And. Hebrew inserts here the conclusion of the last verse, whence some would infer that Samuel told the Israelites to make war upon the Philistines. But as it turned out so ill, this would have tended to discredit him; and we find that the Philistines were the aggressors. --- Days. this war took pla... [ Continue Reading ]
_Here, &c. Hebrew, "in the field" of battle. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "in the ranks, in the field." (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Ancients; the commanders of the respective tribes. Heli was not able to lead on the people to battle, on account of his blindness and great age. --- Enemies. All nations attribute much to the exterior marks of religion. The Israelites had witnessed the victories which had been obtained while the ark... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ark. On this extraordinary emergency they thought it lawful. (Abulensis, q. 6.) --- They easily obtained the consent of Heli; and his sons went to take it down, and to attend it to the army, as he was incapable of doing duty. We know not what ceremonies were used, nor whether the brothers acted as... [ Continue Reading ]
_God: "Elohim." Septuagint, "these gods." They speak of the true God according to their false ideas. (Calmet) --- Sighing. Septuagint, "deliver us, O Lord, this day."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joy. A few days ago the Hebrews were dismayed, now they shout for joy, as they did at the taking of Jericho. Hebrew and Septuagint, "it was not so heretofore." (Haydock) --- Gods. Hebrew may be rendered in the singular, with the Chaldean and Arabic. But the Septuagint and most commentators, explain... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fight. To serve those whom they had lately oppressed, would be doubly afflicting. (Salien) --- If these people had seriously attended to the instructions, which they might have derived from the fall of others, they would surely never have exposed themselves to fight against the high God. But they l... [ Continue Reading ]
_Footmen. They had no cavalry, (Calmet) as God seemed to discourage any. (Haydock) --- Even after Solomon's time, they had not many horsemen. (Calmet) --- The Israelites had before lost 4,000: now when they were full of confidence, and fought with valour, they behold 30,000 fall. The ark proved thus... [ Continue Reading ]
_Slain. Abulensis (q. 17,) thinks they were fighting in defence of the ark, when they might have saved themselves by flight; so that he does not despair of their salvation. God permitted them to lose their lives in the exercise of a holy ministry, which they had so scandalously profaned. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Man. The Jews say that Saul carried these melancholy tidings, and that Goliah[Goliath] slew the sons of Heli. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stool. Hebrew cisse; "a throne or tribunal," where Heli sat to decide any controversies, and where he had blessed the mother of Samuel. (Calmet) --- God. He had great reason to fear that this was the day when his sons would perish, and he apprehended that the ark would be in danger. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Taken. Every sentence expresses something more distressing to the aged judge and father; the flight and slaughter of his people, the ruin of his children, and the loss of the ark, which must have filled all Israel with a mortal gloom and terror, lest God should have abandoned them. So many dismal c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Named the ark, &c. There is great reason, by all these circumstances, to hope that Heli died in the state of grace; and by his temporal punishments, escaped the eternal. (Challoner) --- But many of the Fathers condemn him, and the Scripture says nothing of his conversion, or of that of his children... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sudden, through extreme affliction. (Menochius) --- Josephus says the child was only in his seventh month, but alive. Abulensis thinks he did not long survive his mother._... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER IV.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ichabod. That is, Where is the glory? or, there is no glory. We see how much the Israelites lamented the loss of the ark, which was but the symbol of God's presence amongst them. How much more ought Christians lament the loss of God himself, when by sin they have drove him out of their souls? (Chall... [ Continue Reading ]