1 Samuel 7 - Printer Friendly

What does 1 Samuel 7 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The first two verses of 1 Samuel 7 bring the episode of the capture and return of the ark of the Lord to an anti-climax. The ark has been returned to Israel by the Philistines, but the people of Israel are not ready to serve the Lord. They continue in their sinful worship of foreign gods.

The men of Kiriath-jearim pick up the ark from Beth-shemesh, where the Lord killed seventy of their men for treating it improperly (1 Samuel 6:19). The ark is delivered to the house of a man named Abinadab, likely a Levite and a priest. Abinadab's son Eleazar is consecrated to take charge of the ark. It sits in silence in Kiriath-jearim for the next twenty years (1 Samuel 7:1–2).

Samuel returns to the narrative. After twenty years, the people of Israel are ready to repent and cry out to the Lord to save them from the oppression of the Philistines. Samuel tells them if they really mean it, they must throw away all the foreign gods and goddesses—"Baals" and "Ashtaroth"—they have been worshiping. They must set their hearts on the Lord and serve Him only (1 Samuel 7:3).

Once the people do as Samuel has said, he calls the nation to gather at Mizpah, where he will pray to the Lord for them. They gather and fast from food and perhaps even water. They pour out water before the Lord apparently as a sign of repentance or cleansing or need. The people confess they have sinned against God and submit to Samuel as judge or deliverer (1 Samuel 7:4–6).

When the Philistines hear that the Israelites have amassed at Mizpah, they assume Israel is getting ready to revolt against their rule. The five lords of the Philistines send an army to Mizpah to quash the rebellion before it can start. Learning of this, the Israelites urge Samuel to keep praying to God for their deliverance (1 Samuel 7:7–8).

As the Philistine forces are approaching, Samuel offers the sacrifice of a young lamb as a whole burnt offering and cries out to God for Israel. The Lord responds by thundering an ear-splitting sound against the Philistines and throwing them into such confusion that the men of Israel can chase and defeat them (1 Samuel 7:9–11).

Samuel sets up a stone nearby and calls it "Ebenezer," which means "stone of help." The prophet wants people to remember that the Lord has been helping His people all along to this very day (1 Samuel 7:12).

The Philistines are driven from Israelite territory and even out of the eastern part of the territory they have been occupying. God's hand remains against the Philistines while Samuel lives, and the Israelites even make peace with the Amorites, the ancient occupants of Canaan. A season of rest and peace falls on the land (1 Samuel 7:13–14).

Samuel spends his life as judge of Israel. In carrying out his leadership duties, he travels a circuit that includes Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, along with his hometown of Ramah, where he builds an altar to the Lord (1 Samuel 7:15–17).

First Samuel 7:1–2 concludes the episode of the capture of the ark of the Lord and its return to Israel by the Philistines. The men of Kiriath-jearim bring the ark from Beth-shemesh to the house of Abinadab. His son, Eleazar, is consecrated and takes charge of the ark. It sits in a kind of silent storage at Kiriath-jearim for twenty years until Israel finally repents and asks God to save them from Philistine oppression.

First Samuel 7:3–14 begins with Samuel's instructions for the people to throw away their foreign gods and serve the Lord only. The nation gathers at Mizpah to confess and repent. Seeing what looks like an amassed army, the Philistines plan an attack. Samuel offers a sacrifice and cries out to the Lord, who thunders against the Philistines and throws them into confusion. The Israelites strike them down and drive them out of Israelite territory. Israel also has peace with the local Amorites.

First Samuel 7:15–17 serves as a summary of Samuel's time as a judge. The next passage introduces Israel's transition to leadership under a king. Samuel lived in Ramah, where he provided leadership for Israel and built an altar to God. Samuel also took an annual trip through three Israelite cities, where he also judged.

Chapter Summary:

Twenty years after the ark of the Lord is taken to Kiriath-jearim, Samuel calls for the people to repent. They should discard foreign gods and serve the true Lord. Gathered at Mizpah, the people confess their sin. With the Philistines approaching to attack, Samuel offers a sacrifice and cries out to God. The Lord responds with loud thunder against the Philistines and throws them into confusion. The Israelites strike them down and drive them out of Israelite territory. Samuel serves as judge over Israel for the rest of his life.

Chapter Context:

First Samuel 7 begins with the arrival of the previously captured ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 4—6) at Kiriath-jearim. There it sits for twenty years. Samuel then calls the people to repent and throw away the foreign gods they have been worshiping. At Mizpah, the nation is gathered to confess their sin and fast. With the Philistines approaching, Samuel offers a sacrifice and cries out to God. The Lord confuses the Philistines, and the Israelites strike them down and force them out of Israelite territory. Unfortunately, after this, Israel will seek to appoint a king so they can be like the other nations in the area (1 Samuel 8).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 5/7/2024 1:16:54 AM