2 Samuel 5:20David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and he said, "Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
The setting
Baal Perazim, near Jerusalem, Israel. ~1000 BC. David's first major victory as king over all Israel against the Philistines who had controlled the region for decades.
The emotion here: amazed gratitude after impossible victory
The original word
parats (פרץ) — to break through violently, like a dam bursting
Why it matters
Baal Perazim means 'Lord of Breaking Through' - David renamed the place after his victory
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 5:20
David was likely outnumbered 3-to-1, making this victory seem impossible
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about David's military genius, but he's crediting God entirely - 'Yahweh has broken' not 'I have broken.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 5:20
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 5:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 5:20 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is celebratory. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include victory, divine intervention. Notable phrases: Yahweh has broken my enemies; like the breakthrough of waters.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grateful
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7
“It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
— Acts 2:21
“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
— Ephesians 2:8
“So now it wasn't you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land o…”
— Genesis 45:8
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 5:20 mean to you, today?
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