Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 20 Sept. 2020
Omitting greyed-out text should bring presentation time down to 40 minutes.
What would it be like to have faithful leaders at all levels of society – civil government, community, church, and home? 1 Samuel 7 gives us an encouraging picture of Israel at a high point where there was a faithful priest, prophet, and judge.
But God had to do a lot of refining first to get Israel to that point of blessing,
including striking 70 (or 50,070) dead in Beth Shemesh in chapter 6,
and letting 34,000 die in the war against the Philistines at Ebenezer in chapter 4,
and removing His special presence (and the opportunity to worship Him) from His people for over half a year in chapter 5, and then 20 years of veiled silence in chapter 7.
Only after all that does God bring revival and peace.
Chapter 7 appears to be the end of the ark narrative, presenting Samuel as a deliverer of Israel in the same way that the 12 Judges before him had done.
The typical cycle of Israelites turning away from God to idols, then being oppressed and crying out to God for deliverance, then God raising up an obscure person to judge, then that judge pulling off a surprising deliverance for the nation with reliance upon God, has come to its final act again.
The next story arc in chapter 8 will be Israel’s transition from Judges raised up by God to Kings raised up by man.
Let me start back in with the last couple of verses of chapter 6 for context: Then the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the face of Yahweh, this holy God, and to whom shall the {ark of Yahweh} go up from among us?” So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of Yahweh! Come down and bring it up to yourselves.” 7:1 So the men of Kiraith-Jearim came and took up the ark {of the covenant} of Yahweh, and they brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to keep the ark {of the covenant} of Yahweh. 2 And the days increased from the day the ark began to reside in Kiraith-Jearim ‘til it had been twenty years, and the whole community of Israel was going after Yahweh, mourning. 3 Then Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel saying, “If it is with all your heart that y’all are turning to Yahweh, you will remove foreign gods from among yourselves – and the goddesses too, and y’all will set the course for your heart toward Yahweh and serve Him only, and He will deliver y’all from the control of the Philistines.” 4 And the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and served Yahweh only! 5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all of Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray on behalf of y’all to Yahweh.” 6 So they assembled at Mizpah, and they drew and poured out water before the face of Yahweh, and they fasted during that day, and they said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh!” And Samuel presided as judge with the children of Israel in Mizpah. 7 Meanwhile, the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had assembled themselves at Mizpah, so the lords of the Philistines mounted [an assault] against Israel. When the children of Israel heard, then they became afraid of the Philistines' presence. 8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t let there be silence from us; you keep crying out to Yahweh our God so He will save us from the control of the Philistines!” 9 So Samuel took one suckling lamb and offered it up whole as a burnt offering to Yahweh, and Samuel cried out to Yahweh in behalf of Israel, and Yahweh answered him! 10 So, there was Samuel, offering up the whole burnt offering while the Philistines engaged in battle with Israel, and then Yahweh rumbled with a loud voice on that day against the Philistines and made a commotion among them, so that they were routed in front of Israel! 11 Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and they struck them down as far as below Beth-Car. 12 Therefore Samuel took one rock and placed it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it “Rock of the Help,” and he said, “Yahweh has helped us up to this point!” 13 So, the Philistines were subordinated and did not try again to invade the territory of Israel, for the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel went back to belonging to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. Israel also delivered the border-country from the control of the Philistines, and it became peaceful between Israel and the Amorites. 15 And Samuel presided as judge with Israel all the days of his life, 16 and he would periodically travel, year by year, and make a circuit of Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he would judge Israel at all these places, 17 but his retiring-place was to Ramah because his household was there, and he judged Israel there, and he had built an altar to Yahweh there.
I want to look at this passage in terms of successes in the offices of priesthood, prophecy, and judgeship, and use that to chart the way forward towards blessing for our own church, community, and nation.
We begin with the priestly care of the ark which symbolized the special presence of God, and which was carried from the valley of Beth shemesh up to Kiriath Jearim in the hill country.
“This hill was the higher place of the citie, as sequestred and set apart by it self, and so fitter for this holy use... where Abinadab dwelt, a... good man, to whom the charge of the Arke was committed... Thus... the Arke... was remooued into the tribe of Judah, where the Lord had appointed to erect the kingdome of David… Eleazar... is not recited in the Catalogue of the high Priests, 1. Chron. 6… [He was not a priest but] a Levite, as Josephus1 thinketh: therefore it is not like[ly], that he drew neere to the Arke, but it was kept drawne ouer with curtaines, and covered according to the Law.” ~Andrew Willett, 1607
Abinidab must have been a great man of God and a great father. He was the one they carried the ark to – the whole Levite clan there felt he was the one most worthy of the office of ark-keeper. He had trained his sons in God's ways so well that he could appoint his son for this prodigious office! And there the ark stayed for several decades until a temple was prepared for it in Jerusalem under King David.
What a special position, to be "keeper of the ark of the LORD!" Can you imagine what it must have been like for Eleazar? He watched over the ark – the very presence of God, the receptacle for His law, that most holy thing, for which thousands had just been struck dead for mishandling. What awe Eleazar must have had; what a sense of privilege He must have felt! What a desire he must have had to simply be near it..., and what care he must have taken to keep the place spotless!
He must have known what God would teach Jeremiah later, “Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.” (Jer. 25:6, NKJV)
“The judgments of God on those who profane his ordinances should not make us afraid of the ordinances, but of profaning them and making an ill use of them.” ~Matthew Henry, 1714 AD
And yet, we the church now have God's Spirit living INSIDE US! Are we awed by this?
Are we afraid that God may strike us dead for sinning against Him? Are we keeping our bodies and minds spotless before this holy God that dwells in us?
Do we have a sense of joy that God is with us? Do we desire to commune with Him all day long?
May God give us the grace to remember and live out this spiritual reality like Eleazar did with the physical ark!
And may God give us grace to teach our children His ways, like Abinidab did, so our children can take on big spiritual responsibilities like Eleazar did!
Now, for 20 years2 the ark stayed with Eleazar, and it seems to have been a dark time for Israel, but after this time, the people of Israel had a revival! A major factor in this revival was that Israel had godly leaders.
Careless Eli, Hophni, and Phineas were now replaced by godly Abinidab and Eleazar, who quietly and faithfully kept the ark for 20 years,
and also, whereas there had been no prophet earlier, the prophet Samuel had now been quietly but faithfully keeping the word of the LORD for 20 years.
But by the end of those 20 years, the whole house of Israel was mourning their state of brokenness and looking to the LORD for help.
“It was better with the Israelites when they wanted the ark, and were lamenting after it, than when they had the ark, and were prying into it, or priding themselves in it.” ~M. Henry
The Hebrew phrase “house of Israel” pictures the nation at its best, as a community that is not quarrelling among themselves or running every which-way, but is unified in its identity as descendants of Jacob and as the spiritual church of God.
The Hebrew phrase “going after the LORD” occurs 9 other times in the Bible, always as a description of godly faith.
Few times in Israel’s history did revival ever occur to this extent! (Lightfoot)
How wonderful it would be if truly godly men could fill the seats of our nation's government! But such men must be proved faithful first in adversity and obscurity.
Now, moving from the priesthood to the office of prophet, Samuel was quietly faithful for 20 years, and then he saw revival!
Samuel begins emphasizing in v.3 that faith is not about outward forms of religion – such as whether or not you have carved wooden idols on your shelf at home and whether or not you show up at worship services for God, rather, this is about the HEART. “If it’s with all your heart that you are returning to the LORD… if you are fixing your heart on the LORD,” then ‘put away the idols… and serve God alone.” The heart attitude comes first, the actions flow secondarily out of what’s in the heart.
And after turning their hearts toward God, they put away their idols and began serving Yahweh only.
The idols they put away are called “gods and Ashtoreth/goddesses” in v.3, then “Baals and Ashtaroth” in v.4 – specific names of local foreign gods and goddesses. (Tsumura)
“Ashtaroth was the peculiar Idol of the Zidonians (1 Ki. 11.5) and of the Philistims (1 Sam. 31.10), so called of the forme, because it was like unto a sheepe3: for so signifieth the word Ashterah: and hereof this may be an argument, because of this Idol there was a citie called Ashteroth Carnaim, Gen. 14.5. which addition of Karnaim signifieth Bicornis, two horned...” ~Andrew Willett, 1607 AD
Once your heart is fixed on God, you will have your own sorts of idols to put away.
Jesus said, “...it has been written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and you shall serve Him alone.'” and “No one is able to serve two masters… You are not able to serve God and Wealth.” (Matthew 4:10, 6:24, NAW)
“True repentance strikes at the darling sin, and will with a peculiar zeal and resolution put away that, the sin which most easily besets us.” ~Matthew Henry, quoting Heb. 12:1
Samuel then calls a big meeting at Mizpah so God’s people can confess sin and receive God's forgiveness. This time was appropriately observed with fasting.
“The people then beeing vexed and oppressed many ways by the Philistims, turned themselues by mourning and prayer unto the Lord… [T]e Israelites drew water, and poured it out before God… [T]he Chalde interpretation4 is best, that they poured out their heart unto God, and shed teares before the Lord in such abundance, as if they had drawne water.” ~Willett
“The act was symbolical either of repentance and contrition… or of humility.” (Goldman, quoting the Targums and Rashi5)
In their culture, drawing water was what servants did6, so part of the symbolism may have been been that these men were humbling themselves and accepting the role of servants of God.
Also, “this ritual water must have something to do with the preparation for Samuel’s intercessory prayer for the people… ‘[P]ouring,’ instead of drinking the water, and ‘fasting’ are connected… as the act of ‘the self-denial of the occasion…’ for a penitential purpose.” ~Tsumura (NICOT, quoting Gordon)
Psalm 62:7-8 “...Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him...” (NKJV, cf. Lam. 2:19)
And that’s not just an Old Testament thing; it’s a New Testament church thing too: James 4:8-10 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (NASB)
We often think of revival in terms of feel-good meetings with happy music and amazing deliverances, but that’s not how it starts. It starts with people taking their rebellion against God seriously and weeping over it – not only expressing regret but openly confessing it, as the Israelites did here, “We have sinned against the LORD.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are the ones who are lowly in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are the ones who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, because it is they who will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for it is they who will be satisfied.” (Mt. 5:3-6, NAW)
“But when sinners begin to repent and reform, they must expect that Satan will muster all his force against them, and set his instruments at work to the utmost to oppose and discourage them. But… good is, at length, brought out of that evil… God... makes man's wrath to praise him, and serves the purposes of his grace to his people even by the malicious designs of their enemies against them.” ~Matthew Henry
And when Israel heard of the impending Philistine attack, they wanted to take the matter to God!
Notice how they call Him “our God” in verse 8; we haven’t heard anybody in Israel call Him “our God” since Hannah’s prayer five chapters ago! Now they know they are right with God, their sins are forgiven, and they can expect God to act in a covenantal way with blessings! Wow, this is exciting! Might God do this in our nation today?
They said to Samuel, “‘Cease not to pray unto the LORD for us…’ [H]e had been praying for them that day, and they desired he would continue praying for them, well knowing that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much; they knew their salvation was of the Lord, and that he only could save them, and that he must be sought unto for it; and as Samuel had an interest in him, they beg he would continue to make use of it on their behalf; in which they expressed their trust in God...” ~John Gill, 1766
“Samuel selected a young lamb for the burnt-offering... as being the most suitable to represent the nation that had wakened up to new life through its conversion to the Lord, and was, as it were, new-born. For the burnt-offering represented the man, who consecrated therein his life and labour to the Lord.” ~K&D
“This sucking lambe was a signe of the true lambe Christ Jesus, by whom we have deliverance, and victorie ouer our spirituall aduersaries, as here the Israelites against the Philistims.” ~Willett
Can you imagine Samuel fervently crying out to God as the Philistine soldiers come over the horizon? He might have said something like David did later on in Psalm 28 “Yahweh... You must not be silent in regard to me. If you sit still in regard to me, then I will be [in] the same [boat] with those who go down the pit! Give heed to the voice of my supplication while I am crying out to You, while I am raising my hand in [Your] direction... Give to them what matches their deeds... Deal their payback to them... demolish them...” (NAW)
Christian, do you remember that you have someone who, “offered both pleas and petitions with a mighty cry – and tears – to the One able to save..., and He was listened-to... In view of which He is also able to save in any eventuality those who come through Him to God, since He is always living for the purpose of interceding on their behalf.” That’s what Heb. 5:7 and 7:25 says Jesus never ceases to do for you!
This, by the way, is a clear Biblical basis for leaders to pray in church meetings. Matthew Henry commented on this, “[W]hen we come together in religious assemblies, we must remember that it is as much our business there to join in public prayers as it is to hear a sermon.” We have assembled together as the people of God, confessed our sin, pledged our service to Him, so don’t hold back when it comes to prayer; we should expect God to answer with blessings!
Now, not only was there a faithful Levite keeping the ark, and not only was there a faithful prophet in Samuel identifying sin and calling people to repent, Samuel also took on a civil leadership role as the 13th and last of the Judges of Israel.
I'm kinda surprised that the superstitious Philistines decided to attack Israel again after the ark incident. But the Israelites were all in one place and, since they had come for a religious ceremony, they probably were not armed for battle, so they were like “sitting ducks.”
The Philistines had them now, and the Israelites remembered how they'd been slaughtered the last time by the Philistines. But they cried out to God.
Their strength had not won last time.
Their carrying the ark with them didn't win last time either.
They realized that their only hope was for God Himself to intervene, so they cried out to God and asked their godly leader to cry out to God for them too.
They were right before God this time; they had ditched their idols and confessed their sin, and they were worshipping and praying to God wholeheartedly. And God answered by frightening those superstitious Philistines, this time with some kind of a loud noise.
In the first century AD, the historian Josephus wrote (perhaps with some embellishment), “God disturbed their enemies with an earthquake... insomuch that by its trembling, he made some unable to keep their feet, and made them fall down, and by opening its chasms, he caused that others should be hurried down into them; after which he caused such a noise of thunder to come among them, and made fiery lightning shine so terribly round about them, that it was ready to burn their faces; and he so suddenly shook their weapons out of their hands, that he made them fly and return home… So Samuel with the multitude pursued them to Bethcar... and there he set up a stone as a boundary of their victory and their enemies' flight.” (Antiquities, Book 6, Chapter 2, Paragraph 2)
Most English versions translate the Hebrew qol gadol as “great/loud thunder,” but this is not the Hebrew word for “thunder;” it is the word for “voice.”
The only other time in history that God’s qol gadol voice thundered like that was on Mount Sinai when He issued the 10 Commandments: “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice...” (Deut. 5:22, NKJ)
so there is the possibility that God literally yelled at the Philistines to frighten them away.
Psalm 29 tells us that the voice of the LORD is so powerful, it can “splinter cedar trees” and “strip forests bare,” so it could certainly sent an army packing. What a mighty God we serve!
And this, of course, is a fulfillment of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Sam. 2:10 “His rival against him will be undone by Yahweh... Yahweh will rumble [against] them in the heavens...” (NAW)
The men of Israel (notice, just the men were in the army) pursued the fleeing Philistines:
Perhaps they picked up weapons that the Philistines dropped while they were running away and used them.7
And Israel beat the Philistines back “below Beth-Car.” We don’t know exactly where that was, but it was somewhere to the west near the Philistine cities, as you come out of the Israelite hill country and go downhill to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Then, in v.12, Samuel erects a rock as a monument and names it “Ebenezer.”
The Hebrew word for “rock” is “eben” and the Hebrew word for “help” is “ezer.”
It may (Gill, Henry) or may not have been the same Ebenezer spot where Israel had lost the battles to the Philistines in chapter 4, but “it certainly is a reminder of God’s powerful intervention in the history of Israel as well as her former failure at the other ‘Ebenezer.’” ~Tsumura
And this is where the second verse to the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," comes from: "Here I lay my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I'm come."
The Philistines weren’t completely eradicated, but a real milestone had been accomplished, and Samuel wanted God’s people to remember that the progress they had seen was the result of God’s help and that God could be relied-upon, not only “thus far” but every day into the future. Every new day that we beat back sin and shine the light of God’s kingdom into this world is a new “thus far.”
The Apostle Paul made his memorials in writing. He said in Acts 26:22 “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, bearing testimony… [of] Christ...”
We can say the same thing: “Having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, bearing testimony of Christ!”
The setting up of monuments commemorating God's work is a good thing too.
Joshua built a monument of 12 stones from the bottom of the Jordan River to remind future generations that God had dried up the river for them to enter the Promised Land. (Josh. 4).
Are there any monuments you can create to remind yourself of ways God has helped you? Do you keep prayer journals? Do you mention special things God did in your family photo album?
Some people make mementos for marriage anniversaries – I bought a cedar clock for my tenth, and I also keep empty cups and bottles in my office that remind me of special times with my family members. Find creative ways to remind yourself of God’s hand in your life!
Now, Samuel continued on for some years in the office of judge and civil leader for his region, making rounds twice8 a year to three towns in the central part of Israel and spending the rest of his time on his parent’s property in Ramah.
Of those three towns, Mizpah has already been mentioned,
Bethel was a town “about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, located at the intersection of” the North-South “mountain ridge road [through Ephraim] and the [East-West] main road leading from Jericho to the coastal plain” of the Mediterranean9. The ark had been located in that town of Bethel back when Aaron’s grandson Phinehas was high priest in Judges 20:27.
And Gilgal was out to the east past Jericho by the Jordan River (Josh. 4:19). “Gilgal was where the tabernacle, ark, and camp of Israel were first pitched, when they came over Jordan.” (Gill)
Samuel seems to have built (or used pre-existing) altars for places of worship in each of the towns on his ministry circuit10. In so doing, this is more like the worship practices of the Patriarchs before the tabernacle rather than the more centralized temple worship we will see later under the Kings.11
“We read in v.13 that the Philistines came no more within the border of Israel; and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Yet we find the Israelites groaning under their oppression (9:16), a general disarmament of the nation by them (13:19), and three invasions of the country by their armies (13:5, 17:1, 23:27) – all in Samuel’s lifetime.” ~Goldman12
The best explanation seems to be that there was not an actual army invasion or war in which there was decisive loss to the Israelites, in other words, there was stasis. Despite tensions here and there, God kept an active control over Philistine activity, such that the Philistines kept their cities and Israel kept theirs. (Willett, K&D, Seb. Smith)
Habitable land within Israelite territory and outside the walled cities of Ekron and Gath was, for a season under Samuel’s judgeship, controlled by Israel, according to v. 14.
And, whether the term “Amorites” was used broadly here to include the Philistines (Gill, Goldman, Tsumura), or whether the Amorites were other Canaanite tribes (Josephus, Keil & Delitzsch), either way, there was relative peace with foreigners.
So, a faithful community, under a godly judge, enjoyed peace. They didn’t need a king to be safe and prosperous; all they needed was a good relationship with God13.
I might mention that the same is true today. We worry about China building up its navy, about rogue missiles being launched from North Korea or Iran, or about terrorist attacks from Muslim extremists, but are we repenting and trusting God to protect our nation, or are we trusting our army to keep us safe while we coddle our idols?
Certainly God approved of self-defense, and Jesus told his disciples to carry a couple of swords, but Proverbs 16:7 says that "When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." (NKJV) When Israel got right with God, God kept His hand against the Philistines to keep them at bay. What we need first and foremost is to be in right relationship with the LORD. “Religion and piety are the best securities of a nation.” ~Matthew Henry
Today we live in a nation which has largely abandoned faith in God and which is being threatened by many sinister things. But, thank God, we have a greater prophet, priest, and judge than Old Testament Israel had in Samuel; we have Jesus, the great Prophet, Priest, and King to which all inferior judges pointed.
Thomas Halyburton, Scottish theologian in the early 1700s, wrote in his book, The Great Concern of Salvation, of how “Satan and the forces of darkness threaten the sinner with overwhelming attacks… ‘They charge him with things that he cannot deny. They lay deep contrivances against him that the cannot discover. They fall upon him with a force that he is not able to resist.’ But as Priest, Christ gives the believer an answer to all Satan’s accusations. As Prophet, Christ ‘gives... wisdom to escape his snares.’ And as King, Christ gives [the sinner] power ‘whereby he is made more than conqueror.’ Indeed, Christ in his offices satisfies every aspect of human need. He opens the blinded mind and fills it with light. He quiets the guilty conscience and fills it with peace. He captivates the will and fills it with contentment in Himself.” ~Joel Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p.302
Let us always cry out to Him in trouble, confess our sins to Him, submit to His kingship, not displacing Him with anything! And let us always remember to thank Him for His deliverances and somehow record for the generations to come, what He does for us.
LXX |
Brenton (LXX) |
DRB (Vulgate) |
KJV |
NAW |
Masoretic Txt |
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1 καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἄνδρες Καριαθιαριμ καὶ ἀνάγουσιν τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης κυρίου καὶ εἰσάγουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς οἶκον Αμιναδαβ τὸν ἐν τῷ βουνῷ· καὶ τὸν Ελεαζαρ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἡγίασαν φυλάσσειν τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης κυρίου. |
1 And the men of Cariathiarim come, and bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord: and they bring it into the house of Aminadab in the hill; and they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the covenant of the Lord. |
1 And the men of Cariathiarim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and carried it into the house of Abinadab, in Gabaa: and they sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the ark of the Lord. |
1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keepB the ark of the LORD. |
1 So the men of Kiraith-Jearim came and took up the ark {of the covenant} of Yahweh, and they brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to keep the ark {of the covenant} of Yahweh. |
1 וַיָּבֹאוּ אַנְשֵׁי קִרְיַת יְעָרִים וַיַּעֲלוּ אֶת-אֲרוֹן C יְהוָה וַיָּבִאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל-בֵּית אֲבִינָדָב D בַּגִּבְעָה וְאֶת- אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ קִדְּשׁוּE לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-אֲרוֹן יְהוָה: פ |
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2 Καὶ ἐγενήθη ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἦν ἡ κιβωτὸς ἐν Καριαθιαριμ, ἐπλήθυναν αἱ ἡμέραι καὶ ἐγένοντο εἴκοσι ἔτη, καὶ ἐπέβλεψενF πᾶς οἶκος Ισραηλ ὀπίσω κυρίου. |
2 And it came to pass from the time that the ark was in Cariathiarim, the days were multiplied, and the time was twenty years; and all the house of Israel looked after the Lord. |
2 And it came to pass, that from the day the ark of the Lord abode in Cariathiarim, days were multiplied (for it was now the 20th year) and all the house of Israel rested, following the Lord. |
2 And it came to pass, while the ark abodeG in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. |
2 And the days increased from the day the ark began to reside in Kiraith-Jearim ‘til it had been twenty years, and the whole community of Israel was going after Yahweh, mourning. |
2 וַיְהִי מִיּוֹם שֶׁבֶת הָאָרוֹן בְּקִרְיַת יְעָרִים וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים וַיִּהְיוּ עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וַיִּנָּהוּH כָּל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵלI אַחֲרֵי יְהוָהJ: ס |
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καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ
πρὸς πάντα οἶκον
Ισραηλ λέγων
Εἰ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ
ὑμῶν ὑμεῖς
ἐπιστρέφετε
πρὸς κύριον,
περιέλετε
τοὺς θεοὺς
τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους
ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν
καὶ τὰ |
3
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do with
all your heart return to the Lord, take
away the
strange gods from the midst of you, and the |
3 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If you turn to the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, [Baalim] and Astaroth: and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. |
3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your heart[s], then put awayK the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare X your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. |
3 Then Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel saying, “If it is with all your heart that y’all are turning to Yahweh, you will remove foreign gods from among yourselves – and the goddesses too, and y’all will set the course for your heart toward Yahweh and serve Him only, and He will deliver y’all from the hand of the Philistines.” |
3 וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל-כָּל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִם-בְּכָל-לְבַבְכֶם אַתֶּם שָׁבִיםL אֶל-יְהוָה הָסִירוּ אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר מִתּוֹכְכֶם וְהָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת וְהָכִינוּM לְבַבְכֶם אֶל-יְהוָה וְעִבְדֻהוּ לְבַדּוֹ וְיַצֵּל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים: |
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4 καὶ περιεῖλον οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὰς Βααλιμ καὶ τὰ [ἄλση] Ασταρωθ καὶ ἐδούλευσαν κυρίῳ μόνῳ. |
4 And the children of Israel took away Baalim and the [groves of] Astaroth, and served the Lord only. |
4 Then the children of Israel put away Baalim and Astaroth, and served the Lord only. |
4 Then the childrenN of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. |
4 And the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and served Yahweh only! |
4 וַיָּסִירוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-הַבְּעָלִים וְאֶתהָעַשְׁתָּרֹת וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת-יְהוָה לְבַדּוֹ: פ |
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5 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ Ἀθροίσατε πάντα Ισραηλ εἰς Μασσηφαθ, καὶ προσεύξομαι περὶ ὑμῶν πρὸς κύριον. |
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Massephath, and I will pray for you to the Lord. |
5 And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Masphath, that I may pray to the Lord for you. |
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. |
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all of Israel at Mizpah and I will pray on behalf of y’all to Yahweh.” |
5 וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל קִבְצוּ אֶת-כָּל- יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּצְפָּתָהO וְאֶתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְכֶם אֶל-יְהוָה: |
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6 καὶ συνήχθησαν εἰς Μασσηφαθ καὶ ὑδρεύονται ὕδωρ [καὶ ἐξέχεαν] ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπαν X Ἡμαρτήκαμεν ἐνώπιον κυρίου· καὶ ἐδίκαζεν Σαμουηλ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ εἰς Μασσηφαθ. |
6 And they were gathered together to Massephath, and they drew water, and poured it out [upon the earth] before the Lord. And they fasted on that day, and said X, We have sinned before the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Massephath. |
6 And they gathered together to Masphath, and they drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and they fasted on that day, and they said there: We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Masphath. |
6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. |
6 So they assembled at Mizpah, and they drew and poured out water before the face of Yahweh, and they fasted during that day and they said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh!” And Samuel presided as judge with the children of Israel in Mizpah. |
6 וַיִּקָּבְצוּ הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּשְׁאֲבוּ-מַיִם וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיָּצוּמוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁםP חָטָאנוּ לַיהוָה וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּצְפָּה: |
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7 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ὅτι συνηθροίσθησαν [πάντες] οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ εἰς Μασσηφαθ, καὶ ἀνέβησαν σατράπαι ἀλλοφύλων ἐπὶ Ισραηλ· καὶ ἀκούουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἀπὸ προσώπου ἀλλοφύλων. |
7 And the Philistines heard that [all] the children of Israel were gathered together to Massephath: and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel: and the children of Israel heard, and they feared before the Philistines. |
7 And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Masphath, and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines. |
7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid X of the Philistines. |
7 Meanwhile, the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had assembled themselves at Mizpah, and the lords of the Philistines mounted [an ssault] against Israel. When the children of Israel heard, then they became afraid of the Philistine’s presence. |
7 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי-הִתְקַבְּצוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיַּעֲלוּ סַרְנֵי-פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּרְאוּ מִפְּנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים: |
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8
καὶ
εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ
Ισραηλ πρὸς
Σαμουηλ Μὴ
παρασιωπήσῃς
ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν τοῦ
μὴ βοᾶν πρὸς
κύριον θεόν
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8
And
the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry to the
Lord |
8 And they said to Samuel: Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us out of the hand of the Philistines. |
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. |
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t let there be silence from us; you keep crying out to Yahweh our God so He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!” |
8 וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְנֵייִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלשְׁמוּאֵל אַל-תַּחֲרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ Qמִזְּעֹק אֶל-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים: |
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9 καὶ ἔλαβεν Σαμουηλ ἄρνα γαλαθηνὸν ἕνα καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν αὐτὸν ὁλοκαύτωσιν σὺν παντὶ [τῷ λαῷ] τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐβόησεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς κύριον περὶ Ισραηλ, καὶ ἐπήκουσεν αὐτοῦ κύριος. |
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it up as a whole-burnt-offering with all [the people] to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. |
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it whole for a holocaust to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. |
9
And
Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it
for
a
burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the
LORD for Israel; and the LORD |
9 So Samuel took one suckling lamb and offered it up whole as a burnt offering to Yahweh, and Samuel cried out to Yahweh in behalf of Israel, and Yahweh answered him! |
9 וַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל טְלֵה חָלָב אֶחָד וַיַּעֲלֶהR עוֹלָה כָּלִיל לַיהוָה וַיִּזְעַק שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל-יְהוָה בְּעַד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲנֵהוּS יְהוָה: |
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10
καὶ
ἦν Σαμουηλ
ἀναφέρων τὴν
ὁλοκαύτωσιν,
καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι
προσῆγον εἰς
πόλεμον ἐπὶ
Ισραηλ. καὶ
ἐβρόντησεν κύριος
ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ
ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους,
καὶ συνεχύ |
10
And
Samuel was offering the whole-burnt-offering; and the Philistines
drew near to war against Israel; and the Lord thundered with a
mighty sound in that day upon the Philistines, and |
10 And it came to pass, when Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines began the battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and terrified them, and they were overthrown before the face of Israel. |
10
And
as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew
near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great
|
10 So, there was Samuel, offering up the whole burnt offering while the Philistines engaged in battle with Israel, and then Yahweh rumbled with a loud voice on that day against the Philistines and made a commotion among them, so that they were routed in front of Israel! |
10 וַיְהִי שְׁמוּאֵל מַעֲלֶה הָעוֹלָה וּפְלִשְׁתִּים נִגְּשׁוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּרְעֵם יְהוָה בְּקוֹל- גָּדוֹל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא עַל-פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיְהֻמֵּםW וַיִּנָּגְפוּ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: |
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11 καὶ ἐξῆλθαν ἄνδρες Ισραηλ ἐκ Μασσηφαθ καὶ κατεδίωξαν τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτοὺς ἕως ὑποκάτω τοῦ Βαιθχορ. |
11 And the men of Israel went forth out of Massephath, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them to [the parts] under Baethchor. |
11 And the men of Israel going out of Masphath, pursued after the Philistines, and made slaughter of them till they came under Bethchar. |
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smoteX them, until they came under Bethcar. |
11 Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and they struck them down as far as below Beth-Car. |
11 וַיֵּצְאוּ אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן- הַמִּצְפָּה וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אֶת-פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכּוּם עַד-מִתַּחַת לְבֵית כָּרY: |
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12
καὶ
ἔλαβεν Σαμουηλ
λίθον ἕνα καὶ
ἔστησεν αὐτὸν
ἀνὰ μέσον Μασσηφαθ
καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον
τῆς |
12
And
Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Massephath and the |
12
And
Samuel took a stone, and laid it between Masphath and Sen: and he
called the |
12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, X saying, HithertoAA hath the LORD helped us. |
12 Therefore Samuel took one rock and placed it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it “Rock of the Help” and he said, “Yahweh has helped us up to this point!” |
12 וַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל אֶבֶן אַחַת וַיָּשֶׂם בֵּין-הַמִּצְפָּה וּבֵין הַשֵּׁן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמָהּ אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר וַיֹּאמַר עַד-הֵנָּהBB עֲזָרָנוּ יְהוָה: |
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13 καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν [κύριος] τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους, καὶ οὐ προσέθεντο ἔτι προσελθεῖν εἰς ὅριον Ισραηλ· καὶ ἐγενήθη χεὶρ κυρίου ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ Σαμουηλ. |
13 So [the Lord] humbled the Philistines, and they did not anymore come into the border of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. |
13 And the Philistines were humbled, and they did not come any more into the borders of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, all the days of Samuel. |
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they X X came no more into the coastCC of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. |
13 So, the Philistines were subordinated and did not try again to invade the territory of Israel, for the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. |
13 וַיִּכָּנְעוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְלֹא- יָסְפוּ עוֹד לָבוֹא בִּגְבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵלDD וַתְּהִי יַד- יְהוָה בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים כֹּל יְמֵי שְׁמוּאֵל: |
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14 καὶ ἀπεδόθησαν αἱ πόλεις, ἃς ἔλαβον οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι παρὰ [τῶν υἱῶν] Ισραηλ, [καὶ ἀπέδωκαν αὐτὰς τῷ Ισραηλ ἀπὸ Ἀσκαλῶνος ἕως Αζοβ,] καὶ τὸ ὅριον Ισραηλ ἀφείλαντο ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων. καὶ ἦν εἰρήνη ἀνὰ μέσον Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ Αμορραίου. |
14 And the cities which the Philistines took from [the children of Israel] were restored; [and they restored them to Israel from Ascalon to Azob:] and they took the coast of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines; and there was peace between Israel and the Amorite. |
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel, were restored to Israel, from Accaron to Geth, and their borders: and he delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and there was peace between Israel and the Amorrhites. |
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts [thereof] did Israel deliver out of the hand[s]EE of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. |
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel went back to belonging to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. Israel also delivered the border-country from the control of the Philistines, and it became peaceful between Israel and the Amorites. |
14 וַתָּשֹׁבְנָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ- פְלִשְׁתִּים מֵאֵת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֶקְרוֹן וְעַד-גַּת וְאֶת-גְּבוּלָן הִצִּיל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיְהִי שָׁלוֹם בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵין הָאֱמֹרִי: |
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15 καὶ ἐδίκαζεν Σαμουηλ τὸν Ισραηλ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ· |
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. |
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life: |
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. |
15 And Samuel presided as judge with Israel all the days of his life. |
15 וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּל יְמֵי חַיָּיוFF: |
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16 καὶ ἐπορεύετο κατ᾿ X ἐνιαυτὸν ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἐκύκλου Βαιθηλ καὶ τὴν Γαλγαλα καὶ τὴν Μασσηφαθ καὶ ἐδίκαζεν τὸν Ισραηλ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς [ἡγιασμένοις] τούτοις, |
16 And he went X year by year, and went round Baethel, and Galgala, and Massephath; and he judged Israel in all these [consecrated] places. |
16
And
he went every year about to Bethel and to Galgal and to Masphath,
and he judged Israel in the |
16
And
he went from X
year
to year |
16 And he would periodically travel, year by year, and make a circuit of Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he would judge Israel at all these places, |
16 וְהָלַךְ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה וְסָבַב בֵּיתאֵל וְהַגִּלְגָּל וְהַמִּצְפָּה וְשָׁפַט אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל-הַמְּקוֹמוֹתGG הָאֵלֶּה: |
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17 ἡ δὲ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς Αρμαθαιμ, ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἦν ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐδίκαζεν ἐκεῖ τὸν Ισραηλ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ. |
17 And his return was to Armathaim, because there was his house; and there he judged Israel, and built there an altar to the Lord. |
17 And he returned to Ramatha: for there was his house, and there he judged Israel: he built also there an altar to the Lord. |
17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD. |
17 but his returning-place was to Ramah because his house was there, and he judged Israel there, and he had built an altar to Yahweh there. |
17 וּתְשֻׁבָתוֹHH הָרָמָתָה כִּי-שָׁם בֵּיתוֹ וְשָׁם שָׁפָט אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבֶן- שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה: פ |
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1Antiquities l. 6. c. 1. sect. 4.
2“[T]he most probable opinion is, that so many yeares were alreadie expired, since the first remooue of the Arke to Kiriathiearim, unto the solemne time here mentioned of the conuersion, and returning of the people to God, and forsaking of their filthie idols.” ~Willett (Goldman, Tsumura, Gill, and Henry agreed with this assessment.)
3“Procopius Gazaeus observes, from ‘aster’, a star; but the word signifies flocks of sheep… female deities, such as with other nations went by the name of Juno, Venus, &c. so the Arabic version,"the idols of the women ye secretly worship.'' ~John Gill
4Nowhere else in the Bible does that happen again, so there is some conjecture as to what it meant.
5Gill added another possible meaning gleaned from Rashi: “and of the atonement and expiation of their sins, which passed away as water to be remembered no more” Henry liked this position and supported it from 2 Sam. 14:14.
6Note every instance of “drawing” water up to this point: Gen. 24:11-20, 43-45; Deut. 29:10; Josh. 9:21-27; Ruth 2:9
7This was suggested by Goldman and Gill. Other Bible scholars (Abarbinel, Gill) argue that the Jews didn’t have to do any fighting at all, but v.11 seems to indicate they did kill some in battle.
8according to Jewish tradition in the Targum and Josephus’ Antiquities 6.3.1
9David Tsumura, in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament. John Gill and Keil & Delitzsch agreed with this, but Andrew Willett argued against “the usuall interpretation, which taketh Bethel for a proper name” and for translating (“House of God”) rather than transliterating (“Beth-el”) the name, citing Junius for support.
10“[T]he whole sequence assumes a landscape of several sacred locations” ~D.E. Fleming, quoted by Tsumura
11“[T]hough he were but a Levite, and so ordinarily was not to offer sacrifice; yet by the extraordinarie calling of a Prophet, he had warrant to do it: and therefore it is said afterward, v. 17. that he built an altar unto God. So the Prophet Elias also offered sacrifice, 1 Ki. 18. this is also the opinion of D. Kimchi… [Despite the prohibition in Deuteronomy against building an altar anywhere but where God appointed His tabernacle, Samuel’s construction of an altar in Ramah instaed of Kiriath Jearim was warranted by reason of] no certen place beeing yet appointed for the resiance of the Arke [it being kept in a private residence], and the propheticall & extraordinarie direction that Samuel had.” ~Willett
12Kimchi, Goldman, Kirkpatrick, and Gill solved the problem by saying that this peaceful time was only during Samuel’s active judgeship, but Keil & Delitzsch noted, “this is at variance with v.15, where Samuel is said to have judged Israel all the days of his life.”
13“The somewhat idealized picture of domestic stability and of territorial integrity is manifestly intended to demonstrate the sufficiency of the old theocratic order which is about to be called in question.” ~R.P. Gordon, quoted by Tsumura
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea
Scroll containing any part of 1 Samuel 7 is 4Q51 Samuela,
which contains fragments of v. 1 (highlighted in purple), and which
has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS supports the LXX
with text not in the MT, I highlighted
with yellow the LXX and its translation into English.
BNIV = guard, ESV = have charge of
CAlthough obliterated at this point, there is too much room between the legible words before and after this in the DSS for the text of the MT. This would support the insertion of the word “covenant” here which is in the LXX. That doesn’t change the story, for it is the same ark.
DThe
letters shin and resh, which are not in the MT, appear
here in the DSS, and the rest of the chapter is obliterated. Perhaps
it is the second and third letter of the Hebrew relative pronoun
“which,” further introducing the information about
Abinadab’s house and changing nothing of the meaning. There is
no relative pronoun in the LXX or Vulgate here.
Abinadab means
“my father is generous”
E“Not as priest, but as guardian of the ark.” ~Goldman
FLucian recension of the LXX reads epestreyen (“turned unto”)
GNASB/NIV = remained, ESV = was lodged
H“נָהָה, to lament or complain ([Only other Hebrew Bible occurrences are] Mic. 2:4; Eze. 32:18). ‘The phrase, to lament after God, is taken from human affairs, when one person follows another with earnest solicitations and complaints, until he at length assents. We have an example of this in the Syrophenician woman in Matt 15.’” (Keil & Delitzsch, quoting Seb. Schmidt)
IThe phrase “all the house of Israel” which occurs here and in the next verse only occurs 10 other places in the Hebrew Bible: Exod. 40:38; Lev. 10:6; Num. 20:29; Jer. 13:11; Ezek. 3:7; 5:4; 20:40; 36:10; 37:11; 39:25.
JOf the 9 other times this phrase “after Yahweh” occurs in the Hebrew Bible, three include the verb “went/walked” (Num. 32:12; 2 Chr. 34:31; Hos. 11:10, and six are like this instance which omit the verb (Deut. 1:36; 13:5; Jos. 14:8-9, 14; 1 Ki. 11:6), but all are descriptions of faith.
KNASB = remove, NIV = rid
L“the turning of the people to the Lord their God had already inwardly commenced, and indeed, as the participle שָׁבִים expresses duration” ~K&D
MCf. Psalm 78:8, 2 Chron. 30:19
NNASB
= sons, NIV omits, ESV = people
(same in vs. 6, 7, 8)
O"Samuel appointed Mizpeh, i.e., Nebi Samwil, on the western boundary of the tribe of Benjamin (see Josh. 18:26), as the place of meeting, partly no doubt on historical grounds, viz., because it was there that the tribes had formerly held their consultations respecting the wickedness of the inhabitants of Gibeah, and had resolved to make war upon Benjamin (Jdg. 20:1.), but still more no doubt, because Mizpeh, on the western border of the mountains, was the most suitable place for commencing the conflict with the Philistines." ~K&D
PThe word “there” is missing in the Septuagint as well as a couple of Hebrew manuscripts and Latin and Syriac editions; the story is not changed by its omission.
Q“Privative min… lit., ‘from’...” ~Tsumura cf. Psalm 28:1
RMasorite
scribes have suggested adding a 3rd
person
singular pronomial suffix (“it”) by adding a vav
(Qere
= וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ)
or a long “u” vowel under the final letter (as the BHS
did here). There is such a pronoun there in the Septuagint and
Vulgate. On the next two words, cf. Psalm 51:19, the only other
verse in the Hebrew Bible with both ‘olah
and
caliyl.
Gill
noted: “the
whole of it was burnt, skin and all, whereas the skin was the
priest's in other burnt offerings; and...
the
word being feminine, the Jews gather from hence, as Jarchi notes,
that females might be offered at a private altar.”
K&D
add: "כָּלִיל
is
not synonymous with עֹולָה,
but simply affirms that the lamb was offered upon the altar without
being cut up or divided”
Scf. Psalm 99:6
TOther Greek versions from the 2nd and 4th centuries follow the MT with an active verb with a singular subject followed by a plural object: Aquila = efagedainisen autouV (“he devoured(?) them”), Theodotian = exesthsen autouV (“he ousted them”)
UESV = mighty sound
VNASB/NIV = routed, ESV = defeated
Wcf. when the LORD threw the Egyptian army into “confusion” in Ex. 14:24
XNIV = slaughtering
YJosephus (Antiqu. 6.2.2) calls this place Corraea and the “boundary of the Philistines’ flight;” and in the Targum it is Bethsaron, which signifies a fruitful field or champaign country.
ZIn the 2nd century AD, instead of transliterating the Hebrew word into Greek (Shen), Symmachus translated it akrwthriou (“high point”), for the Hebrew word shen means “tooth/sharp point/cliff.” The Syriac and LXX editors came up with “old place” under the assumption that the root is ישן, as Tsumura put it, “the semi-vowel [y] assimilating to the following consonant.” Commentators McCarter and R.P. Gordon followed by Tsumura therefore translated it “Jeshen” (or some spelling variant thereof), noting a person by that name in 2. Sam. 23:32. Willet’s commentary is: “The most make it the proper name of a place, and call it ‘Shen’ (Chaldee ‘Sinai’)... But I rather assent unto Junius, which translateth it scopulum, a rocke, or rather the crag of a rocke; which hangeth ouer like a tooth, for so shen signifieth: and so Pagnine here readeth: and it appeareth to be so upon these reasons: 1. because this word shen is so taken [in 1 Sam.] 14:5. 2. in the former v[erse] the name of this rocke is set down, it is there called Bethcar: and hereunto Josephus consenteth, who saith, that this stone was set up among the Coreans (whence Bethcar hath the name) in the coasts of the Philistims.” (John Gill agreed with this.)
AANASB/NIV = thus far, ESV = ‘till now
BB“… has both spacial and temporal significances… Both interpretations are not only possible but also probably intended by Samuel.” ~Tsumura (cf. Paul’s similar statement in Acts 26:22)
CCNASB = border, NIV/ESV = territory
DD“While Samuel lived, Saul beeing king, the Israelites were much anoyed by the Philistims, as is shewed in the 13. and 14. chapters: therefore this must so be understood, that the Philistims inuaded not Israel to inlarge their bounds, and to take from them their cities, nor yet obtained any victorie ouer Israel: yet the Philistims had their garrisons, and maintained and kept that which they had gotten: as it is evident, c. 10.5. and 13.3.” ~Willett
EENIV = power
FF“How [is] Samuel said to have judged Israel all the days of his life, seeing while he lived Saul was made king? 1. Although Saul were anointed king by Samuel, who lived divers yeares after Sauls election to the kingdome; yet Samuel altogether gave not ouer the regiment, but continually watched ouer the people, to direct them in the ways of the Lord. Osiand. 2. And therefore Saul and Samuel are joyned together, c. 11.7 ‘Whosoever commeth not after Saul and Samuel, so shall his oxen be served.’ Hereof also it is, that Act. 13.21. fourtie yeares of gouernment are given unto Saul and Samuel joyntly, as having one common and joynt administration of the kingdome.” ~Willett
GG“But here this doubt ariseth, how Samuel could absent himself from the Lords house, & keepe at Ramah, seeing he was consecrated unto God by his mother, during his life, c. 1.28. Some thinke, that it was lawfull for Samuel, when the time of his ministerie and service was ouer, to goe unto his owne house: Pellican. but Annahs vow was more strict, for she did give him so unto the Lord, that he should abide there for ever, c. 1.22. and if he had departed from the Lords house, when his course of serving had beene past, he had beene no more tied, then other common Levites. 3. Therefore the better solution is, that so long as the house of God was knowne to be at Shiloh, Samuel was bound unto that place by his vow: but now Shiloh beeing desolate, and no certaine place appointed of God, where the Arke should be setled, Samuel in that behalfe was freed of his vow, with the which, necessitie in this case dispensed. Borr. The like we read of the sons of Rechab, who were bound by their fathers vowe to dwell in tents: yet in case of necessitie, when the host of the Chaldeans had inuaded the land, they went to dwell in Ierusalem for feare of the enemie. Ierem. 35.11. 4. Further it may be answered, that vowes so long hold, till Gods pleasure be otherwise knowne: Samuel beeing now called to be a Judge, could not be confined to a certaine place: God therefore dispensed with that vow.” ~Willett
HHEvery other instance of this noun means the annual season of “spring” (2 Sam. 11:1; 1 Ki. 20:22, 26; 1 Chr. 20:1; 2 Chr. 36:10), but the pronomial suffix leads most folks away from that interpretation.