Lexical Summary Peratsim: Raiders, Bandits, Outlaws Original Word: פְרָצִים Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Perazim Plural of perets; breaks; Peratsim, a mountain in Palestine -- Perazim. see HEBREW perets NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom parats Definition a mountain in Isr. NASB Translation Perazim (1). Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Peratsim appears once, in Isaiah 28:21, where the prophet warns the leaders of Jerusalem that “the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to carry out His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task”. By invoking Mount Perazim, Isaiah intentionally takes his hearers back to David’s decisive victory over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17-25; 1 Chronicles 14:8-17). Historical Background After David was crowned king over all Israel, the Philistines advanced on him in the Valley of Rephaim. David sought the Lord and received assurance of triumph. “So David went to Baal-perazim, and there he defeated them and said, ‘Like a bursting flood the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.’ Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim” (2 Samuel 5:20). The name memorialized the sudden, unstoppable breakthrough granted by God. Isaiah’s audience knew that story; they also knew a second clash in the same region where God routed the enemy with hailstones and extended daylight (Joshua 10:10-14; cf. “Valley of Gibeon” in Isaiah 28:21). These two memories combine to underscore Yahweh’s capacity to intervene in overwhelming fashion. Geographical Notes Mount Perazim is usually located on the western slope of the Valley of Rephaim, south-west of Jerusalem, not far from the modern village of Beit Jala. The site commands the approach to the Judean highlands from the Philistine plain. Its strategic position explains the repeated clashes there and heightens Isaiah’s warning: even within view of Zion, God once shattered foreign armies; He can just as readily shatter rebellious Israelites. Literary Function in Isaiah 28 Isaiah 28 rebukes Judah’s leaders for scoffing at prophetic warnings and trusting in political alliances (“a covenant with death,” Isaiah 28:15). By evoking Mount Perazim, the prophet moves the discussion from mere political calculation to divine initiative. The comparison is pointed: • In David’s day God “burst through” Philistine lines; in Isaiah’s day He will “burst through” Judah’s complacency. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: The same God who grants breakthrough over external foes may turn His power inward against covenant breakers (Amos 3:2). Ministry Reflections • Prayer and Dependence: David’s inquiry of the Lord before battle models seeking divine direction rather than relying on human strategy (2 Samuel 5:19). Christological Foreshadowing David’s victory anticipates the greater Son of David whose cross and resurrection constitute the ultimate “bursting forth” of life over death (Colossians 2:15). Isaiah’s pairing of unusual judgment and unexpected salvation converges in the Messiah, whose atoning work is both a stone of stumbling and a cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6-8). Related References • 2 Samuel 5:17-25 – first battle at Baal-perazim Peratsim therefore stands as a memorial of God’s decisive interventions—past, present, and prophetic—calling every generation to trust, obey, and await His mighty work. Forms and Transliterations פְּרָצִים֙ פרצים pə·rā·ṣîm pərāṣîm peraTzimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 28:21 HEB: כִּ֤י כְהַר־ פְּרָצִים֙ יָק֣וּם יְהוָ֔ה NAS: up as [at] Mount Perazim, He will be stirred KJV: as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth INT: for as Mount Perazim will rise the LORD 1 Occurrence |
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