Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 1. ANd the word of Samuel came to all Iſrael.] Or, came to paſſe; the meaning is, that Samuel as a Prophet made known the word of the Lord, as to Eli before, ſo afterwards to all Iſrael, reproving them for their ſinnes, and telling them beforehand the judgements that would fall upon them, if they did not repent. All which did accordingly come upon them.
Now Iſrael went againſt the Philiſtines to battel, &c.] Who began now again to invade the land of Iſrael. It may ſeem that all the fourtie years of Elies judging Iſrael they had been quiet; happely becauſe they had been ſo exceedingly weakned by the ſlaughter which Samſon made ſo often among them, eſpecially at his death; where no doubt moſt of their princes and lords were ſlain, Judg. 16.30. And Samſon ſaid, Let me die with the Philiſtines; and he bowed himſelf with all his might: and the houſe fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein: ſo the dead which he ſlew at his death, were mo then they which he ſlew in his life. But now they began again to quarrell with the Iſraelites, and that no doubt not without the ſecret counſell of God, who intended to puniſh hereby both the Prieſts and people of Iſrael; and hereupon it was, that the Philiſtines being entred upon the land of Iſrael, the Iſraelites were gathered together to fight with them; now the camp of the Iſraelites was beſides Eben-ezer, that is, a place where afterward a ſtone was erected that was called Eben-ezer, the occaſion whereof we may ſee chap. 7.11, 12. and the camp of the Philiſtines was in Aphek, a citie in the tribe of Judah, which bordered upon the land of the Philiſtines: ſee Joſh. 15.53.
Verſ. 3. Wherefore hath the Lord ſmitten us to day before the Philiſtines? Let us fetch the Ark, &c.] Though idolatrie and many other groſſe ſinnes were at this time rife amongſt the Iſraelites; They provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealouſie with their graven images, ſaith the Pſalmiſt concerning theſe very times, Pſal. 78.58. yet ſo blind and ſtupid they were, that becauſe they were the ſeed of Abraham, and the people of God, they wondered why God ſhould take the uncircumciſed Philiſtines part againſt them, never minding or mentioning their own wickedneſſe, which had provoked the Lord to bring theſe miſeries upon them; Wherefore, ſay they, hath the Lord ſmitten us to day before the Philiſtines? and vainly they thought to mend all for the future, by fetching the Ark of God to be amongſt them: Let us, ſay they, fetch the Ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may ſave us out of the hand of our enemies. Now however they were moved no doubt to take this courſe: firſt, becauſe the Ark was the ſigne of Gods preſence amongſt them; whence it is ſaid verſ. 4. that the people ſent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the Ark of the covenant of the Lord of hoſts, which dwelleth between the Cherubims: and ſecondly, becauſe the Iſraelites in former times had prevailed mightily againſt their enemies, when the Ark was amongſt them, as when they vanquiſhed the Midianites, Num. 31.6. and at the ſacking of Jericho, when the walls of the citie fell down before them, Joſh. 6.4, 5. and on the other ſide, when the Ark was not with them, they had gone by the worſt, as when they went out to fight againſt the Canaanites, Num. 14.44, 45. They preſumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheles the Ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moſes departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and ſmote them, and diſcomfited them even to Hormah: and therefore it ſeems afterwards to have been an uſuall cuſtome to carrie forth the Ark into the field with them; for Saul had it with him when he was in arms againſt the Philiſtines, chap. 14.18. Saul ſaid unto Ahiah, Bring hither the Ark of God (for the Ark of God was at that time with the children of Iſrael): and Joab (as ſome think) had it with him when he went out againſt the Ammonites, the Ark, and Iſrael, and Judah abide in tents, ſaid Uriab, 2. Sam. 11.11. yet becauſe at preſent they did merely reſt upon the outward ſigne, and did not repent them of their ſinnes, whereby they had forfeited their intereſt in God, nor ſeek to make their peace with God, as they ought to have done; therefore their confidence in the Ark was groundleſſe and vain, and the ſigne of Gods preſence became ineffectuall amongſt them. And doubtleſſe there was a ſecret overruling hand of God in this their ſudden reſolution to fetch the Ark into the camp, whereby he made way to the delivering up the Ark into the power of the enemie, and to the death of the two ſonnes of Eli, who coming along with the Ark, were ſlain by the Philiſtines.
Verſ. 4. And the two ſonnes of Eli Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the covenant of God.] To wit, either to carrie it, as Num. 4.15. or at leaſt to attend it.
Verſ. 7. And the Philiſtines were afraid; for they ſaid, God is come into the camp.] This happely the Philiſtines ſpake, as thinking the Ark to be ſome repreſentation of the God of the Iſraelites▪ and having the ſame opinion of it as they had of their own idols; at leaſt they conceived that there was ſome divine power that went along with the Ark where it went, which was the reaſon why they were ſtricken with ſuch aſtoniſhment and fear.
And they ſaid, Wo unto us; for there hath not been ſuch a thing heretofore.] That is, in former conflicts we have had with them, they uſed not to bring their Ark into the camp; even by this unwonted ſhout of the Iſraelites we may ſee how much greater their hope and confidence is now, then it hath been formerly.
Verſ. 8. Theſe are the Gods that ſmote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderneſſe.] In the former part of this clauſe it is manifeſt, that the Philiſtines ſpeak of thoſe divers great plagues wherewith the Lord ſmote both Pharaoh and his people in Egypt, thereby forcing them to let his people go; but theſe words (in the wilderneſſe) are added in the cloſe, becauſe in the overthrow of the Egyptians in the red ſea (which joyned to the deſert of Etham, Exod. 13.20.) there was a conſummation of all the former plagues.
Verſ. 13. For his heart trembled for the Ark of God.] Which proceeded partly from the guiltineſſe of his conſcience, and the remembrance of thoſe heavie things which had been ſpoken to him; firſt by the man of God, chap. 2.27. and then by Samuel, chap. 3.18. and partly from the great care be took above all for the Ark, leſt that ſhould fall into the hands of the uncircumciſed Philiſtines.
Verſ. 15. Now Eli was ninetie and eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not ſee.] His age is mentioned as the cauſe of his blindneſſe; his blindneſſe as the cauſe why he took no notice of this dolefull meſſenger till he perceived ſomewhat was amiſſe by the crie of the people.
Verſ. 18. And it came to paſſe when he made mention of the Ark of God, that he fell from off the ſeat.] This implies, firſt, the ſuddenneſſe of his death; no ſooner did the meſſenger make mention of the Ark, but preſently his heart died within him, and ſo falling down backward he brake his neck: and ſecondly, how grievous it was to him to heare the Ark was taken; though he was able to endure the relation of the flight and ſlaughter of the people, yea, of the death of his two ſonnes, yet as ſoon as he began the relation of the arks being taken, that preſently ſtruck him into a deadly ſwo…n. As for the gate from the ſeat whereof he fell, either it was the gate of the city, or of the Tabernacle; and if the laſt be meant, very obſervable it is, that in the place where his ſonnes had ſo grievouſly ſinned, chap. 2.22. this heavy hand of God ſhould fall upon him.
For he was an old man, and heavy.] Both his weakneſſe through age, and the corpulency and unwieldneſſe of his body were the cauſe, that falling he brake his neck; and therefore are they here expreſſed.
Verſ. 19. When ſhe heard the tydings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, ſhe bowed her ſelf, &c.] As women are wont to do when the pains of travell come upon them.
Verſ. 20. But ſhe anſwered not, neither did ſhe regard it.] That is, ſhe made no anſwer to that wherewith they ſought to comfort her, as indeed not regarding it, but rather proceeded on in expreſſing her ſorrow by giving that name Ichabod, that is, Where is the glorie, or there is no glorie, to her ſonne that was born.
Verſ. 21. The glorie is departed from Iſrael, &c,] God was the glorie of his people becauſe rejecting other nations, he had choſen them to be his peculiar treaſure▪ Pſal. 106.20. Thus they changed their glorie into the ſimilitude of an oxe that eateth graſſe: Jer. 2.11. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit: and therefore ſhe ſaith, that the glorie was departed from Iſrael, becauſe they had loſt the ark which was the ſigne of Gods preſence amongſt them, and conſequently their glorie; Pſal. 26.8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy houſe, and the place where thine honour dwelleth: and Pſal. 78.60, 61. So that he forſook the Tabernacle of Shiloh: the tent which he placed among men, and delivered his strength into captivitie: and his glorie into the enemies hands.