בַּ֫עַל פְּרָצִים (ba.al pe.ra.tsim)
ba.al pe.ra.tsim
Baal-perazim
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The name Baal-perazim means "Lord of Breakthroughs" or "Lord of Breaches." It refers to a specific location where King David achieved a decisive victory over the Philistines, as recorded in 2 Samuel 5:20 and 1 Chronicles 14:11. The term describes a place where God caused a sudden opening or breach in enemy lines, allowing Israel to triumph.
The name highlights the nature of the battle: it was not a slow siege but a rapid, divinely orchestrated collapse of Philistine resistance. The sources note that this victory involved the destruction of their idols, linking the physical breakthrough with spiritual judgment. By naming the place Baal-perazim, David acknowledged that the Lord, not military strategy alone, had shattered the enemy's strength.
This brief reference serves as a concrete example of divine intervention in history. The name itself becomes a memorial to a moment when God created an unexpected path to victory, turning a potential defeat into a clear triumph for His people.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Baal-perazim means "Lord of Breakthroughs." It marks a moment when David faced the Philistines and saw God shatter their lines like bursting waters. This was not a slow siege won by strategy alone, but a sudden divine intervention that turned potential defeat into clear victory.
When you face walls that seem too high to climb, this word reminds you that God can create paths where none existed. He does not always remove obstacles gradually; sometimes He breaks through them entirely. Naming the place Baal-perazim was David’s way of remembering that the Lord fights for His people.
May you find hope in knowing that no barrier is too strong for God to overcome. Trust in His power to open doors and clear paths, even when the odds seem impossible. His breakthroughs are real and lasting.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Perazim4×
- Baal2×
- in/ Baal1×
- at/ Baal1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְּרָצִים֮2×
- פְּרָצִֽים\׃2×
- בַּ֥עַל2×
- בְּ/בַֽעַל\־2×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 5:20
David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there. Then he said, “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
This verse establishes the metaphor of enemies fleeing like bursting waters, linking physical victory to divine action.
-
I Chronicles 14:11
So they came up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. David said, God has broken my enemies by my hand, like waters breaking out. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
This account emphasizes that the defeat came by God's hand, reinforcing the theme of divine agency in battle.