1 Samuel 7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 7

In this chapter we have, I. The eclipsing of the glory of the ark, by its privacy in Kirjath-jearim for many years, 1 Sam. 7:1, 2. II. The appearing of the glory of Samuel in his public services for the good of Israel, to whom he was raised up to be a judge, and he was the last that bore that character. This chapter gives us all the account we have of him when he was in the prime of his time; for what we had before was in his childhood (1 Sam. 2:1-3:21); what we have of him after was in his... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:1-2

Here we must attend the ark to Kirjath-jearim, and then leave it there, to hear not a word more of it except once (1 Sam. 14:18), till David fetched it thence, about forty years after, 1 Chron. 13:6. I. We are very willing to attend it thither, for the men of Beth-shemesh have by their own folly made that a burden which might have been a blessing; and gladly would we see it among those to whom it will be a savour of life unto life, for in every place where it has been of late it has been a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:3-6

We may well wonder where Samuel was and what he was doing all this while, for we have not had him so much as named till now, since 1 Sam. 4:1; not as if he were unconcerned, but his labours among his people are not mentioned till there appears the fruit of them. When he perceived that they began to lament after the Lord he struck while the iron was hot, and two things he endeavoured to do for them, as a faithful servant of God and a faithful friend to the Israel of God:? I. He endeavoured to... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:7-12

Here, I. The Philistines invade Israel (1 Sam. 7:7), taking umbrage from that general meeting for repentance and prayer as if it had been a rendezvous for war, and, if so, they thought it prudent to keep the war out of their own country. They had no just cause for this suspicion; but those that seek to do mischief to others will be forward to imagine that others design mischief to them. Now see here, 1. How evil sometimes seems to come out of good. The religious meeting of the Israelites at... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:13-17

We have here a short account of the further good services that Samuel did to Israel. Having parted them from their idols, and brought them home to their God, he had put them into a capacity of receiving further benefits by his ministry. Having prevailed in that, he becomes, in other instances, a great blessing to them; yet, writing it himself, he is brief in the relation. We are not told here, but it appears (2 Chron. 35:18) that in the days of Samuel the prophet the people of Israel kept the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 7

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 7 This chapter gives an account of the ark being brought to Kirjathjearim, where it continued twenty years, 1 Samuel 7:1 of the exhortation of Samuel to the people of Israel to reform from idolatry, and which had its desired effect, 1 Samuel 7:3 of Samuel's praying for the people, and offering sacrifices for them, and of the success thereof, victory over their enemies, 1 Samuel 7:5 , and of his administration of justice to them, and constancy in it, 1... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:1

And the men of Kirjathjearim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord ,.... From Bethshemesh, which was near unto them, as Josephus F7 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 4. says; they made no difficulty of fetching it, but gladly received it; for if they knew of what happened to the men of Bethshemesh, they knew it was not owing to the presence of the ark among them, but to their irreverent behaviour to it; and though Kirjathjearim was not a Levite city, and so the men of it could not bear the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:2

And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long ,.... It could not be less than between forty and fifty years, for it remained here until the times of David, who removed it from hence after he was made king over all Israel, and when he had reigned over Judah seven years; and from the death of Eli to that time, which included the government of Samuel and Saul, it could not be less than what has been hinted: for it was twenty years ; not that this was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:3

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel ,.... When they assembled at one of their three yearly feasts, or as he went from place to place, exhorting them to repentance and reformation; and perceiving they began to be awakened to a sense of their sins, and seemed desirous of returning to God, and restoring his worship: saying, if ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts ; truly and sincerely; for he might fear there was hypocrisy and dissimulation at least in some of them: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 7:4

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth ,.... Both their male and female deities, of which see Judges 2:13 . and served the Lord Only ; Dr. Lightfoot F9 Works, vol. 1. p. 54. observes, that a spirit of repentance and conversion came generally upon all the people; a matter and a time as remarkable as almost any we read of in Scripture, one only parallel to it; and that is in Acts, chapters two and three, at the great conversion there. read more

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