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

And they left there their idols: which David and his men took away.

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

And the Philistines, when they went in flight, did not take their images with them, and David and his men took them away.

And they abandoned their idols there; and David and his men took them away.

And in that place they left behind their graven images, which David and his men took away.

And there they left their images - An indication of the precipitancy of their flight, and the suddenness with which the Israelites burst upon them like a "breach of waters." The King James Version rendering "Burned them," does not give a translation (compare the margin), but a gloss, warranted by the explanation given in marginal references

They left their images - It was the custom of most nations to carry their gods with them to battle: in imitation of this custom the Israelites once took the ark and lost it in the field; see 1-Samuel 4:10, 1-Samuel 4:11.

And they left their images,.... Their idol gods, which they brought with them to protect and defend them, and give them success; perhaps in imitation of the Israelites, who formerly brought the ark of God into their camp against the Philistines, 1-Samuel 4:3; and it appears to have been the custom of other countries, in later times, to bring their gods with them to battle (x):
and David and his men burnt them: that is, his men burnt them at his command, 1-Chronicles 14:12; agreeably to the law of God, that so no profit might be made of them, Deuteronomy 7:5; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and others, render it, "and took them", or "carried them away" (y); as they might do, and, after they had exposed them in triumph, then burnt them.
(x) "Omnigenumque Deum", &c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 8. (y) , Sept. "tulit", V. L. Tigurine version, Montanus; "sustulit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

there they left their images--probably their "lares" or household deities, which they had brought into the field to fight for them. They were burnt as ordained by law (Deuteronomy 7:5).

The Philistines left their idols behind them there. They had probably brought them to the war, as the Israelites once did their ark, as an auxiliary force. "And David took them away." The Chronicles have "their gods" instead of "their idols," and "they were burned with fire" instead of ישּׂאם, "he took them away,"
(Note: This is the marginal reading in the English version, though the text has "he burned them." - Tr.)
took them as booty. The reading in the Chronicles gives the true explanation of the fact, as David would certainly dispose of the idols in the manner prescribed in the law (Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 7:25). The same reading was also most probably to be found in the sources employed by our author, who omitted it merely as being self-evident. In this way David fully avenged the disgrace brought upon Israel by the Philistines, when they carried away the ark in the time of Eli.

Images - When the ark fell into the hand of the Philistines, it consumed them: but when these images fell into the hands of Israel, they could not save themselves from being consumed.