Baal-perazim

Place in ancient Israel

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Ba'al-Perazim (Hebrew Owner of Breakings Through) was a place in ancient Israel.

It was the scene of a victory gained by David over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11). It is called Mount Perazim in Isaiah 28:21. It was near the Valley of Rephaim, west of Jerusalem.

Some scholars[who?] suggest a site 4 km northwest of Jerusalem, named Sheikh Bodr, to be identical with Ba'al-Perazim.

There is also a valley near Mount Sodom in the Judaean Desert, called "Wadi Perazim".

## Etymology

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It is not certain whether the occurrence in 2 Sam.5:20 name is:

* (a) a word play \- David is punning on an existing local name.[1]
* (b) an anachronism \- such as "Abraham came to Dan" Genesis 14:14.

Yoshitaka Kobayashi considers it an anachronism,[2] but the use of Baal rather than El may indicate a play on an existing local name.

If the reference is to Mt. Perazim in Isaiah 28 then that suggests a mountain with a high ground position for David to attack. Alternatively, since David says "Yahweh burst-through" (פָּרַץ יְהוָה) "like bursting of waters" (פֶרֶץ מָיִם) it may be a reference to waters.

## Cultural influences

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This place name is the origin of term "God of the Breakthrough" in the Gospel music song of that name by Robert Critchley, sung by Lara George. [citation needed]

## References

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1. ^ Suggested by the use of Baal rather than El. cf entry in Brown Driver Briggs, Hebrew Lexicon.
2. ^ Yoshitaka Kobayashi, Baal-Perazim, entry in Anchor Bible Dictionary

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