and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of A. c. 1116. their emerods. 12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. 16 And when the 'five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; 18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the *great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Or, great LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite. 19 And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? 21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. 1 SAMUEL VII. VER. 1. 1 And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abi stone. A.C. 1116. nadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. SECTION XIII. Government of Samuel. 1 SAMUEL VII 22. VER. 2, TO THE END. 2 23 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. h i 3 ¶ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. k Deut. vi. 13. k Matt. iv. 10. Luke iv. 8. 1 Judg. ii. 11. *Heb. be not silent from us 4 Then the children of Israel did put away' Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. 5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. 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. 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 of the Philistines. 8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, *Cease from crying not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. 9 ¶ And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for 22 Bishop Horsley thinks this seventh chapter is merely introductory to the several events related in those which follow it, as far as the twenty-fifth.-Bib. Crit. vol. i. p. 321. 23 The meaning is not, that the ark was at Kirjath-jearim only twenty years, but that twenty years elapsed before the people received from Samuel any hope of Jehovah's interposition for their deliverance. The expression (1 Sam. vii. 1.) “the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill," means that they removed it, not from the city altogether, but to the highest part, the citadel, which was consecrated to its service. The word Kirjath-jearim signifies the city of the woods The continuance of the ark in this place explains the difficulty in Psalm cxxxii. 6. “We heard of the ark at Ephratah, or Shiloh in Ephraim; and found it at Kirjath-jearim, the fields of the wood."-Dr. Wells, vol. ii. in loc.; Bishop Patrick in loc.; Horsley's Bib. Crit. vol. i. p. 320; Lightfoot. a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried A. C. 1006. unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD *heard him. * Or, an 10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the swered." Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it † Eben-ezer, say- +That is, The ing, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. 13 ¶ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. more 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 hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. stone of help: ch. iv. 1. he circuited. 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year ‡ in circuit to Beth-el, Heb. and and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. 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. 1 SAMUEL VIII. 1 By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was § Joel; and the 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us o Hos. xiii. 10. like all the nations 24. 24 The laws of Moses will appear to be drawn up with the most perfect wisdom. Knowing the changeableness of the human mind, he had anticipated the Acts xiii. 21 A.C. 1095. 6 ¶ But the thing * displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the evil in the eyes LORD. *Heb. was of Samuel. + Or, obey. + Or, not 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: 1howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner hast solemnly of the king that shall reign over them. withstanding when thou protested against them, then thou shalt shew, &c. Heb. eunuchs. 10 ¶ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take and your sons, арpoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. maid 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his § officers, and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants, and servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. your 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep and ye be his servants. shall 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. 19 ¶ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice decision to which the people had now arrived by demanding a king. He speci fies, therefore, (Deut. xvii. 14, &c.) the duties the king was required to perform; and Samuel, at the coronation of Saul, prepared a writing in which the powers and privileges of the sovereign were distinctly laid down; and this writing was carefully deposited in the sanctuary. Vide more on this subject in Michaelis, Commentary, vol. i. art. 54 to 63. of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king A.C. 1095. over us; 20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. a CHAPTER VI. The Reign of Saul. SECTION I. Saul made King over Israel. 1 SAMUEL IX. 1 Chron. viii. 1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Be- a Ch. xiv. 51. chorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of † power. * the 2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. 3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. 5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. 6 And he said unto him, Behold, now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. 33 *Or, the son 7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in Heb is gone our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what & have we? out of, &c. (Heb. is with us. ". 8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, || I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of Heb. there is found in my hand. |