¹⁰And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. =10.= _inquired of God_] doubtless by means of the sacred lot, the Urim and Thummim (see Hastings’ _Dictionary of the Bible_ _s.v._, and Kirkpatrick’s notes on 1 Samuel x. 22, xxiii. 6). ¹¹So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and David said, God hath broken¹ mine enemies by mine hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim². ¹ Or, _broken forth upon mine enemies_. ² That is, _The place of breakings forth_. =11.= _Baal-perazim_] probably to be identified with the _Mount Perazim_ of Isaiah xxviii. 21, but the situation is unknown. _like the breach of waters_] i.e. like the breach made by waters, Probably the scene of the victory was a hill deeply scarred with watercourses. The force with which God broke through the army of the Philistines is compared with that of a torrent bursting forth from the hill-side or forcing its way through all obstacles. _Baal-perazim_ = the Lord of breakings forth, i.e. upon the foe. ¹²And they left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire. =12.= _David gave commandment, and they were burned_] In 2 Samuel v. 21 (Revised Version) _David and his men took them away_. The Chronicler alters this statement so as to make David’s conduct agree with the Law (Deuteronomy vii. 5, 25) which enjoined that graven images were to be burnt with fire. ¹³And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. =13.= _yet again_] This invasion of “all the Philistines” (verse 8) was too serious to be repelled by a single defeat. _in the valley_] in 2 Samuel v. 22, _in the valley of Rephaim_, as in verse 9 above. ¹⁴And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry¹ trees. ¹ Or, _balsam trees_. =14.= _Thou shalt not go up after them_] In 2 Samuel v. 23 the words _after them_ are connected with the following verb: _Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them_. In Samuel the command is to assail the rear of the enemy, in Chronicles to avoid the rear (which was perhaps protected by a rear-guard) and to attack (presumably) the flank. The reading in Chronicles is to be preferred as a harder reading, which yields good sense on examination. _from them_] The Hebrew word suggests that David occupied a commanding position from which he would be tempted to attack.