1 Samuel 7
7
1So the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, appointing his son Eleazar as guardian of the ark of the Lord.
Samuel the Judge. 2From the day the ark came to rest in Kiriath-jearim, a long time, twenty years, elapsed, and the whole house of Israel turned to the Lord. 3Then Samuel addressed the whole house of Israel: “If you would return to the Lord with your whole heart, remove your foreign gods and your Astartes, fix your hearts on the Lord, and serve him alone, then the Lord will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”#1 Sm 12:10, 20, 24; Jos 24:23; Jgs 6:6–10; 10:10–16. 4So the Israelites removed their Baals and Astartes,#Baals and Astartes: a Deuteronomistic phrase; cf. Jgs 2:13; 10:6; 1 Sm 12:10. Baal and Astarte were Canaanite divinities. and served the Lord alone. 5Samuel then gave orders, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, that I may pray to the Lord for you.”#1 Sm 10:17; Jgs 20:1. 6When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out#Drew water and poured it out: this ritual act does not appear elsewhere in the Old Testament. Linked with fasting and admission of sin, it seems to function as a purification ritual that washes away the guilt incurred by worshiping the Canaanite Baal and his consort Astarte. Its effectiveness is immediately evident when the Lord thunders a response to Samuel’s offering. on the ground before the Lord, and they fasted that day, saying, “We have sinned against the Lord.” It was at Mizpah that Samuel began to judge the Israelites.#Jgs 20:26; Ps 22:14; Lam 2:19.
Rout of the Philistines. 7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their leaders went up against Israel. Hearing this, the Israelites became afraid of the Philistines 8and appealed to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, to save us from the hand of the Philistines.”#Jos 24:7; Jgs 3:9, 15; 6:6; 10:15. 9Samuel therefore took an unweaned lamb and offered it whole as a burnt offering to the Lord.#2 Sm 22:14–15; Sir 46:16–18. He cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for battle with Israel. That day, however, the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines, and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.#Ex 9:23; 2 Sm 22:14. 11Thereupon the Israelites rushed out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down even beyond Beth-car. 12Samuel then took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer,#Ebenezer: “stone of the helper,” i.e., the Lord. explaining, “As far as this place the Lord has been our help.” 13Thus were the Philistines subdued, never again to enter the territory of Israel, for the hand of the Lord was against them as long as Samuel lived.#Jgs 3:20; 8:28; 11:33. 14The cities from Ekron to Gath which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to them. Israel also freed the territory of these cities from Philistine domination. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.#The Amorites: enemies in Transjordan. Israel is now secure, safe from external and internal threat.
15Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. 16He made a yearly circuit, passing through Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah#Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah: Bethel and Mizpah are located about five and eight miles north of Jerusalem respectively, in the district around Ramah, Samuel’s home. Perhaps Gilgal, which has not been definitively located, was also in this area. and judging Israel at each of these places. 17Then he used to return to Ramah, for that was his home. There, too, he judged Israel and built an altar to the Lord.#1 Sm 9:12; 14:35.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Kings 7
7
1And 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.
2And it came to pass, that from the day the ark of the Lord abode in Cariathiarim days were multiplied (for it was now the twentieth year,) and all the house of Israel rested following the Lord.
3And 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.
4Then the children of Israel put away Baalim and Astaroth, and served the Lord only.
5And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Masphath, that I may pray to the Lord for you.
6And 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.
7And 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.
8And 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.
9And 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.
10And 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.
11And the men of Israel going out of Masphath pursued after the Philistines, and made slaughter of them till they came under Bethchar.
12And Samuel took a stone, and laid it between Masphath and Sen: and he called the place, the Stone of Help. And he said: Thus far the Lord hath helped us.
13And 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.
14And 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.
15And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life:
16And he went every year about to Bethel and to Galgal and to Masphath; and he judged Israel in the aforesaid places.
17And he returned to Ramatha; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel. He built also there an altar to the Lord.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.