1 Samuel 4
DOYLYChap. IV. ver. 1. And the word of Samuel came] The word or the revelations of God grew frequent in Israel by means of Samuel. Bp. Patrick. The word or will of the Lord by Samuel came, or was made known to all or any of Israel, that consulted Samuel, to that purpose, on any occasion. Dr. Wells.
— Israel went out] Probably without consulting Samuel. Dr. Wells. This was in the middle of that forty years’ dominion, which the Philistines had over the Israelites, mentioned Judg. xiii. 1, unto which they were encouraged, perhaps, by the death of the lords of the Philistines, and by the great slaughter which Samson had made of them at his death, Judg. xvi. 27, &c. Bp. Patrick.
1 Samuel 4:3
- — Let us fetch the ark] Their defeat threw them into a great consternation, but had no better effect than
to direct them to a project still more foolish and unwarrantable. They trusted little to real religion, and had scarcely any of it left among them: so they vainly relied on the external symbols of the Divine presence, and resolved to carry the ark into the field to give them deliverance, little dreaming that they were doomed to destruction by Him, for whose sake alone the ark was to be had in veneration. Pyle. They seem to have brought out the ark in imitation of Joshua, who marched with the ark against Jericho: but he had Divine authority for doing it, and they had none; and their acting without any warrant from God, provoked His anger instead of procuring his favour. Bp. Patrick. Who gave them authority to command the ark of God at their pleasure? Here was no consulting of the ark which they were about to fetch, no inquiry of Samuel whether they should fetch it, but a headstrong resolution of presumptuous elders to force God into the field, and to challenge success. Bp. Hall.
1 Samuel 4:8
- — these mighty Gods? &c.] The Hebrew words, which we translate mighty Gods, are translated by Theodoret the strong God, which agrees with what goes before, God is come into the camp. So the following words would be translated, “this is the God,” instead of “these are the Gods.” Bp. Patrick.
1 Samuel 4:11
- — the two sons of Eli, — slain.] The defeat of the Israelites, the death of Eli’s sons, and of Eli himself, were proofs of God’s wrath against the people of Israel
Eli’s death. Phinehas’ wife dieth.
jamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
1 Samuel 4:18
- — when he made mention of the ark of God, &c.] Eli, though too indulgent a father, was highly commendable in this, that he was not so much affected with the slaughter of his sons and of his people, as with the loss of the ark of God: he kept up his courage and did not fall, till he heard that mentioned. Bp. Patrick. The good old man hears the other intelligence, though with sorrow, yet with patience: but when the messenger tells him of the ark of God taken, he can live no longer; that word strikes him backward from his throne, and kills him in the fall: no sword of a Philistine could have slain him more painfully. Bp. Hall. The sacred historian has offered some extenuation of Eli’s offence by stating that he was very old when he heard of his sons’ doings: he was then eighty-eight years old. He appears to have been a religious man himself, but of too easy a disposition for a judge, or watcher over Israel, appointed to warn and punish the wicked, under the awful responsibility of having their blood required at his hand, even though they die in their own sins. Ezek. iii. 17, 20. Dr. Hales.
The history of Eli is so fully set forth in Scripture, in order to teach us, that, if we govern those committed
man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
1 Samuel 4:21
- — saying, The glory is departed from Israel: &c.] She is insensible of the death of her father, her husband, and herself, in comparison with the loss of the ark of God; calls her (then unseasonable) son I-chabod, or, “There is no glory;” and says with her last breath, “The glory is departed from Israel.” She cares nothing for a posterity, which was to want the ark of God: she cares nothing for a son, come into the world of Israel, when God was gone from it; and she departs willingly from them, from whom God was departed. Not outward magnificence, nor wealth, nor the favour of the mighty, but the presence of God in His ordinances, were the glory of Israel; the withdrawing of which was a greater judgment than destruction. Bp. Hall.
Chap. V. ver. 1. — and the Philistines took the ark &c.] The reasons why God permitted the ark of His presence to be taken by the Philistines appear to have been these; that the Israelites had presumed to send
Or, to cry out.