Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. IV.

Vers. 1. ANd the word of Samuel came to all Israel.] Or, came to passe; the meaning is, that Samuel as a Prophet made known the word of the Lord, as to Eli before, so afterwards to all Israel, reproving them for their sinnes, and telling them beforehand the judgements that would fall upon them, if they did not repent. All which did accordingly come upon them.

Now Israel went against the Philistines to battel, &c.] Who began now again to invade the land of Israel. It may seem that all the fourtie years of Elies judging Israel they had been quiet; happely because they had been so exceedingly weakned by the slaughter which Samson made so often among them, especially at his death; where no doubt most of their princes and lords were slain, Judg. 16.30. And Sam∣son said, Let me die with the Philistines; and he bowed himself with all his might:

and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein: so the dead which he slew at his death, were mo then they which he slew in his life. But now they began again to quarrell with the Israelites, and that no doubt not with∣out the secret counsell of God, who intended to punish hereby both the Priests and people of Israel; and hereupon it was, that the Philistines being entred upon the land of Israel, the Israelites were gathered together to fight with them; now the camp of the Israelites was besides Eben-ezer, that is, a place where afterward a stone was erected that was called Eben-ezer, the occasion whereof we may see chap. 7.11, 12. and the camp of the Philistines was in Aphek, a citie in the tribe of Judah, which bordered upon the land of the Philistines: see Josh. 15.53.

Vers. 3. Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the Ark, &c.] Though idolatrie and many other grosse sinnes were at this time rife amongst the Israelites; They provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousie with their graven images, saith the Psalmist concerning these very times, Psal. 78.58. yet so blind and stupid they were, that because they were the seed of Abraham, and the people of God, they wondered why God should take the uncircumcised Philistines part against them, never minding or mentioning their own wickednesse, which had provoked the Lord to bring these miseries upon them; Wherefore, say they, hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? and vainly they thought to mend all for the future, by fetching the Ark of God to be amongst them: Let us, say they, 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. Now however they were moved no doubt to take this course: first, be∣cause the Ark was the signe of Gods presence amongst them; whence it is said vers. 4. that 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 secondly, because the Israelites in former times had prevailed mightily against their enemies, when the Ark was amongst them, as when they vanquished the Midianites, Num. 31.6. and at the sacking of Jericho, when the walls of the citie fell down before them, Josh. 6.4, 5. and on the other side, when the Ark was not with them, they had gone by the worst, as when they went out to fight against the Canaanites, Num. 14.44, 45. They presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheles the Ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them even to Hormah: and therefore it seems afterwards to have been an usuall custome to carrie forth the Ark into the field with them; for Saul had it with him when he was in arms against the Philistines, chap. 14.18. Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the Ark of God (for the Ark of God was at that time with the chil∣dren of Israel): and Joab (as some think) had it with him when he went out against the Ammonites, the Ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in tents, said Uriab, 2. Sam. 11.11. yet because at present they did merely rest upon the outward signe, and did not repent them of their sinnes, whereby they had forfeited their interest in God, nor seek to make their peace with God, as they ought to have done; therefore their confidence in the Ark was groundlesse and vain, and the signe of Gods presence be∣came ineffectuall amongst them. And doubtlesse there was a secret overruling hand

of God in this their sudden resolution to fetch the Ark into the camp, whereby he made way to the delivering up the Ark into the power of the enemie, and to the death of the two sonnes of Eli, who coming along with the Ark, were slain by the Philistines.

Vers. 4. And the two sonnes of Eli Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the covenant of God.] To wit, either to carrie it, as Num. 4.15. or at least to attend it.

Vers. 7. And the Philistines were afraid; for they said, God is come into the camp.] This happely the Philistines spake, as thinking the Ark to be some repre∣sentation of the God of the Israelites▪ and having the same opinion of it as they had of their own idols; at least they conceived that there was some divine power that went along with the Ark where it went, which was the reason why they were stricken with such astonishment and fear.

And they said, Wo unto us; for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.] That is, in former conflicts we have had with them, they used not to bring their Ark into the camp; even by this unwonted shout of the Israelites we may see how much greater their hope and confidence is now, then it hath been formerly.

Vers. 8. These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wildernesse.] In the former part of this clause it is manifest, that the Philistines speak of those divers great plagues wherewith the Lord smote both Pharaoh and his peo∣ple in Egypt, thereby forcing them to let his people go; but these words (in the wil∣dernesse) are added in the close, because in the overthrow of the Egyptians in the red sea (which joyned to the desert of Etham, Exod. 13.20.) there was a consum∣mation of all the former plagues.

Vers. 13. For his heart trembled for the Ark of God.] Which proceeded partly from the guiltinesse of his conscience, and the remembrance of those heavie things which had been spoken to him; first by the man of God, chap. 2.27. and then by Samuel, chap. 3.18. and partly from the great care be took above all for the Ark, lest that should fall into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines.

Vers. 15. Now Eli was ninetie and eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see.] His age is mentioned as the cause of his blindnesse; his blindnesse as the cause why he took no notice of this dolefull messenger till he perceived some∣what was amisse by the crie of the people.

Vers. 18. And it came to passe when he made mention of the Ark of God, that he fell from off the seat.] This implies, first, the suddennesse of his death; no sooner did the messenger make mention of the Ark, but presently his heart died within him, and so falling down backward he brake his neck: and secondly, how grievous it was to him to heare the Ark was taken; though he was able to endure the relation of the flight and slaughter of the people, yea, of the death of his two sonnes, yet as soon as he began the relation of the arks being taken, that presently struck him into a deadly swo••n. As for the gate from the seat whereof he fell, either it was the gate of the city, or of the Tabernacle; and if the last be meant, very observable it is, that in the place where his sonnes had so grievously sinned, chap. 2.22. this heavy hand of God should fall upon him.

For he was an old man, and heavy.] Both his weaknesse through age, and the

corpulency and unwieldnesse of his body were the cause, that falling he brake his neck; and therefore are they here expressed.

Vers. 19. When she heard the tydings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed her self, &c.] As women are wont to do when the pains of travell come upon them.

Vers. 20. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.] That is, she made no answer to that wherewith they sought to comfort her, as indeed not regarding it, but rather proceeded on in expressing her sorrow by giving that name Ichabod, that is, Where is the glorie, or there is no glorie, to her sonne that was born.

Vers. 21. The glorie is departed from Israel, &c,] God was the glorie of his people because rejecting other nations, he had chosen them to be his peculiar trea∣sure▪ Psal. 106.20. Thus they changed their glorie into the similitude of an oxe that eateth grasse: Jer. 2.11. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit: and therefore she saith, that the glorie was departed from Israel, because they had lost the ark which was the signe of Gods presence amongst them, and consequently their glorie; Psal. 26.8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth: and Psal. 78.60, 61. So that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh: the tent which he placed among men, and delivered his strength into captivitie: and his glorie into the enemies hands.