Bible Commentaries

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. — It was commonly noised and noticed what he had foretold against Eli and the whole people; and it happened accordingly, because they prepared not to meet the Lord with entreaties of peace, as afterwards they did, 1 Samuel 7:2-6 when once and again they had paid for their learning. Samuel was but a child when he foretold this calamity; but at man’s estate, fit to succeed Eli in the government, ere it was inflicted. God is slow, but sure, if men repent not; and those that will not hearken to the word shall "bear the rod, and who hath appointed it." Micah 7:9

And pitched beside Ebenezer, — i.e., The stone of help, so called here by anticipation. See 1 Samuel 7:12 . And, as it proved now to the defeated Israelites, by antiphrasis, as Mare Pacificum, which is out of measure troublesome and dangerous.

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And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And the Philistines put themselves in array. — Heb., Marshalled themselves: to meet Israel, as thinking to hold them under; encouraged, likely, thereunto, because Eli their judge was old and feeble: but God had a holy hand in it, for the just punishment of priests and people.

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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? Let us 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.

Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today? — There was cause enough, Psalms 78:58 ; Psalms 78:61-62 ; Psalms 78:64 but they could not see it. Men’s minds are as ill set as their eyes; neither of them look inwards to the plague of their own hearts, to sin, the mother of all their misery. These Isralites mistook the cause of their calamity to be the want of the ark amongst them. This was non causa pro causa. And alike mistaken are the Jews at this day: and those Lutheran ministers who concluded some few years since at Hamburg, that Germany was therefore so embroiled in war, because their images in churches were not adorned enough: which therefore they would procure done. Burroughs, on Hosea. A bad business!

Let us fetch the ark of the covenant. — This was done sometimes with good success, but by such as were upon good terms with God. The ark and the mercy seat were never sundered: but then they sealed up mercy to the penitent and obedient only. Against others God hath a controversy, and sendeth in the enemy to revenge the quarrel of his covenant. He is to be fetched into the field by the suits of his humble suppliants, who shall thereupon do great exploits. But these carnal Israelites trusted in the ark of wood, as a sure pawn of God’s presence and power, likeas the superstitious Philistines used to bring their gods into the field, 2 Samuel 5:24 and as in the days of King Edward VI the Norfolk rebels brought with them into the battle their breaden god, setting him in a cart: neither was there lacking masses, crosses, banners, candlesticks, …, all which were taken in the cart, and there lay all in the dust. Act. and Mon., fol. 1190.

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So 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 the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant of God.

So the people sent to Shiloh. — This they did presumptuously and profanely, of their own head, not consulting with God, or waiting for his warrant: for they said, "We are lords," and they acted as if they had been petty gods within themselves, … When the beginning is carnal confidence, the end is usually shame of any business, even of this life.

And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark. — Josephus addeth, that their father Eli charged them to live and die with it; and if it were lost, never to look him in the face more. H ταν η επι ταν , said she to her son, when she gave him his shield: Either bring it back from the battle, or be thou brought back dead upon it. Let us resolve either to live with the gospel, or to die for it.

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And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

And when the ark, … — The ark was indeed to the Israel of God, the chiefest evidence of his gracious presence, and the most principal type of Christ. The word here used is Aron, which is put for a coffin, coffer, or chest. Genesis 50:26 ; 2 Kings 12:9 This showeth that all the counsels of God, all the love and favour of God, all that God accounteth precious, are treasured up for his in Christ. Colossians 2:3 ; Colossians 1:13 ; Hebrews 10:12 But what is all this, or any of God’s ordinances, to the profligate professor, who yet boasteth of them, and beareth himself too bold upon them

All Israel shouted. — This was to triumph before the victory. So they afterwards bellowed out, "The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord," Jeremiah 7:4 as the Papists now do ‘The Church, the Church,’ ad ravim usque; and as they go to war with their crucifixes at their bosoms, and with the sign of the cross, as if armed thereby against devils and adversaries.

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And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

And they understood. — Per exploratores, saith Vatablus, by their scouts and intelligencers.

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And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

And the Philistines were afraid. — But without cause; for God - who as Josephus well saith, was greater than the ark - was their enemy. The ark also was brought into the camp without any pomp or due reverence, and by the hands of those ungodly priests that were now come into the field to fetch their bane, as had been foretold in 1 Samuel 2:34 .

For there hath not been such a thing heretofore. — Not that they knew of; but such a thing there had been before at the siege of Jericho, and in that expedition against the Midianites. Numbers 31:6 So after this ( 1 Samuel 14:18 2 Samuel 11:11 ) David sent the ark into Joab’s camp before Rabbah; though at another time, when he fled from Absalom, he sent back the ark to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 15:25 as knowing that God could as well save without it.

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Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

Woe unto us! — So at the siege of Mountabon, in France, when the Popish soldiers heard the people of God within the town singing a psalm, after which they ever expected a sally, they would so quake and tremble, crying, They come, they come! as if the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them. These faithless Philistines, followed by the furies of their own consciences, were woe begone, as we say, at the sight of God’s ark, as being the people of God’s wrath and of his curse.

With all the plagues in the wilderness. — Or, Near the wilderness. That last sweeping plague - the drowning of them in the Red Sea - was near the wilderness of Etham, on the shore whereof their dead carcasses were cast up. Exodus 14:30 Or it may be these frightened Philistines spoke at random, and according to their skill, as Bishop Bonner did when he said the martyrs were like to certain arrant heretics of whom Pliny maketh mention, that they daily sing antelucanos hymnos - psalms before daybreak.

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