2 Samuel 5:20
ESV
And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.
NIV
So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim.
NASB
Then David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, 'The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.' Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim.
CSB
So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, "Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me." Therefore, he named that place The Lord Bursts Out.
NLT
So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. 'The Lord did it!' David exclaimed. 'He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!' So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means 'the Lord who bursts through').
KJV
And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.
NKJV
So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
What does 2 Samuel 5:20 mean?
Second Samuel 5 is the account of God's blessing on David as he accepts the kingship over all Israel. He's welcomed by the northern and eastern tribes (2 Samuel 5:1–5), he takes Jerusalem from the Jebusites as his capital city (2 Samuel 5:6–9), the king of Tyre builds him a house of cedar (2 Samuel 5:11), and his household increases (2 Samuel 5:13–16). All of this is because "the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him…for the sake of his people Israel" (2 Samuel 5:10, 12).The Philistines aren't happy about this. A unified Israel under the rule of David the giant-killer is dangerous for them. So they go on the offense, gather their armies, and set up camp in a valley outside of Jerusalem. Before David engages, he gets approval from God (2 Samuel 5:17–19).
David and his army may be greatly outnumbered by the Philistine forces spread out in the Valley of Rephaim (2 Samuel 5:18). Still, the Lord has promised to give Israel the victory over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:19). So David now attacks them with confidence. The result is an overwhelming victory that David describes as breaking through his enemies like a flood. The army of Israel becomes an irresistible force that the Philistines cannot turn back. If this is the same battle recorded in 1 Chronicles 11:20–21, Joab's brother Abishai alone killed three hundred Philistines.
It's unclear where exactly the battle takes place, or what the location was called before this. After this battle, though, the spot became known as Baal-perazim, which means "lord of breaking through." Although a major false god in the region was known as "Baal," the word "baal" could also apparently simply mean "lord," as in the master of something. The name certainly isn't meant to celebrate the Philistine gods; David had them burned (1 Chronicles 14:12).
