, deities were believed to possess real power and could be invoked or even constrained. When a nation was defeated, its gods were also considered vanquished. The specific action by David, either carrying them away as spoils or burning them, symbolized the complete humiliation and utter defeat of the Philistine gods by Yahweh, emphasizing that the God of Israel is not merely one god among many, but the unique sovereign Lord above all. This act powerfully taught both the Israelites and the surrounding nations about the exclusive power and nature of Yahweh.

2 Samuel 5 21 Commentary

2 Samuel 5:21 is a powerful theological statement on the supremacy of the God of Israel over pagan deities. The Philistines brought their idols onto the battlefield, relying on their power to grant them victory. By abandoning them in their hasty retreat, they implicitly acknowledged the impotence of their gods in the face of Yahweh's might. David's action of "carrying them away" (or subsequently burning them, as per 1 Chr 14:12) was not merely a military clean-up but a deliberate act of desacralization and triumph. It was a visible manifestation that the Philistine gods were "no gods," having no power to save their worshipers and being subject to the authority of the true God and His servants. This act demonstrated David's devotion to Yahweh and his commitment to remove abominations from the land, affirming Israel's covenant with the one true God who alone grants victory. The battle was won not by David's strength but by the Lord "bursting out" against the enemy (2 Sam 5:20), and the treatment of the idols served as a stark, physical emblem of that divine victory.

• Practical Usage Examples:
  • Recognizing that relying on anything other than God for security or victory will ultimately lead to disappointment and the exposure of its futility.
  • A call to remove any "idols" (anything that takes God's place in our lives) from our personal "battlefields" of daily struggles.
  • Acknowledging that genuine victory comes from God's power, not human effort or false beliefs.