1 Samuel 4

of the prophet had been, and wrought a greater effect upon him. For he humbly. acknowledged the justice of God, and submitted to his sentence (as many of the fathers think) with a truly penitent heart. For now he knew (as our Dr. Jackson observes), that the sentence was irrever-, siblc, being confirmed by an oath, (ver. 14.) and the humility and modesty of Eli’s answer, persuaded that excellent person, that the fearful sentence denounced against him extended no further, than to tho irreversible deposition of him and his family from the priesthood, unto a poor and mean estate, wherein they were to, live hereafter. (Consecration of the Son of God, chap. 18. parag. 5.) * Vct**jCJlND the word of Samuel came xinto all Israel] The revelation of God’s mind and will, which had been.very scarce among them in former days, (iii. l.)now grew very plentiful: for, as Samuel himself was ready to instruct every one that came to him, so he set up colleges of the prophets (as we read in the following parts of this book),‘who in time were settled in divers parts of the country, for the better preserving and spreading the knowledge of God - among the people, (x. 5. xix. 18 — 20, &c.) Which made -Abarbinel discourse in this manner, upon the foregoirig words: <c In the days of Eli the word of the Lord was scarce, and vision was seldom: but when Samuel appeared, -not only he prophesied frequently, but many of the Israelites, by his means, were endued with the same spirit, according to these words, And the Lord appeared more frequently in Shiloh (so he-understands them), because the Lord was revealed to Samuelin Shiloh. Which signifies, that the influence of the spirit which descended upon Samuel in Shiloh, reached unto others, because of its abundance, who were disposed to receive it: so that they also prophesied." And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle.] This was in the middle of that forty years’ dominion that 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 the great slaughter which Samson had made of them at his death, (Judg. xvi.27. 30.) • And pitched besides Eben-ezer.] Thus this place was called when this book was written; and so denominated from the famous battle which Samuel fought with the Philistines, twenty years after this, (vii. 12.) And the Philistines pitched in Aphek.] In a place in the tribe of Judah, as we read Josh. xv. 53. upon the confines of the Philistines’ country; But seexxix.l. of this book.

1 Samuel 4:2

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, &c. Though Samuel was established a prophet, and it was so publicly known, that all Israel came to consult with him (as the foregoing verse seems to import), yet the elders did not take his advice about this war; as Ralbag thinks. Whose opinion is more probable than theirs, whQ think they did advise with him, and that he bade them fight, on purpose that the sentence upon Eli’s sons might be fulfilled.

1 Samuel 4:3

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines?. They thought the justice of their cause was sufficient to entitle them to the favour of God, though they themselves were wicked. Thus Brutus cried when he fell, “O Jupiter! what is the cause of so great calamity?” not reflecting upon his horrible exactions in Cyprus; and his great ingratitude to Ca>sar, whom he slew in the senate. Let ns fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh, that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hands of our enemies.] This was as foolish as the other, to confide in God’s help, when they lived in open disobedience to him. And when they of Ashdod arose early in the warning.] To go to pray at the temple. Behold, Dagon ivas fallen with his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord.] In a posture of the most humble adoration: which was prostration; acknowledging the God of Israel to be above all gods. In this some of the Jews think there was a miracle in a miracle, as they speak: for whereas the ark w r as set by Dagon (i. e. on one side of him) when Dagon fell, it was not right forward, but he. was turned about with his face towards the ark. (See Buxtorf de Area Foederis, p. 171.) And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.’] Looking upon it as a mischance.

1 Samuel 4:4

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord. This being done without any warrant from God, provoked him, rather than procured his presence with them. But they seem to have done it in imitation of Joshua marching ^yith the ark against Jericho; for which he had a Divine authority, but they had none. Strigelius, therefore, well applies to this the observation of Polybius, that " many not studying to imitate the lives of excellent men, but only some of their extraordinary actions, have done nothing but expose their own folly to the world." Which dwelleth between * the cherubims.] Or, upon the chenibims, as the Chaldee, the LXX. and the Vulgar here translate it. But Lud. de Dieu is not satisfied with this sense; for he thinks the Divine Majesty did not sit upon the wings of the cherubims, but under them; in the space between them and the ark, which was his footstool: and therefore he translates these words, who inhabiteth the che~ nibims; which were as a canopy over the Schechinah. »fwl ^rw^rJ CHAP. IV.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.‘But I have followed the ancient translation, in my notes upon Exod. xxv. 22. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Pkinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.] Which they were ordered to bring out of its place (into which the Levites might not enter), and to accompany it unto the army. Vcr. 5. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout.] As if they had already gotten the victory. So that the earth rang again.] It was so loud, that it might be heard a great way off. (See 1 Kings i. 40. and what I have noted there.) Vcr. 6. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout m the camp of the Hebrews? Arid they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.] They sent to get intelligence, or were informed of it by some deserters. And when they rose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen with his’face to the ground before the ark of the Lord.] Which shewed his former fall was not by, chance, but by the power of God, before whom he could not stand. And the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, were cut off upon the threshold.] It is likely Dagon stood on high, upon some pedestal or altar; from whence he was not only thrown down, but his head and his hands thrown out of the doorwith the greatest contempt: being cut ofFupon the threshold of the temple. A token (as most interpreters think) that this idol was void of wisdom and power, his head and his hands (which are the seat of those qualities) being gone. Some have a fancy that Dagon had feet also upon his tail: from whence the LXX. it is likely, here add, that both his feet were cut ofF also: which hath no ground at all in the Hebrew text. (See Selden, in the forenamed book; and Vossius de Idolol. lib. ii. cap. 36.) Only the stump of Dagon was left him.] In the Hebrew the words are, only Dagon was left to him: that is, saith Kimchi, nothing but the form of a fish remained; all that resembled a man being broken off. Thus the Lord shewed there was no god besides him: his ark, though taken captive and carried into a strange land (as St. Chrysostoin discourses, Orat. v.. adversus Judseos), throwing down their idol twice, and thereby demonstrating, that the Israelites were not overthrown for want of any power in their God to defend them, but for the iniquity of those that worshipped him. Ver. 5- Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagons house, tread on the threshold of Dagon unto this day.] Out of reverence to it; looking upon it (as Abarbinel glosses) as a holy thing, by the touch of Dagon’s head and hands. So foolishly did they pervert the meaning of God, that, instead of thinking Dagon to be no god, they honoured the very threshold of his temple as if it had some divinity in it. For it is an idle conceit which the Jews have in Jalkut, that forsaking Dagon they worshipped his threshold. (See Buxtorf, in his Hist. Arcse, cap. 19. p. 172.) This superstition continued for some ages, as Bochartus gathers from Zephan. i. 9. where God saith he will punish those that leap’ on the threshold, after the manner of the Philistines, as he expounds it, after the Targum, par. i. Hierozoic. lib. ii. cap. 36. From those words, unto this day, Hobbes and such-like writers frame an argument, that this book was not wrote by Samuel; not considering that these things happened when Samuel was but a youth, and that this was written when he was old; so that there was a considerable space of time between them.

1 Samuel 4:6

But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod. Since they were* so blind as not to see his hand in throwing down their gdd,&c. he smote them with* such sore plagues in their own bodies, as made* them sensible of his power. And he destroyed them.] With a pestilence, I suppose, of which many died. (See ver. idt.) And smote them with evierods, even Ashdod, and the coasts belonging to it.] Not only the people of the city,- but of the villages belonging to it, were smitten with this plague. About which interpreters differ very innch: some taking this disease for a dysentery, which was so violent that it rotted their guts, and made them fall down and come out. Whereupon others think it was that which we’ call procidentia ani, the falling of the fundament; but most interpreters, both ancient and modern, take it as we do, for tho emerods. For it was some disease in the hinder-parts, as appears from the words of the Psalmist, lxxviii. GG. as they are commonly understood. See my notes on Deut. xxviii. 27. and Nic. Fuller Miscell. lib. v. cap. 3. especially Bochartus, in his Hierozoicon, par. ii. lib. i. cap. 3G. where he gives a large account of the Hebrew word apholim, which is used only here and in the forenamed place of Deuteronomy. At the end of this verse, the Vulgar and the LXX, also add, that a great number of mice started up out of the earth/and overrunning their fields, made great waste there. But, as Lyra well observes, this gloss in all likelihood being written in the margin, out of chap. vi. ver. 4, 5. it crept at last into the text, though it be neither in the Hebrew, nor the Chaldee, nor Syriac, nor Arabic. (See Bochart, in his Hierozoic. par. i. lib. iii. cap: 34.)

1 Samuel 4:7

And the Philistines were afraid: for they said, God is come into the camp. The symbol of God’s presence; which perhaps they imagined the Israelites worshipped as’their God. And they said, Woe unto us, for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.] In all their battles that they or their neighbours had fought with the Israelites, they never heard of such a thing as this; which they thought must produce some extraordinary effect. And when the men of^Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon its, and upon Dagon our god.] Now their eyes were opeucd to see, that though they had vanquished the Israelites, they could not stand before the God of Israel. And it seems no unreasonable conjecture, that they speak here, and in the following verse, concerning the ark, with a note of distinction; calling it the ark of the God of Israel, (ver. 8.-10, 11. vi. 3.) and the ark of the Lord, (vi. 8.) For other nations had sudi arks, and for the same use, (o put their mysteries in thdm: as in this were the tables of the covenant alone. Clemens Alexaridrinus relates what trash and other filthy stuff was in the* fivoriKal tcicnrai, the mystical coffers of the heathen. From whose superstition, that the Israelites might bo preserved, God, perhaps, appointed this ark to be made by Moses. (See his HpOTQZTTTlKOQ \6yOC, p. 13, 14.) \ x

1 Samuel 4:8

Woeunto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods?. They fought with men before, but iow with God, before whom none could stand. The Hebrew words Adirim Elohim, which we translate mighty Gods, arc translated by Thcodoret, the strong God: which agrees with what goes before, God is come into the camp: and with the Targum, Who sltall deliver us out of the hand oftlie Word of the Lord, &c. ITiese are the Gods.] Or, this is the God. That smote Egypt with all the plagues in tlie wilderness] They seem not to have perfectly understood the sacred story; but thought all those plagues which are there spoken of had fallen on the Egyptians, while the Israelites were in the wilderness; where they were when their last plague befel them, by their being drowned in the Red Sea:* but Jonathan thus paraphrases it: Who smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues; and did wonders for his people in the desert* They sent therefore, and gathered the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?] They desired a general council Microsoft®. A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. VI. might be held, to consult what to do in this case; whether to keep the ark, or how to dispose of it. And they answered.] i. e. The lords of the Philistines (who in the language of that country were called Sarnim, the same wiihSarim in the Hebrew) came to the following resolution. Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.] They seem to be possessed with a superstitious conceit, that there was something in the place which was offensive to him; and that he might be better pleased with another: just as iEneas and his people indicted their beds and their houses, of the disasters that befel them; and Cadmus forsook his own city,: tanquam fortuna locorum Non sua se premeret"- asif the ill luek which hunted him had been the place’s, not his own: as our Dr. Jackson observes, out of Ovid, in his Original of Unbelief, chap. 18. parag. 4. Gath was the next city to Ashdod, northward of it: in which some of the Anakims also remained. (Josh. xi. 21.)

1 Samuel 4:9

Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines!. These words were spoken by their great commanders, as the foregoing words in all likelihood were; who understood what had been done in foreign countries. )That ye be not servants nnto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.] When they were recovered out of the fright, which seized on them at first, they considered, that notwithstanding the power of their G6d, they had made the Israelites subject to them, and also overthrown them in a late battle; and therefore their present danger should only raise their courage, and make thcin fight more valiantly. Vcr. 10. And the Philistines fought.] They gave battle,to the Israelites. r And the Israelites were smitten, and they fled every man *nto his tent.] They were so routed, that they did not flee to their camp with an intent to renew the fight, (as they K did before, ver. 3.) but’dispersed themselves to their own home. And hitherto many of them dwelt in tents, as I observed before. (See Josh.xxii. 14. Judg.vii.8. xx.8.) And there teas a very great slaughter; for. there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.] There fell but. four thousand in the former battle, before the ark came among them, (ver. 2.) so little did the bare presence of the ark profit wicked men, that it rather did them hurt. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, Uie hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction.] A great many died of the pestilence, as they had done at Ashdod.. And he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.’] They that did not die were sorely tormented by emerods; which was a disease they had never known before; as some understand the last words. t Or, they had those the physicians call blind emerods: which do not swell outwardly, but lie hidden within; and are the most grievous and hard to be cured of all other.

1 Samuel 4:10

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. The last city of the Philistines northward: where in aftertimes (if not now) the famous god called Baal-zebub was worshipped, (2 Kings i. 2.) And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that tlie Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to ns, to slay us and our people.] These seem to be the words of the governors of the city; who had learned, from the experience of the other great cities, that no place was secure from the stroke of the God of Israel*

1 Samuel 4:11

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, toere slain. It is likely that (as Josephus saith) EH parted with the ark from the tabernacle very unwillingly; but when he could not help it, he charged his sons, who went along with it, to lose their lives rather than lose it. So they sent and gathered together all the lords qfthe Philistines.] As they of Ashdod had done, (ver. G.) And said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people.] Destroy the whole city. For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; and the hand of God was very sore upon them.] Which made them desire it might be sent out of the country, and not to the other cities in the south, Gaza and Askelon.

1 Samuel 4:12

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of.the army, and came to Shiloh the same day. Some of the Jews have a fancy that this man was Saul: for no other reason, that I can find, but because he was of that tribe, and a proper man, who, it is likely, could run swiftly. How far Shiloh’ was from Aphek, or from Eben-ezer (both which were in the tribe of Judah, as Shiloh was in Ephraim), near to which this battle was fought, is not certain; but not so distant but that a man might run the same day from the one to the other. With his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.] According to the manner of those who bewailed any great calamity. (Josh. vii. 6. Job ii. 12. Ezek. xxvii. 30.) From which last places, it appears, it was a custom among other nations. And is most lively expressed by Virgil iniEneid xii. ver. 609 — 611. where Latinns is represented as rending.his clothes, and throwing dust upon his grey hairs, when he lamented his private and the public losses. Tiraquellus hath heaped up a great many examples of th/s, in his annotations on Alex, ab Alexandro, lib. iii. cap. 7. And the men that died not were smote with emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.] This is the explication of the foregoing words: some were struck with the pestilence as soon as the ark came thither, and others lingered under intolerable pains, which made them cry out in an inexpressible manner: for this is an hybcrbolical speech; things that are exceeding great. beyond expression, being said to reach up to heaven, (Deut. i. 28.) Thus Virgil, lib. ii. /Encid. in many places, ver. 223. " Clamores simul horrendos ad sydera tollit. Sublatus ad aethera clamor. Fcrit aurea sydera clamor."

1 Samuel 4:13

And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way -side: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. He had caused a seat, I suppose, to be set for him, by the side of the gate that entered into the city, (yer. 18.) that.he might hearken after news; being extremely concerned, above all things, for the ark of the covenant of God. And when the man came into the city.] He passed by Eli, and said not a word to him, though he saw him sitting there; because he was loalh he should be surprised with such sad tidings. Or, perhaps, he came into this city at some other gate. And told it, all the city cried out.] Looking upon themselves as put out of the Divine protection, because they had lost the symbol of his presence, and the book of the covenant, the blessings of which they could no longer claim. v Vcr. 14. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he* said, What means the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.] They about him had not the heart to resolve his question, but brought the man speedily to acquaint him with the truth. Vcr. 15. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.]. He was not able to discern the sadness that was in the people’s countenances, but only heard their shrieks and lamentations..,.,

1 Samuel 4:16

And the man said, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. The man represents himself as an eye-witness of what had passed, that Microsoft® CHAP. V.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. he had his name from dag, which signifies a fish; fishes and pigeons being sacred to him. Some take this idol to have been the same among the Syrians, with Triton among the Europeans, or with Neptune, or (as Scaliger will have it), with Venus, who was worshipped under the name of Atergatis, and Adargatis: whichi’are only the corruption of the Hebrew words Addir-daga, i. e. magnificent fish, as Sir. Selden there observes; though Bochart thinks this w f as a different goddess from Dagon, (par. i. Hieroz. lib. i. cap. 6.)

1 Samuel 4:19

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him. There were manifest tokens that God favoured him, as he did Joseph, (Gen. xxxi. 2.) The Targum hath it, Memra, the Word of the Lord was his help: or he revealed more and more of his mind to him: so that Israel knew God intended him for the office mentioned in the next verse. And did let none of his words fall to the ground.] A metaphor from arrows shot out of a bow, which hit the mark. And they may refer either to the words of Samuel, or of God; which is the same. This proved him to be a prophet, or a man divinely inspired.

1 Samuel 4:20

And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba. The whole country of Judea.. (See Judg. xx. 1.) Knew that Samuel ivas established to be a prophet of the Lord.] Settled to be a constant prophet, who supplied the want of urim and thummim, vthen the ark was taken from them..

1 Samuel 4:21

And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Having begun to appear in Shiloh, he continued this great favour: for he revealed himself to Samuel, not by dreams and visions, but by speaking to hiin in an audible voice, as he had done, ver. 4, &c. And indeed he seems to have been the first prophet, that was raised up to be a public instructor and governor of God’s people. Others there had been before him; but not with so high an authority, and public approbation. And therefore St. Peter saith, (Acts iii.) “All the prophets from Samuel spake of those days:” as if he was the first. eminent prophet whom the Lord raised up to them after Moses.