Synopsis of the Chapter
Hiram sends to David timber and craftsmen, who build him a house. David multiplies wives and sons, and, in verse 9, defeats the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim, and again, in verse 14, when God came to his aid from the direction of the pear trees.
Verse 2: David Knew the Lord Had Confirmed Him ¶
2. AND DAVID KNEW THAT THE LORD HAD CONFIRMED HIM AS KING OVER ISRAEL — from the fact that he saw all the Israelites voluntarily and by common consent accept him as king, and subject themselves to him, and freely offer him their help and service; and also that Hiram and the neighboring kings honored, loved, and feared him as king of Israel.
Verse 14: From the Direction of the Pear Trees ¶
14. AND YOU SHALL COME AGAINST THEM (not directly, but by going around their camp, that is, from the rear) FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE PEAR TREES. — Why this? The Hebrews as cited by St. Jerome, Angelomus, and the Historia Scholastica answer that the Philistines had placed their idols there, and thought that place was the safest and most fortified: therefore God, to show that idols are nothing and can do nothing, commanded David to attack the enemy camp from that very side, as if it were the weakest and easiest to conquer, promising him certain victory over both the idols and the idolaters.