The Meaning of 2 Samuel 5:21 Explained

2 Samuel 5:21

KJV: And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

YLT: And they forsake there their idols, and David and his men lift them up.

Darby: And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away.

ASV: And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there they left  their images,  and David  and his men  burned  them. 

What does 2 Samuel 5:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 5:13-25 - Jehovah's Victories Over The Philistines
David's prosperity led to luxurious living and sensual indulgence, out of which sprang the troubles of his after-life, 2 Samuel 5:13; 2 Samuel 5:15.
The Philistines watched the acquisition of Jerusalem with profound anxiety. It was against their policy for David to be the head of a united nation. It would seem that their first onset drove him back to the cave of Adullam, 2 Samuel 5:17. This was a startling reversal of fortune, but it was salutary that, now as ever, David should learn how dependent he was on God, and that God, who had given him so much, might at any time withdraw his gifts. Loneliness, failure, solitude are necessary for us all! Twice David sought direction as to the ordering of the fight. On the first occasion, the command was, Go up; on the second, Thou shalt not go up. In the first battle the Philistine position was carried by assault; in the second it was turned by ambush. The movement in the trees suggests the footfalls of angel-squadrons. Oh, for the quick ear to detect the goings-forth of God's help, and grace to bestir ourselves to follow! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 5

1  The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel,
4  David's age
6  Taking Zion from the Jebusites, he dwells in it
11  Hiram sends to David,
13  Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem
17  David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim
22  And again at the mulberry trees

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 5:21 mean?

And they left there - their images and carried them away David and his men -
וַיַּעַזְבוּ־ שָׁ֖ם אֶת־ עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׂאֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖ד וַאֲנָשָֽׁיו פ

וַיַּעַזְבוּ־  And  they  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֑ם  their  images 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָצָב  
Sense: idol, image.
וַיִּשָּׂאֵ֥ם  and  carried  them  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַאֲנָשָֽׁיו  and  his  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation