שמואל ב, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״ד

At that time, David was taking refuge in a hidden stronghold near the Cave of Adullam [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While he remained in this secret location, a Philistine military force established a position in Bethlehem. The primary Philistine camp was stationed in the nearby Valley of Rephaim, and from that central base, they dispatched a military presence to occupy Bethlehem [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The exact nature of this dispatched military presence is understood in several ways, though there is a general consensus regarding its basic strategic function [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. One perspective suggests that this group consisted of high-ranking army officers and appointed commanders. They occupied Bethlehem along with a detachment of fighters, while the bulk of the army stayed behind in the valley [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Alternatively, this presence may have been an elite vanguard force sent ahead of the main camp, composed of men with distinct strategic understanding [רלב״ג]. A more straightforward approach simply views this group as a standard encamped military unit or a designated Philistine guard post [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].