Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
WHICH WHEN DAVID HEARD, HE WENT DOWN TO A STRONGHOLD—that is, a fortified place. So the Septuagint, namely into the citadel, as the Chaldee and Vatablus render, evidently the citadel of Sion; for this was David’s most strongly fortified seat, near which his enemies the Philistines were encamping in the neighbouring valley called Raphaim. So our version commonly takes “stronghold” for a citadel or fortified place. Or rather this “stronghold” was the fortified fortress near the cave of Odollam, to which David used to retire when Saul was pursuing him. So Vatablus and Salianus.
18. AND THE PHILISTINES COMING SPREAD THEMSELVES IN THE VALLEY OF RAPHAIM.—The valley which lies next to Jerusalem is called “Raphaim,” that is, of the Giants, from the Giants slain there by Josue or someone else: the Septuagint renders, in the valley of the Titans, that is, of the Giants. For they allude to the fable of the Titans, which the poets borrowed from the Giants, Genesis 6. For they feign that the Giants were most huge and proud men, who waged war with Jove, and were therefore struck by his thunderbolt.
20. THE LORD HATH DIVIDED MY ENEMIES BEFORE ME, AS WATERS ARE DIVIDED (are scattered)—as when a vessel is broken, or streams from a torrent are led into various ditches. THEREFORE THE NAME OF THAT PLACE WAS CALLED BAAL-PHARASIM—that is, having a breach or breaking, as if to say, the valley of breakings, or plain of divisions. So the Chaldee and others, namely where God divided and scattered the Philistines by the arms and soldiers of David. Isaias, chap. 28, verse 21, makes mention of this valley of divisions.
21. AND THEY LEFT THERE THEIR IDOLS (or household gods, and their Penates or tutelary gods), WHICH DAVID TOOK AWAY—and burned, as the Chaldee adds, and it is expressly said in 1 Paralipomenon 14:12. For the law in Deuteronomy 7:25 commanded idols to be burned. David repays the Philistines in kind: for they in 1 Kings 5:2 had taken the ark of the covenant and dedicated it to their god Dagon.
23. FETCH A COMPASS BEHIND THEM, AND THOU SHALT COME UPON THEM OVER AGAINST THE PEAR TREES.—In Hebrew bechaim, which Aquila and our version render “pear trees;” Pagninus and Vatablus render, mulberry trees, which when they drop the moisture with which they swell seem to weep; the Chaldee, trees; the Septuagint, klauthmonos, that is, of weeping and lamentation, from the root bacha, that is, he wept, he wailed; hence Josephus, book VII of the Antiquities, chap. 4, calls this place “the wood of weeping;” which the Hebrews in St. Jerome explain so that this place was called of lamentation because in it the Philistines bewailed both their own slaughter and that of their idols; idols therefore are to their worshippers the cause of all misery and weeping, says Angelomus. They add that David burst into the camp of the Philistines at the place where the idols were, in which the Philistines chiefly trusted: wherefore, these being at once overthrown, he easily overthrew the rest of the camp. Others think that the idols of the Philistines are called weeping because sacrifice to them had to be made only with tears; others, because these trees have a sympathy with eyes and tears; for they distil a liquor like tears, whence they are said to weep.
Moreover Clauthmon was the name of a place called from weeping, as St. Jerome, Eusebius, Adrichomius in the Hebrew Places, and others commonly teach: this place was near Jerusalem in the valley of Raphaim to the west, or, as St. Jerome says, to the north. Hence this seems to be “the place of the Weepers,” of which Judges 2:1; for there the Septuagint render klauthmona; see what is said there.
24. AND WHEN THOU SHALT HEAR THE SOUND OF ONE GOING IN THE TOPS OF THE PEAR TREES, THEN SHALT THOU JOIN BATTLE: FOR THEN WILL THE LORD GO OUT BEFORE THY FACE.—By this going, first, Josephus and Theodoret understand the shaking of the trees themselves in their tops, when no wind was blowing. Second, the Hebrews in St. Jerome understand the crushing and destruction of idols by Angels. Third, and genuinely: the Angels, as God’s legates and leaders of war, raised a certain crashing in the tops of the trees, as if they had walked and advanced through them to battle, about to fight with David against the Philistines, that these might be struck with terror when they heard so many and such great enemies threatening them in front, and perceived David pressing on from behind; hence the Chaldee renders: When thou shalt hear the voice of a shout in the heads of the trees, then shalt thou be strengthened; because then the Angel of the Lord will go out to prosper before thee, to slay the camp of the Philistines.
See here the wonderful help and defence of God invoked by David: for God wished, fighting for his David, that the Philistines should be shut in on one side by the pear grove and on the other by David’s army, so that, struck by the noise of the Angels, which they made as if advancing armed against the Philistines, in the pear trees, as though a strong band of enemies were attacking them, they should flee in confusion and fall into David’s hands, and there be cut down partly by him, partly by David’s guardian Angels. So Abulensis and others. But why did God give this sign in the sound of pear trees, rather than of almond trees, cherry trees, fig trees, &c.? I answer, first, because near Jerusalem in the valley of Raphaim there was an abundance of pear trees, so that this pear grove is called the valley of the pear tree, as Adrichomius attests in his Description of Jerusalem, no. 238. So Lyranus. Secondly, because pear trees are taller than fig trees, cherry trees, almond trees, &c., and so were more suited to Angels, who descended from the lofty heavens upon the pear trees to raise a lofty and heavenly noise in the pear trees, by which the Philistines might be struck, thinking that Angels were fighting against them from heaven. Thirdly, because the pear tree is masculine and of masculine flavour, so that the apple tree seems feminine; hence it represents those who are of manly spirit and virtue, such as are Angels and Apostles. Fourthly, because the pear tree (pyrus) is so called as if pyra, because it takes the likeness of a flame, tending from broad to sharp, says Sipontinus. So Angels and Apostles are fiery, according to that: “Who maketh his Angels spirits, and his ministers a burning fire,” Psalm 103:4, Hebrews 1. Fifthly, in pears there is the property of wine, says Pliny, book XIV, chap. 14, especially in the falernian pears so called from the drink, since so great a force of juice abounds. So the Apostles, having received the Holy Spirit, seemed full of new wine, Acts 2, and likewise the Angels. Sixthly, pears are dense and therefore heavy, so that some are called pound-weight pears. Besides, there are many kinds of pears. Finally, “the late ones hang till winter even to March, ripening in the frost: the Greek, the flask-shaped, the laurel pears,” says Pliny; so weighty, various and lasting, nay eternal, are the Angels.
In like manner Angels fought from on high against Pharao for Moses, Exodus 14:24, and against the Chanaanites for Josue, chap. 10, verse 14, and for Barac against Sisara, Judges 5:20, and for Judas Machabeus against Lysias, 2 Machabees 11:8.
Tropologically Angelomus: “By the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, he says, he signifies the coming of the Lord upon the height of the Prophets and Apostles, passing over them by the power of his divinity, as it is written in the Canticle of Canticles chap. 2: Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. And the tops of the pear trees signify the summits. What is understood by the trees but the lofty Fathers? In whose tops, while a sound is heard, that is, while in the loftiness of life the sound of preaching has thundered, the Holy Spirit breathing, our David by the power of his divinity, by which he transcends the height of the Saints, has overcome the Philistines, that is, the unclean spirits.”
25. AND HE SMOTE THE PHILISTINES FROM GABAA,—which elsewhere is called Gabaon, or at any rate Gabaa was near Gabaon.
UNTIL THOU COME TO GEZER,—which was a city of the Philistines, says Josephus, and it is clear from 3 Kings 9.