1 Samuel 7:13-17

Summary Account of Samuel's Judgeship

13. So the Philistines were subdued Cp. Judges 3:30; Judges 4:23-24. The word signifies "were brought low," but does not imply complete subjugation. The forty years oppression (Judges 13:1) now came to an end.

they came no more into the coast of Israel The same phrase is used in 2 Kings 6:23, where the very next verse speaks of a fresh invasion. It is obvious therefore that the Hebrew historian could use the expression relatively and not absolutely, to describe a cessation of the Philistine inroads for the time being. How long it lasted we are not told, but

the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel Yet we find the people groaning under the Philistine oppression (1 Samuel 9:16): a garrison or a tribute-collector stationed at Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 13:3): a general disarmament of the nation by the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:19): Hebrew slaves in the Philistine camp (1 Samuel 14:21): and three invasions of the land (1 Samuel 13:5; 1 Samuel 17:1; 1 Samuel 23:27): all during Samuel's lifetime. We must then understand the statement in the text as either (a) "a general expression allowable in such a brief survey as is here given:" or (b) as referring only to the period of Samuel's active judgeship. In the latter case we may conjecture that the Philistines re-established their ascendancy in his old age, in consequence of the weak and corrupt government of his sons.