John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 5:20

"And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim." — 2 Samuel 5:20 (ASV)

And David came to Baalperazim
As it was after called, for here it has its name by anticipation, and from where the Philistines were come from the valley of Rephaim; see (1 Chronicles 14:11); which was at no great distance, the one being the hill, to which the other was the valley, computed to be about three miles from Jerusalem, in the way to Bethlehem ^F21 , between which places were two hours' travels ^F23 :

and David smote them there ;
there a battle was fought, in which David had the victory assured him:

and said, the Lord has broken forth upon my enemies before me, as
the breach of waters ;
as when waters, through their mighty force, break down the banks of rivers, and carry all before them; or as one breaks an earthen vessel full of water, so the Targum on (1 Chronicles 14:11) .

therefore he called the name of the place Baalperazim ;
which signifies "the master of breaches", where the Philistines were broke in upon, and broken to pieces, of which God was the author, and which gave David the mastery over his enemies; the Targum renders it "the plain of breaches", and seems to take it to be the same with the valley of Rephaim; see (2 Samuel 5:22) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F21: Bunting's Travels p. 138.
• F23: Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo p. 87. ed. 7.