Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Samuel 5:21

"And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away." — 2 Samuel 5:21 (ASV)

And there they left their images - This indicates the haste of their flight and the suddenness with which the Israelites burst upon them like a “breach of waters.”

The King James Version’s rendering, “Burned them,” is not a direct translation but a gloss—an explanatory note. This interpretation is justified by the explanation provided in the marginal references.