1 Samuel 7:1. _into the house of Abinadab in the hill_ ON the hill, some eminence in or near the town. In 2 Samuel 6:4-5, the E. V. wrongly takes the same word as a proper name, "_in Gibeah_." Abinadab was probably (as Josephus says) a Levite: for the Israelites would scarcely have ventured to viol... [ Continue Reading ]
The National Repentance and Reformation under Samuel 2. _And it came to pass_, &c. Better, AND IT CAME TO PASS, FROM THE DAY WHEN THE ARK RESTED IN KIRJATH-JEARIM, THAT A LONG TIME ELAPSED, EVEN TWENTY YEARS. Twenty years was not, as the E. V. seems to imply, the whole duration of the Ark's sojourn... [ Continue Reading ]
_the strange gods and Ashtaroth_ THE STRANGE GODS AND THE ASHTAROTH = "the Baalim and the Ashtaroth" of 1 Samuel 7:4. _Baalim_is the plural of _Baal, Ashtaroth of Ashtoreth_, and the plural denotes either (_a_) the numerous images of these deities, or (_b_) the different forms under which they were... [ Continue Reading ]
_to Mizpeh_ MIZPAH, (in Heb. always with the definite article, as retaining its meaning, "the watch-tower,") was the meeting-place of the national assembly on two other important occasions in this period: (_a_) when war was declared against Benjamin (Judges 20); (_b_) when Saul was elected king (ch.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord_ A symbolical act which has no exact parallel in the O.T., but was probably significant of the outpouring of their hearts before Jehovah in penitence and supplication. Cp. ch. 1 Samuel 1:15; Psalms 62:8; Lamentations 2:19. The paraphrase of the Targ... [ Continue Reading ]
Total Rout of the Philistines at Ebenezer 7. _when the Philistines heard_, &c. The lords naturally regarded a national assembly of their vassals as a preliminary step towards revolt, and mustering the army of the confederation, marched up towards Mizpah.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a sucking lamb_ Which might not be less than seven days old, according to Leviticus 22:17. _for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord_ The whole animal was burnt upon the altar to denote the entire consecration to Jehovah of those who were pleading for deliverance. _and the Lord heard him_ Better... [ Continue Reading ]
_thundered with a great thunder_ Lit., WITH A GREAT VOICE. Thunder is the "voice of God" (Psalms 29:3-4). Cp. ch. 1Sa 2:10; 2 Samuel 22:14-15. _discomfited them_ The Heb. word expresses _the confusion of a sudden panic_, and is especially used of _supernatural_defeats. Cp. Exodus 14:24 (E. V. _trou... [ Continue Reading ]
_until they came under Beth-car_ Beth-car ("_house of a lamb_," or "_house of pasture_,") was apparently on high ground overhanging the road back to Philistia.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Eben-ezer_ i.e. "_The Stone of Help_," a memorial set up between Mizpah and _Shen_, (in Heb. with the definite article) = "_The Tooth_," probably some conspicuous "tooth" or spire of rock. Cp. 1 Samuel 14:4. The exact place is unknown, but "exactly at the spot where twenty years before they had obt... [ Continue Reading ]
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_ T... [ Continue Reading ]
_from Ekron even unto Gath_ The towns which lay on the Danite frontier between these places were restored to Israel, not however including Ekron and Gath themselves. There is no evidence that Gath had ever been occupied by the Israelites, and Ekron was only held for a short time (Judges 1:18). _the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life_ This, like the statement of 1 Samuel 7:13, must be understood with qualifications: for (_a_) Samuel in his old age made his sons judges (1 Samuel 8:1): (_b_) Saul was made king a considerable time before Samuel's death. But it does not contradict the s... [ Continue Reading ]
_to Beth-el_ About 8 miles N. of Jerusalem the ruins of _Beitîn_mark the site of the ancient city of _Beth-el_, formerly the royal Canaanite city _Luz_(Genesis 28:19), at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. (_a_) Near it Abraham built an altar (Genesis 12:8). (_b_) There Jacob saw the Vision of... [ Continue Reading ]
_to Ramah_ See note on ch. 1 Samuel 1:1. Samuel chose his native place for his usual official residence, and made it a centre of religious worship by building an altar to Jehovah. Here ends the first division of the book, which records Samuel's life and work as the last of the Judges, in connexion... [ Continue Reading ]