1 Samuel 7
7
1 Then the people#tn Heb “men.” of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.
Further Conflict with the Philistines
2 It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people#tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse). of Israel longed for#tn Heb “mourned after”; NIV “mourned and sought after”; KJV, NRSV “lamented after”; NAB “turned to”; NCV “began to follow…again.” the Lord. 3 Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth.#tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. The presence of Ashtarot in Israel is a sign of pervasive pagan and idolatrous influences; hence Samuel calls for their removal. See 1 Sam 31:10, where the Philistines deposit the armor of the deceased Saul in the temple of the Ashtarot, and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13, where Solomon is faulted for worshiping the Ashtarot. Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you#tn Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result. from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites#tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 6 After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed#tn Heb “said.” there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led#tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.” the people of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep#tn Heb “don’t stop.” crying out to the Lord our#tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.” God so that he may save us#tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result. from the hand of the Philistines!” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb#tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.” and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
10 As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel.#tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.” But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by#tn Heb “before.” Israel. 11 Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.
12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen.#tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.” He named it Ebenezer,#sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name. saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control#tn Heb “hand.” of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15 So Samuel led#tn Heb “judged” (also in v. 17). Israel all the days of his life. 16 Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel,#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged#tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”). Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.
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1 Samuel 7
7
Revival and Victory at Mizpah
1The men of Kiriath Jearim came and brought up the ark of Yahweh, and they brought it to the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. They consecrated Eleazer his son to guard the ark of Yahweh. 2From#Literally “And it happened from” the day the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, days multiplied and became twenty years#Literally “and the days were numerous, and they were twenty years” while all the house of Israel mourned after Yahweh. 3And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If with all your heart you are turning to Yahweh, remove the foreign gods and Ashtoreths#Hebrew plural “Ashtaroth” (Ashtoreth was the female consort of Ba’al) from your midst. Commit your hearts to Yahweh and serve him alone. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4So the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” removed the Baals#Hebrew plural “Be’alim” (Ba’al was a major Canaanite deity) and the Ashtoreths, and they served Yahweh alone.
5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.” 6So they gathered to Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh. They fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh!” So Samuel judged the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” at Mizpah. 7Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” had gathered at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.#Literally “and they were afraid from (= because of) the presence of the Philistines” 8Then the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” said to Samuel, “You must not cease#Literally “You must not be silent from us” from crying out to Yahweh our God, so that he will deliver us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9So Samuel took a single nursing lamb#Literally “lamb of milk” and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Then Samuel cried out to Yahweh on behalf of Israel, and Yahweh answered him. 10While#Literally “And it happened” Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for the battle against Israel. But Yahweh thundered against the Philistines with a great noise on that day and threw them into confusion so that they were defeated before Israel. 11Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and they struck them down as far as below Beth Car.
12So Samuel took a single stone and put it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer and said, “Up to here Yahweh has helped us.” 13So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come into the territory of Israel again, and the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14The towns#Or “cities” which the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territories from the hand of the Philistines. Then there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
The Circuit Ministry of Samuel
15Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16He used to go on the circuit from year to year.#Literally “from what is required year in year” He went around Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. 17Then he returned#Literally “and his return was” to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he judged Israel, and he built an altar to Yahweh there.
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