them. thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, | Phinehas; Pin one day they shall die both of that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart; and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and 1 Or, the affliction of the tabernacle, for all the wealth which God would have given lerael-m See Zech. 8. 4.—a Heb. men.- 1 Kings 13. 3.-p Ch. 4.11.-r1 Kings appears to be absolute, yet we plainly see that, like all other apparently absolute promises of God, it is conditional; i. e. a condition is implied, though not expressed. But now-be it far from me] You have walked unworthily; I shall annul my promise, and reverse my ordinance. See Jer. xviii. 7. For they that honour me] This is a plan from which God will never depart; this can have no alteration; every promise is made in reference to it: "they who honour God shall be honoured; they who despise him shall be lightly esteemed." Verse 31. I will cut off thine arm] I will destroy the strength, power, and influence, of thy family. Verse 32. Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation] Every version, and almost every commentator, understands this clause differently. The words tser, which we translate an enemy, and the Vulgate æmulum, a rival, signifies calamity; and this is the best sense to understand it in here. The calamity which he saw was the defeat of the Israelites, the capture of the ark, the death of his wicked sons, and the triumph of the Philistines. All this he saw, that is, knew to have taken place, before he met with his own tragical death. In all the wealth which God shall give Israel] This also is dark. The meaning may be this: God has spoken good concerning Israel; he will, in the end, make the triumph of the Philistines their own confusion; and the capture of the ark shall be the desolation of their gods: but the Israelites shall first be sorely pressed with calamity. See the margin. There shall not be an old man] This is repeated from the preceding verse; all the family shall die in the flower of their years, as is said in the following verse. Verse 33. And the man of thine] On this passage Calmet observes, The posterity of Eli possessed the high priesthood to the time of Solomon; and even, when that dynasty was transferred to another family, God preserved that of Eli, not to render it more happy, but to punish it, by seeing the prosperity of its enemies; to the end that it might see itself destitute and despised. This shows the depth of the judgments of God, and the grandeur of his justice, which extends even to distant generations; and manifests itself to sinners both in life and death; both in their own disgrace, and in the prosperity of their enemies. Verse 34. They shall die both of them.] Hophni and Phinehas were both killed very shortly after, in that great battle with the Philistines, in which the Israelites were completely routed, and the ark taken. See chap. iv. Verse 35. A faithful priest] This seems to have been spoken of Zadok, who was anointed high priest, in the room of Abiathar, the last descendant of the house of Eli. See 1 Kings ii. 26, 27. Abiathar was removed, because he had joined with Adonijah, who had got himself proclaimed king. See 1 Kings ch. i. 7. I will build him a sure house] I will continue the priesthood in his family. He shall walk before mine anointed] He shall minister before Solomon, and the kings which shall reign in the land. The Targum says, "He shall walk p w kodam Meshihi, before my MESSIAH," or, as the Septuagint expresses it, ενώπιον Χρισου μου, before my Christ: for, in their proper and more extended sense, these things are supposed to belong to our great high priest, and the Christian system: but the word may refer to the Israelitish people. See the note on Heb. ix. 26. Verse 36. Shall come and crouch to him] Shall prostrate himself before him in the most abject manner, begging to be employed even in the meanest offices about the tabernacle, in order to get even the most scanty means of support. A piece of silver] 09 agorath keseph, translated 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priest's offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. 2. 35. 1 Chron. 29. 22. Ezek. 44. 15.-8 2 Sam. 7. 11,27. 1 Kings 11. 38-1 Pm 22 & 18, 50-u 1 Kings 2. 27.-v Heb. join. --w Or, somewhat about the priesthood by the Septuagint oßodov apyvpiov, an obolus of silver. The Targum translates it Ny mea; which is the same as the Hebrew gera, and weighed about sixteen grains of barley. A morsel of bread] A mouthful; what might be sufficient to keep body and soul together. See the sin, and its punishment. They formerly pampered themselves, and fed to the full on the Lord's sacrifices; and now they are reduced to a morsel of bread. They fed themselves without fear; and now they have cleanness of teeth in all their dwellings. They wasted the Lord's heritage, and now they beg their bread! IN religious establishments, vile persons, who have no higher motive, may, and do, get into the priest's office, that they may clothe themselves with the wool, and feed themselves with the fat, while they starve the flock. But where there is no law to back the claims of the worthless and the wicked, men of piety and solid merit only can find support; for they must live on the free-will offerings of the people. Where religion is established by law, the strictest ecclesiastical discipline should be kept up, and all hireling priests, and ecclesiastical drones, should be expelled from the Lord's vineyard. An established religion, where the foundation is good, (as in ours,) I consider a great blessing; but it is liable to this continual abuse, which nothing but careful and rigid ecclesiastical discipline can either cure or prevent. If our high priests, our archbishops and bishops, do not their duty, the whole body of the clergy may become corrupt, or inefficient. If they be faithful, the establishment will be an honour to the kingdom, and a praise in the earth. The words pillars of the earth psp mitsaki arets, Mr. Parkhurst translates and defends thus :-"The compressors of the earth; i. e. the columns of the celestial fluid which compress or keep its parts together." This is all imaginary; we do not know this compressing celes tial fluid: but there is one that answers the same end, which we do know, i. e. the AIR, the columns of which press upon the earth in all directions; above, below, around, with a weight of fifteen pounds to every square inch; so that a column of air of the height of the atmosphere, which on the surface of the globe measures one square inch, is known, by the most accurate and indubitable experiments to weigh fifteen pounds. Now, as a square foot contains one hundred and forty-four square inches, each foot must be compressed with a weight of incumbent atmospheric air equal to two thousand one hundred and sixty pounds. And as the earth is known to contain a surface of five thousand fire hundred and seventy-five billions of square feet; hence, allowing two thousand one hundred and sixty pounds to each square foot, the whole surface of the globe must sustain a pressure of atmospheric air equal to twelve trillions and forty-one thousand millions of pounds; or six thousand and twentyone billions of tons. This pressure, independently of what is called grarity, is sufficient to keep all the parts of the earth together, and perhaps to counteract all the influence of centrifugal force. But adding to this all the influence of gravity or attraction, by which every particle of matter tends to the centre, these compressors of the earth are suffcient to poise, balance, and preserve, the whole terraqueous globe. These pillars, or compressors, are an astonishing provision made by the wisdom of God for the necessities of the globe. Without this, water could not rise in fountains, nor the sap in vegetables. Without this there could be no respiration for man or beast, and no circulation of the blood in any animal. In short, both vegetable and animal life depend, under God, on these pillars, or compressors, of the earth; and, were it not for this compressing power, the air contained in the vessels of all plants and animals would, by its elasticity, expand, and instantly rupture all those vessels, and cause the destruction of all animal and A. M. 262. 1. Olymp. 339. b the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, An. Exod. is. when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that 1 Olymp. 306. he could not see; B. C. 1142. 349. Anno ante 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel & did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou a Chap. 2. 11.-b Psalm 74. 9. Amos 8. 11. See verse 21.-c Gen. 27. 1. & 48. 10. Ch. 2 22 & 4. 15.- Exod. 27. 21. Lev. 21. 3. 2 Chron. 13. 11.-e Ch. 1. 9.-f Or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him. See Acts 19. 2-h 2 Kings 21. 12. Jer. 19. 3.—j Chap. 2. 30-36.-k Heb. beginning and ending. vegetable life: but God, in his wisdom, has so balanced these two forces, that, while they appear to counteract and balance each other, they serve, by mutual dilatations and compressions, to promote the circulation of the sap in vegetables, and the blood in animals. NOTES ON CHAPTER III. Verse 1. Samuel ministered unto the LORD] He performed minor services in the tabernacle, under the direction of Eli; such as opening the doors, &c. See ver. 5. The word of the LORD was precious] There were but few revelations from God; and, because the word was scarce, therefore it was valuable. The author of this book probably lived at a time when prophecy was frequent. See the preface. There was no open vision] There was no public accredited prophet; one with whom the secret of the Lord was known to dwell, and to whom all might have recourse in cases of doubt or public emergency. Verse 2. Eli was laid down in his place] It is very likely that, as the ark was a long time at Shiloh, they had built near to it certain apartments for the high priest, and others more immediately employed about the tabernacle. In one of these, near to that of Eli, perhaps under the same roof, Samuel lay when he was called by the Lord. Verse 3. Ere the lamp of God went out] Before sunrise; for it is likely that the lamps were extinguished before the rising of the sun. See Exod. xxvii. 21. Lev. xxiv. 3. Verse 4. The LORD called Samuel] The voice probably came from the holy place near to which Eli and Samuel were both lying. Verse 7. Samuel did not yet know the LORD] He had not been accustomed to receive any revelation from him. He knew and worshipped the God of Israel; but he did not know him as communicating especial revelations of his will. Verse 9. Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth] This was the usual way in which the prophets spoke, when they had intimations that the Lord was about to make some especial revelation. Verse 10. The LORD came and stood] He heard the voice as if it was approaching nearer and nearer; till, at last, from the sameness of the tone, he could imagine that it ceased to approach; and this is what appears to be represented under the notion of God standing and calling. Verse 11. The LORD said to Samuel] He probably saw nothing, and only heard the voice; for it was not likely that any extraordinary representation could have been 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. will do a thine in Lords, at which both the cars 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I of every one that heareth it shall tingle. m n 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 131 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves P vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: " God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD; let him do what seemeth him good. 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Or, And I will tell him, &c.-m Ch. 2. 29, 30, 31, &c.-n Ezek. 7. 3. & 18. 30. o Chap. 2 12, 17, 22-p Or, accursed.-r Heb. frowned not upon them.- Chap. 2. 23, 25-t Numbers 15. 30, 31. Isaiah 22. 14-u Ruth 1. 17.- Heb. so add. w Or, word.-x Heb all the things, or, words. -y Job 1. 21. & 2. 10. Psa. 39. A Isai 39. 8-z Ch. 2 21-a Gen. 39. 2. 21, 23-b Ch. 9. 6. made to the eyes of a person so young. He heard a voice, but saw no similitude. The ears-shall tingle] It shall be a piercing word to all Israel; it shall astound them all: and, after having heard it, it will still continue to resound in their ears. Verse 12. I will perform all things which I have spoken] That is, what he had declared by the prophet, whose message is related, chap. ii. 27, &c. When I begin, I will also make an end] I will not delay the execution of my purpose; when I begin, nothing shall deter me from bringing all my judgments to a con clusion. Verse 13. I will judge his house for ever] I will continue to execute judgments upon it till it is destroyed. His sons made themselves vile] See chap. ii. 12—17. 22-25. He restrained them not.] He did not use his parental and juridical authority to curb them, and prevent the disorders which they committed. See at the conclusion of the chapter. Verse 14. Shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offer ing] That is, God was determined that they should be removed by a violent death. They had committed the sin unto death; and no offering or sacrifice could prevent this. What is spoken here relates to their temporal death only. Verse 15. Samuel feared to show Eli] He reverenced him as a father, and he feared to distress him by showing what the Lord had purposed to do. It does not appear that God had commanded Samuel to deliver this message; he, therefore, did not attempt it till adjured by Eli, ver. 17. Verse 17. God do so to thee, and more also] This was a very solemn adjuration: he suspected that God had threatened severe judgments, for he knew that his house was very criminal; and he wished to know what God had spoken. The words imply thus much: If thou do not tell me fully what God has threatened, may the same, and greater curses, fall on thyself. Verse 18. Samuel told him every whit] Our word whit, or wid, comes from the Anglo-Saxon piht, which signifies person, thing, &c.; every whit is every thing. The Hebrew is bɔnx et col ha-debarim, “all these words." It is the LORD] He is sovereign, and will do what he pleases; he is righteous, and will do nothing but what is just. Let him do what seemeth him good.] There is much of a godly submission, as well as a deep sense of his own unworthiness, found in these words. He also had sinned, so as to be punished with temporal death: but surely 20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by • the word of the LORD. CHAPTER IV. the loss of four thousand men, 1, 2 They resolve to give the Philistines battle 2 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. 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? 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 A battle between Israel and the Philistines; in which the former are defeated, with A. M. 2963. ND the word of Samuel came B. C. 1141. An. Exod. Is. 350. to all world. Sam Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, 1. Olymp. 365. and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. Anno ante Was established to be a prophet] The word eman, which we translate established, signifies faithful: The faithful Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. 4 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 cherubim : and the two sons of Elbetween ni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the k Heb. the array. Heb. take unto us.-m 2 Sam. 6. 2. Psa. 80. 1. & 90. 1. n Exod 25. 19, 22 Numb. 7. 89. exercise of these two principles. Parental affection, when alone, infallibly degenerates into foolish fondness; and parental authority frequently degenerates into brutal tyranny, when standing by itself. The first sort of parents will be loved, without being respected; the second sort will be dreaded, without either respect or esteem. In the first case obedience is not exacted, and is therefore felt to be unnecessary, as offences of great magnitude pass without punishment or reprehension: in the second case, rigid exaction renders obedience almost impossible; and the smallest delinquency is often punished with the extreme of torture; which, hardening the mind, renders duty a matter of perfect indifference. Parents, lay these things to heart: remember Eli and his sons; remember the dismal end of both! Teach your children to fear God-use wholesome discipline-be de Verse 21. The LORD appeared again] an mo vayoseph Yehovah leheraoh, "And Jehovah added to appear:" that is, he continued to reveal himself to Sam-termined—begin in time-mingle severity and mercy touel at Shiloh. By the word of the LORD.] By the spirit and word of prophecy. In this chapter we read again of the fearful consequences of a neglected religious education. Eli's sons were wicked their father knew the Lord: but he neither taught his children, nor restrained them by his parental authority. I have had already occasion to remark, that were a proper line of conduct pursued in the education of children, how few profligate sons and daughters, and how few brokenhearted parents, should we find? The neglect of early religious education, connected with a wholesome and affectionate restraint, is the ruin of millions. Many parents, to excuse their indolence, and most criminal neglect, say, "We cannot give our children grace." What do they mean by this? That God, not themselves, is the author of the irregularities and viciousness of their children. They may shudder at this imputation; but, when they reflect that they have not given them right precepts, have not brought them under firm and affectionate restraint; have not showed them, by their own spirit, temper, and conduct, how they should be regulated in theirs; when either the worship of God has not been established in their houses, or they have permitted their children, on the most trifling pretences, to absent themselves from it; when all these things are considered, they will find that, speaking after the manner of men, it would have been a very extraordinary miracle indeed if the children had been found preferring a path in which they did not see their parents conscientiously tread. Let those parents who continue to excuse themselves by saying, "We cannot give grace to our children," lay their hand on their conscience, and say whether they ever knew an instance where God withheld his grace, while they were in humble subserviency to him, performing their duty? The real state of the case is this: parents cannot do God's work, and God will not do theirs; but if they use the means, and train up the child in the way he should go, God will never withhold his blessing. It is not parental fondness, nor parental authority, taken separately, that can produce this beneficial effect. A father may be as fond of his offspring as Eli, and his children be sons of Belial: he may be as authoritative as the grand Turk, and his children despise and plot rebellion against him. But let parental authority be tempered with fatherly affection; and let the rein of discipline be steadily held by this powerful but affectionate hand; and there shall the pleasure of God prosper; there will he give his blessing, even life for evermore. Many fine families have been spoiled, and many ruined, by the separate gether in all your conduct-and earnestly pray to God to second your godly discipline with the power and grace of his Spirit! Education is generally defined, that series of means by which the human understanding is gradually enlightened, and the dispositions of the heart are corrected, formed, and brought forth, between early infancy and the period when a young person is considered as qualified to take a part in active life. Whole nations have been corrupted, enfeebled, and destroyed, through the want of proper education: through this, multitudes of families have degenerated; and a countless number of individuals have come to an untimely end. Parents who neglect this, neglect the present and eternal interests of their offspring. NOTES ON CHAPTER IV. Verse 1. The word of Samuel came to all Israel.] This clause certainly belongs to the preceding chapter: and is so placed by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriae, and Arabic. Pitched beside Eben-ezer] This name was not given to this place till more than twenty years after this battle, see chap. vii. 12; for the monument called y jawn ka Eben ha Ezer, the "Stone of help," was erected by Samuel in the place afterward, from this circumstance, called Eben-ezer, when the Lord had given the Israelites a signal victory over the Philistines. It was situated in the tribe of Judah, between Mizpch and Shen, and not far from the Aphek here mentioned. This is another proof that this book was compiled after the times and transactions which it records; and probably from memoranda, which had been made by a contemporary writer. Verse 2. Put themselves in array] There is no doubt that both the Philistines and Israelites had what might be called the art of war; according to which, they marshalled their troops in the field, constructed their camps, and conducted their retreats, sieges, &c.: but we know not the principles on which they acted. They slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.] This must have been a severe conflict, as four thousand were left dead on the field of battle. The contest also must have lasted some considerable time, as these were all slain hand to hand; swords and spears being, in all probability, the only weapons then used. Verse 3. Let us fetch the ark] They vainly supposed that the ark could save them, when the God of it had departed from them, because of their wickedness! They knew that, in former times, their fathers had been beaten by their enemies when they took not the ark with them to battle; as in the case of their wars with the Canaanites, LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 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. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Wo unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Wo 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. 9 P Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. 10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and " the o Heb. yesterday, or, the third day-p1 Cor. 16. 13-q Judg. 18. 1.-r Heb. be men. Ver. 2. Lev. 26. 17. Deut. 28. 25. Paa. 78. 9, 62.1 Ch. 2. 32 Psa. 78. 61-u Ch. 2. 31. Psa. 78. 61. Numb. xiv. 44, 45.; and that they had conquered when they took this with them, as in the case of the destruction of Jericho, Josh. vi. 4. From the latter case they took confidence: but the cause of their miscarriage in the former they laid not to heart. It was customary with all the nations of the earth, to take their gods and sacred ensigns with them to war. The Persians, Indians, Greeks, Romans, Germans, Philistines, &c. did so. Consecrated crosses, blessing and hallowing of colours and standards, are the modern remains of those ancient superstitions. Verse 4. The LORD of hosts] See on chap. i. 3. Dwelleth between the cherubim] Of what shape the cherubim were we know not: but there was one of these representative figures placed at each end of the ark of the covenant; and between them, on the lid or cover of that ark, which was called the propitiatory, or mercy-seat, the shekinah, or symbol of the divine presence, was said to dwell. They thought, therefore, if they had the ark, they must, necessarily, have the presence and influence of Jehovah. Verse 5. All Israel shouted] Had they humbled themselves, and prayed devoutly and fervently for success, they would have been heard and saved. Their shouting proved both their vanity and irreligion. Verse 7. God is come into the camp] They took for granted, as did the Israelites, that his presence was inseparable from his ark or shrine. Verse 3. These mighty Gods] D¬¬¬¬ D'aba TD miyad ha elohim ha adirim, "from the hand of these illustrious gods." Probably this should be translated in the singular, and not in the plural: "Who shall deliver us from the hand of this illustrious God?" Verse 9. Be strong, &c.] This was the address to the whole army; and very forcible it was. "If ye do not fight, and quit yourselves like men, ye will be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; and you may expect that they will avenge themselves of you for all the cruelty you have exercised toward them." Verse 11. Hophni and Phinehas were slain.] They probably attempted to defend the ark, and lost their lives in the attempt. Verse 12. Came to Shiloh the same day] The field of battle could not have been at any great distance; for this young man reached Shiloh the saine evening after the defeat. With his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head] These were signs of sorrow and distress among all nations. The clothes rent signified the rending, dividing, and scattering, of the people; the earth, or ashes on the head, signified their humiliation: "We are brought down to the dust of the earth; we are near to our graves." When the Trojan fleet was burnt, Eneas is represented as tearing his robe from his shoulders, and invoking the aid of his gods: Tum pius Eneas humeris abscindere vestem, Auxilioque vocare Deos, et tendere palmas. Virg. En. v. ver. 635. "The prince then tore his robes in deep despair, Rais'd high his hands, and thus address'd his prayer," Pitt. We have a remarkable example in the same poet, where he represents the queen of King Latinus, resolving on her two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas slain. were 12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. 14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. 16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? 2 с 17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ▾ Heb. died.-w 2 Sam. 1. 2-x Josh. 7. 6. 2 Sam. 13. 19. & 15. 32. Neh. 9. 1. Job 1. 12-y Ch. 1. 9.-z Chapter 3. 2-a Heb. stood.-b 2 Sainuel 1. 4.—c Heb. is the thing? We find the same custom expressed in one line by Catullus: Canitiem terra, atque infuso pulvere fordans. Epith. Pelci et Thetidos, v. 224. Τούτο νυ και γερας οιον οϊζυροισι βροτοισι, "Let each deplore his dead: the rites of wo Are all, alas! the living can bestow O'er the congenial dust, enjoined to shear And again: Pope. It is not unusual, even in Europe, and in the most civilized parts of it, to see grief expressed by tearing the hair, beating the breasts, and rending the garments; all these are natural signs, or expressions of deep and excessive grief; and are common to all the nations of the world. Verse 13. His heart trembled for the ark of God] He was a most mild and affectionate father; and yet the safety of the ark lay nearer to his heart than the safety of his two sons. Who san help feeling for this aged, venerable man? Verse 17. And the messenger answered] Never was a more afflictive message, containing such a variety of woes, each rising above the preceding, delivered in so few words. 1. Israel is fed before the Philistines: This was a sore evil: that Israel should turn their hacks upon their enemies was bad; and that they should turn their bucks on such enemies as the Philistines, was 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. 19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death, the wo men that stood by her said unto her, Fear wo: for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, h neither did she regard it. d He seems to have been a judge to do jusuce only, and that in southwest Israel. e Or, to cry out.-f Heb. were turned.-g Gen. 35. 17. yet worse; for now they might expect the chains of their slavery to be strengthened, and rivetted more closely. 2. There hath also been a great slaughter among the people: A rout might have taken place without any great previous slaughter: but in this case the field was warmly contested; thirty thousand were laid dead on the spot. This was a deeper cause of distress than the preceding: as if he had said, the flower of our armies is destroyed; scarcely a veteran now to take the field. 3. Thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead: This was still more afflictive to him as a father, to lose both his sons, the only hope of the family; and to have them taken away by a violent death, when there was so little prospect of their having died in the peace of God, was most grievous of all. 4. The ark of God is taken: This was the most dreadful of the whole: now Israel is dishonoured in the sight of the heathen, and the name of the Lord will be blasphemed by them. Besides, the capture of the ark shows that God is departed from Israel; and now there is no farther hope of restoration for the people, but every prospect of the destruction of the nation, and the final ruin of all religion! How high does each wo rise on the back of the preceding! And with what apparent art is this very laconic message constructed? And yet, probably, no art at all was used; and the messenger delivered the tidings just as the facts rose up in his mind. How vapid, diffused, and alliterated, is the report of the messenger in the Pers of Eschylus, who comes to the queen with the tremendous account of the destruction of the whole naval power of the Persians, at the battle of Salamis? I shall give his first speech, and leave the reader to compare the two accounts. Ω γης άπασης Ασιδος πολίσματα, Ω Περσις αια, και πολυς πλουτου λιμην, Of which I subjoin the following translation by Dr. Potter: Wo to the towns through Asin's peopled realins! Of bonn liess wealth! how is thy glorions state Fall'n, lost! Ah, me, unhappy is his task Persians! the whole barbaric host is fall'n. This is the sum of his account, which he afterward details in about a dozen of speeches. Heroes and conquerors, ancient and modern, have been celebrated for comprising a vast deal of information in a few words. I will give three examples, and have no doubt that the Benjamite in the text, will be found to have greatly the advantage. 1. Julius Cæsar, having totally defeated Pharnaces, king of Pontus, wrote a letter to the Roman senate, which contained only three words: Veni, Vidi, Vici; I came, I saw, I conquered. This war was begun and ended in one day! 2. Admiral HAWKE, having totally defeated the French fleet in 1759, off the coast of Britany, wrote as follows to King George II.: "SIRE, I have taken, sunk, burnt, and destroyed, all the French fleet, as per margin. HAWKE." 3. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, then general-in-chief of the French armies in Italy, wrote to Josephine his wife, the 21 And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law, and her husband. 22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken. CHAPTER V. The Philistines set up the ark in the temple of Dagon, at Ashdod; whose umage is found next morning prostrate before it broken in pieces, 1-5. The Philistines sre also smitten with a sore disease, 6. The people of Ashdod refuse to let the ark sty with them; and the lords of the Philistines, with whom they consulted, order it to be carried to Gath, 7, 8. They do so; and God smites the inhabitants of that city, young and old, with the same, disease, 9. They send the ark to Ekron, and a beavy destruction falls upon that city, and they resolve to send it back to Shiloh, 10–12. AND the Philistines took the ark of An Exod. Iar God, and brought it from Eben ezer unto Ashdod. 350. Anno ante 1. Olymp. 365. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, h Heb. set not her heart-i That is, where is the glory? or, there is no glory. k Pen. 14. 3-1 Ch. 26. 8. & 78. 61-m Ch. 4. 1. & 7. 12 evening before he attacked Field Marshal Alvinzi, the imperial general: Demain j'attaquerai l'enemie; je le battrai, et j'en finirai:" To-morrow I shall attack the enemy; I shall defeat them, and terminate the business." He did so: the imperialists were totally defeated, Mantaa surrendered, and the campaign for that year, (1796,) was concluded. In the above examples, excellent as they are in their kind, we find little more than one idea; whereas the report of the Benjamite includes several: for, in the most forcible manner, he points out the general and particular disasters of the day, the rout of the army, the great slaughter, the death of the priests, who were in effect the whole generals of the army, and the capture of the ark all that, on such an occasion, could affect and distress the heart of an Israelite. And all this he does in four simple assertions. ; Verse 18. When he made mention of the ark of God] Eli bore all the relation till the messenger came to this solemn word: he had trembled before for the ark; and now, hearing that it was captured, he was transfixed with grief, fell down from his seat, and dislocated his neck! Behold the judgments of God! But shall we say that this man, however remiss in the education of his children, and criminal in his indulgence toward his profligate sons which arose more from the casiness of his disposition, than from a desire to encourage vice, is gone to perdition? God forbid! No man ever died with such benevolent and religious feelings, and yet perished. He had judged Israel forty years] Instead of forty years, the Septuagint, has here εIKOG Ern, twenty years. All the other versions, as well as the Hebrew text, have forty years. Verse 19. And his daughter-in-law] This is another very affecting story: the defeat of Israel, the capture of the ark, the death of her father-in-law, and the slaughter of her husband, were more than a woman in her cireumstances, near the time of her delivery, could bear. She bowed, travailed, was delivered of a son, gave the child a name indicative of the ruined state of Israel, and expired! Verse 20. But she answered not] She paid no attention to what the women had said concerning her having borne a son that information she regarded not. Verse 21. She named the child I-chabod] The versions are various on the original words 2 Ai-cabod: the Septuagint ovaißapxaßwe, ouaibarchaboth; the Syriac yocobor; the Arabic, bl yochabad. But none of these give us much light on the subject. It is pretty evident they did not know well what signification to give the name; and we are left to collect its meaning from what she says afterward, The glory is departed from Israel: the words literally mean Where is the glory? And indeed where was it, when the armies of Israel were defeated by the Philistines, the priests slain, the supreme magistrate dead, and the ark of the Lord taken? This is a very eventful, interesting, and affecting chapter; and prepares the reader for those signal manifestations of God's power and providence, by which the ark was restored, the priesthood re-established, an immaculate judge given to Israel, the Philistine yoke broken, and the people of the Most High caused once more to triumph. humbled them that he might exalt them: he suffered his glory for a time to become eclipsed, that he might afterward cause it to break out with the greater effulgence. NOTES ON CHAPTER V. God Verse 1. Brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.] Ashdod, or Azotus, was one of the five satrapies, or lordships, of the Philistines. |