1 Samuel 7:2-17

Samuel as Judge. Philistines subdued by Divine intervention; probably an ideal picture, by the Deuteronomic writer, of the happy results of Israel's repentance and Samuel's piety peace, victory, and orthodoxy. The section is the typical form of the Deuteronomic accounts of the Judges apostasy, oppression, repentance, deliverance. The statements that the Philistines ceased to invade Israel, and that the Israelites recovered the Philistine cities from Ekron to Gath, are inconsistent with the older narratives. On the other hand, the writer sees no difficulty in Samuel building an altar at Ramah, because his view was that the limitation of sacrifice to a central sanctuary did not come into force till Solomon built the Temple.

1 Samuel 7:2. The return of the Ark leads the people to repent; Samuel encourages them in this by promising deliverance if they worship Yahweh only.

1 Samuel 7:2. that the time. twenty years: probably these words should be omitted so that repentance immediately follows the return of the Ark.

1 Samuel 7:3. lamented: probably read repented.

1 Samuel 7:3 f. Ashtaroth. Baalim: see Judges 2:11 *.

1 Samuel 7:5. Samuel calls all Israel together at Mizpah, N. of Jerusalem (Judges 20:1), for fasting and confession; the Philistines suspect that the assembly has a warlike purpose, and advance to attack Israel; Samuel intercedes; Yahweh routs the Philistines by a thunderstorm (cf. Joshua 10:11); Israel pursues and slaughters; Samuel sets up a memorial stone, Eben-ezer, Stone of Help (see 1 Samuel 4:1).

1 Samuel 7:6. water, etc.: cf. David at Adullam, 2 Samuel 23:16.

1 Samuel 7:12. Shen: tooth, i.e. crag, but perhaps Jeshanah, 2 Chronicles 13:19, should be read with LXX: site unknown.

1 Samuel 7:13. Israel lives in complete peace under Samuel.

1 Samuel 7:16. Beth-el: Genesis 12:8. Gilgal: Deuteronomy 11:30.

1 Samuel 7:17. Ramah: Joshua 18:25.