Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 14:1) Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

At the end of the last chapter, three companies of Philistines had pretty much surrounded Saul, Jonathan, and their small army of six hundred men.  The Philistines were busy plundering the land and not immediately intent on attacking Saul and his men.  It appears they must have remained like that for at least a couple of days or more, because "one day" Jonathan, Saul's son, decided it was time to do something.  He told his armor-bearer that they should go over to the Philistine garrison that was on the other side of them.  However, he did not tell his father of his plan.

(2) And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron, and the people with him were about six hundred men, (3) And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

Saul waited in the uppermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron which was north of Gibeah in the field of Gibeah.  He still had his six hundred men, no more or no less, and that included Ahijah the priest.  He came from the line of Eli who had been the Lord's priest in Shiloh.  Ichabod was the child that Phinehas's wife bore prematurely on hearing the news that the ark had been taken and that her husband and Eli, her father-in-law, had died (1 Samuel 4:19).  Ichabod apparently had an older brother named Ahitub, whose son was Ahijah.  Saul and the people with him did not know that Jonathan was gone.

(4) And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side, and the name of the one Bozez and the name of the other Seneh. 

I believe "the passages" refers to the common passageways from one place to another that were now obstructed by the Philistines.  Jonathan had to find another way to cross over to the Philistine garrison.  Between the passages were two large sharp rocks that were known and even named, one Bozez meaning "shining" which might suggest smooth and slippery, and the other Seneh meaning "thorn" or "bramble."  

(5) The forefront of the one was situated northward opposite Michmash and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

I believe the sense is that both rocks were in the way between the passages, not across from each other, but the northern one faced Michmash and the southern one faced Gibeah.

(6) And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."

Jonathan again told his armor bearer that they should go over to the garrison of the Philistines, and in additional encouragement, he said that the Lord might do the work for them, as there was no limit to God's power.  God could save with an army or with just a few men.  That shows that Jonathan had great faith in the Lord.  He hadn't said that the Lord would definitely do the work for them, because he had not received a word from the Lord, but he had no doubt that his Lord was well able if it was in His will to do so.

(7) And his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn, behold, I am with you according to your heart."

Jonathan's armor bearer told Jonathan to do what was in his heart to do, to turn the way he wanted to go, and he would willingly follow him.

(8) Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will pass over to these men, and we will let them discover us. (9) If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. (10) But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this be a sign to us."

Jonathan told his armor bearer that they would pass over to the Philistines and let them discover them.  Then if the Philistines told them to wait there until they came to them, they would stand there and not go to them.  However, if they said, "Come up to us," they would see that as a sign that the Lord had delivered the Philistines into their hands, and they would indeed go to the Philistines.  That would be a sign from the Lord telling them what they should do.

It's funny; my first instinct was that Jonathan should have prayed to the Lord, that it was a bit arrogant to set up his own scheme and expect the Lord to go along with it.  Well, for one thing, we don't know that Jonathan didn't pray first.  He probably did have some sort of leading to make him take such a bold step.  But then I also realized that I have done the same thing.  When the Lord doesn't speak directly to you, then asking Him to show you the right way between two choices with a sign from Him seems perfectly acceptable and shows faith in Him to direct your paths, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:6).  Jonathan did acknowledge God and His power to save them (verse 6), and he had faith that He would direct them in the way they should go.

(11) And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves."

Jonathan and his armor bearer did indeed reveal themselves to the Philistines at that post, and the Philistines took note among themselves that the Hebrews had come out of hiding.

(12) And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

The men at the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer's presence, by telling them to come up to them and they would show them something.  Jonathan told his armor bearer to follow him, as he had full faith and confidence that the Lord had delivered those Philistines into Israel's hand.  Not that it made a difference in the way the Philistines told them to come to them, but they did use the exact phrase "Come up to us" that Jonathan had put forth in his plan (verse 10). 

(13) And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew after him.

Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees in a way not easily accessible.  He didn't go the way the Philistines would have expected him to go on the main passageway.  He evidently caught the men off guard, and they fell before him.  Obviously, we know Who really knocked them down.  His armor bearer then killed the men.

(14) At that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land.

Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men at that garrison and within half an acre from it.

(15) And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked, so it was a very great trembling.

The Philistine host trembled with fear, those in the field, and among all the people.  Men inside the garrison who had not been outside and killed, and the plunderers who ravaged the land, were also terrified and panic-stricken, especially when the earth began to quake, as well, which was surely by God.

(16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on stampeding.

The watchmen of Saul at Gibeah saw the Philistine army melting away, as they fled and stampeded over one another.

(17) Then Saul said to the people with him, "Number now, and see who is gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

Saul then ordered a roll be taken, and when it was, it was discovered that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

(18) And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here" (for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel).

Saul told the priest Ahijah to bring the ark of God to him, for the Israelites had brought the ark with them.

(19) And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise in the host of the Philistines went on and increased, and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise of the Philistines grew louder, and Saul told the priest to stop what he was doing, which was surely to inquire of the Lord over the ark.  Saul once again showed some impatience.

(20) And Saul and all the people with him assembled themselves, and they came to battle, and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, very great confusion.

Saul and his men assembled themselves to battle against the Philistines, but they witnessed their enemy fighting themselves because there was so much confusion.  God, whom Saul was too impatient to hear from, had already taken care of the matter.

(21) Moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

The Israelites who had been with the Philistines as their servants, had also gone with the Philistines to their camp from the areas round about the camp.  They then went and joined Saul and Jonathan.

(22) Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

Additionally, the men of Israel who had been hiding in Mount Ephraim, in caves, rocks, thickets, and pits (1 Samuel 13:6), when they heard that the Philistines had fled, they also joined Saul's army and chased after the fleeing Philistines.  The historian Josephus wrote that at this time Saul's army had increased to 10,000.

(23) So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Beth Aven. 

So the Lord had saved Israel that day with only two men, as Jonathan had had faith He could (verse 6).  Now the battle shifted to Beth Aven. 

(24) And the men of Israel were distressed that day for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed the man who eats food until evening, that I may be avenged on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

It appears that when Saul had assembled his people to pursue the Philistines (verse 20), he had given them a strict order that none of them was to eat anything until the evening so that no time would be lost in making victory over the Philistines, that "he" might be avenged on "his" enemies.  That sounds a bit arrogant and self-centered considering it had been Jonathan and his armor bearer who had thus far done the avenging.

(25) And all the land came to a wood, and there was honey on the ground. (26) And when the people had come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

As the people were pursuing the Philistines, they came into a wooded area where there was honey on the ground.  Honey was dripping all over, but no one dared pick up any to eat because of the severe command of Saul that carried with it a curse (verse 24).

(27) But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath; therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

Jonathan had not heard his father's order, and he took his rod and dipped the end of it in a honeycomb and ate the honey.  His eyes brightened as he became refreshed.

(28) Then answered one of the people who said, "Your father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint.

Someone spoke up and told Jonathan that his father had ordered that no one eat until the evening and had issued the order with a curse. And all the people were faint with hunger.

(29) Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey. (30) How much more, if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

Jonathan said that his father had distressed the people with his order.  He told the people to observe how his eyes had brightened because he was refreshed with a little bit of honey.  He added that had the people been allowed to eat freely of the spoil of the Philistines as they came upon it, there would probably have been a much greater slaughter of their enemies by that time.

(31) And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.

The people struck the Philistines from Michmash, the place where the camp of the Philistines was when Jonathan first attacked them, to Aijalon in Judah, about twelve miles.  It appears the people did not eat the honey as Jonathan had encouraged them to do.  By this time, they were extremely faint.  

(32) And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood.

The people were so starved they rushed upon the spoil of the Philistines and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and killed them on the spot and ate them raw with the blood still in them, which was against God's law.  

(33) Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the Lord in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "You have transgressed; roll a great stone to me this day." (34) And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man's ox, and every man's sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat, and do not sin against the Lord in eating with the blood.'" And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night and killed them there.

It was told to Saul that the people had sinned against the Lord in eating flesh with the blood.  Saul then told the people that they had sinned and asked that a large stone be rolled to him.  He then sent word among the people to bring their oxen and their sheep, whatever they intended to eat, and slaughter them there on the stone where they could properly drain the blood, and thusly not sin against the Lord.  All the people brought their animals that night to the stone and killed them there. 

So it was night by the time the people flew upon the spoil of the Philistines and ate ravenously flesh of the animals with the blood.  So they had waited to eat until the evening.  Note that the people feared the order of Saul more than they feared sinning against the Lord.   

(35) And Saul built an altar to the Lord; the same was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

Saul built an altar to the Lord.  It was the first one he had built himself.  He had before sacrificed at altars that were already there, but this was the first he built himself.   

(36) And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

Saul then proposed that they go after the Philistines by night and plunder them all night long until the morning light and not leave a man of them alive.  The people agreed to do whatever Saul thought was right.  Then the priest suggested that they should draw near to God to ask what He wanted them to do.

(37) And Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day.

Saul had already made up his mind what he wanted to do.  He just wanted God to bless his plan.  He had not inquired of God first what he should do.  He went through the motions now that the priest had suggested it, and he asked God if he should go after the Philistines, and would He deliver them into the hand of Israel.  But God did not answer him.  From the beginning, Saul had not waited for instruction from the Lord.  In verse 19, he was too impatient to wait for the priest to inquire of the Lord and had gone through with his own plan.  He had made a foolish strict order that caused the people to sin.  He now made a decision to go after the Philistines that night and now made a show of pretending that he sought the Lord's guidance.  The Lord did not play that game.

(38) And Saul said, "Draw near here, all the chief of the people, and know and see where this sin has been this day. (39) For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not a man among all the people answered him.

Saul called all the chiefs of the people together to determine what sin had been committed that day, for he concluded that the reason the Lord didn't answer was because there was sin among them.  He never considered it might be his own.  Then Saul made another rash oath.  He said as the Lord who saved Israel lived, even if the sin was found in his own son, even he would die.  But none of the people answered him.  They knew Jonathan had eaten honey against his father's order, but he had done it unknowingly, and besides, they probably had affection for him as he was the one who had truly saved them that day.

Saul did proclaim that the Lord was the one who saved Israel, but in his arrogance, he was more concerned about someone not obeying his order than any real sin against God.  If someone disobeyed his order, was that really a sin?  It always seems that Saul gives a show of religion, but God is not the true object of his heart.  It always seems to be about Saul first.  Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  James said in James 1:26, "If any man among you seems to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain."  Those seem to sum up Saul pretty well.

(40) Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." (41) Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

Then Saul spoke to all the people, instructing them to divide into two groups, he and Jonathan on one side against all the people on the other.  The people again told Saul he should do what seemed good to him.  Saul then asked the Lord to give a perfect lot, as if He didn't always, and have it land on the guilty party.  The lot showed that the guilty party was among Saul and Jonathan, and the people were shown to be innocent.

(42) And Saul said, "Cast between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

Saul, having no sense of his own guilt, would have his own son put to death because he did not obey his order.  It's interesting that God would show Jonathan as the guilty one.  Eating the honey was not a sin against God.  However, it wasn't God's intention that Jonathan be killed, but rather to reveal Saul's arrogant rashness in making such an oath.

(43) Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod in my hand; lo, I must die."

Saul asked Jonathan what he had done to have the lot fall to him, what "sin" had he committed?  Jonathan told him that he had only tasted a little honey with the end of his rod, and for that, he must die.  Jonathan didn't even try to defend himself with the fact he had not heard his father's order.  He willingly accepted his fate.  Or was he rather pointing out that for so trivial a matter, he must die, pointing out the absurdity of so harsh a punishment for something that was not a sin against God.  Since God was using this as a lesson for Saul, I'm sure His spirit could have been directing responses.

(44) And Saul answered, "God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

Saul's point was that God may do even more evil if he did not follow through with his oath, so he told Jonathan he must surely die.

(45) And the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan that he did not die.

The people spoke up for Jonathan, asking if Jonathan with whom God had surely worked to bring salvation to Israel should die.  It was obvious that he had not offended God, but God had used him mightily to save Israel.  Adam Clarke put it this way, in his Commentary on the Bible, "Here was a righteous and impartial jury, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence."  After all, no man should die except for a breach of the law of God, and Jonathan had not broken any law of God, so he should not die.  So the people rescued Jonathan from his death penalty, but actually, it was God who saved him by exposing Saul's arrogance and recklessness.

(46) Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul gave up following the Philistines since he did not get an answer from the Lord, and he probably thought he had lost the opportunity, since his plan had been to attack at night.  The Philistines who remained went back to their own place.

(47) So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and wherever he turned himself, he vexed them. (48) And he gathered a host and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

Saul established his sovereignty over Israel.  It seemed to have been taken from him when he was in Gibeah with only 600 men and surrounded by Philistines.  Having obtained victory over the Philistines, he recovered his kingdom and resumed his administration.  He fought his enemies on all sides, defending Israel against them.  Wherever he turned, he troubled his enemies.  He assembled an army and struck the Amalekites, as well, delivering Israel out of the hands of all who plundered them.

(49) Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Malchishua, and the names of his two daughters were, the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.

Saul had three sons, Jonathan, Ishui, and Malchishua, and two daughters, Merab and Michal.  Actually, Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, pointed out that Saul had other children.  He had another son named Ishbosheth, sometimes called Eshbaal.  The commentators I study presume that the reason he wasn't mentioned here is because the author intended to mention only Saul's sons who went with him into the battles.  Saul also had other children by a concubine, or second wife, Rizpah.

(50) And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz, and the name of the captain of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. (51) And Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the sons of Abiel.

Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.  The captain of his army was Abner, the son of Saul's uncle Ner, making Abner his cousin.  Saul's father Kish and his uncle Ner were brothers and the sons of Abiel.

(52) And there was fierce war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

Saul continued to fight fierce battles against the Philistines all the days of his life.  Whenever he saw any strong or valiant man, he took them for his purposes, just as Samuel had forewarned the people he would do, in 1 Samuel 8:11, "This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself..."

The Ark of God is Taken by the Philistines

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 4:1) 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.

Samuel had grown to manhood, and the Lord had raised him and prepared him to be His prophet.  Now Samuel, as the Lord's prophet, spoke the words of the Lord to all Israel.  At that time Israel went to battle against the Philistines.  The Israelites pitched beside a place later called Ebenezer, which would be so named in 1 Samuel 7:12.  The Philistines pitched in Aphek, a city in the tribe of Judah, bordering on the Philistines.

(2) And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel, and when they joined battle, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.

The Philistines formed their battle line, and when Israel engaged with them, the Philistines defeated the Israelites and killed four thousand men.

(3) And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies."

When the people returned to their camp, the elders rightly perceived that the Lord Himself defeated them before the Philistines, but they failed to understand why or to seek counsel of the Lord.  They were incredulous that the Lord should allow those heathens to defeat them.  They had become complacent.  I can't help but relate that to my country today.  Americans have become so fat and lazy and smug, they take no notice of the dangers on the horizon, thinking those things never happen to us, or if they do, we always bounce back.  People are oblivious of why they were ever blessed in the first place and have turned their backs on God.  Likewise the Israelites did not look inward but foolishly placed their confidence in an external object, the ark, to save them.  They did not look to the Lord.

(4) So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who dwells between the cherubim, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. (5) 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.

The people sent word to Shiloh to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord who would appear and dwell in the mercy seat between two cherubim that covered the seat.  Eli's sons were there with the ark and presumably brought the ark to the camp themselves.  When the ark came into the camp, the people shouted with great joy and confidence in their coming success.  They shouted with such a great shout, the earth shook.

(6) And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.

When the Philistines heard the shouting, they wondered among themselves what it meant.  Then they perceived that it was the ark of the Hebrews' Lord.

(7) And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before. (8) Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness."

The Philistines were then afraid when they realized the Israelites' God had come into their camp.  They feared for their fate for they had never fought the Israelite God before, at least not so obvious a presence.  They had heard about the ten plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians, and they didn't think they stood a chance against their Gods, as they called Israel's Lord, because they were accustomed to their many gods.

(9) "Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you be not servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men and fight!"

However, the Philistines gave themselves a pep talk.  Since there was no one else to deliver them out of the hands of the Israelites' God, they had to depend on their own strength.  It is interesting that they evidently thought the Hebrew God to be stronger than their gods, yet they presumed to fight against Him anyway.  Of course, that could have been the Spirit of God spurring them on for His purposes.  They did not want to become servants to the Israelites as they had previously been servants to them, so they had to gather their strength and fight.

(10) And the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled every man to his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

The Philistines did fight, and they defeated Israel, killing thirty thousand of their army.  The men who escaped death ran back to their tents.

(11) And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

The Philistines had taken the ark of the Lord and had killed Hophni and Phinehas who had been with the ark.

(12) And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

A Benjamite from the Israelite army ran that same day to Shiloh.  His clothes were torn and there was dirt on his head which were signs of distress and mourning.

(13) And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside 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. 

When the man in mourning came into the city, it seems he bypassed Eli who sitting by the wayside watching for he feared for the fate of the ark of the covenant.  He didn't so much fear for his sons as he expected their death because of the divine prophecy he had received.  He now displayed honor for God and His ark above his sons, whereas God through prophecy had accused Eli of honoring his sons above Him (1 Samuel 2:29).  Once again, I see Eli as a good man, but a weak one.  However, it is true that he sinned when he should have honored God above his sons and dealt with them accordingly but didn't.  The man in mourning came into the city and told what had happened in the battle, and all the people in the city cried out.

(14) And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What does the noise of this tumult mean?" And the man came in hastily and told Eli. (15) Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see. (16) And the man said to Eli, "I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army." And he said, "What is there done, my son?"

When Eli heard the cries of the people, he asked what the commotion meant.  The man came to tell him.  Eli was very old and had become blind, so the man described himself to Eli.  He told him he had come from the army, and Eli asked him for news of the battle.

(17) And the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."

The man told Eli that the Israelites had fled from the Philistines in defeat, and that there had been a great slaughter, including his two sons who were dead.  He told him that the ark of God had been taken.

(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 broke, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

It was when the man told Eli that the ark of God had been taken, that he was so struck with grief that he fell backward off his seat and broke his neck.  He was very old, probably with brittle bones, and he was heavy, so that his fall broke his neck and he died.  It's noteworthy that Eli was heavy, meaning fat, and you don't normally think of men in Eli's position as fat men.  That was usually the condition of gluttonous and wicked kings.  But Eli had become fat with the best offerings of the people (1 Samuel 2:29).  Eli had judged Israel for forty years.

(19) And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's wife, was with child due 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 gave birth for her pains came upon her.

Eli's daughter-in-law, Phinehas's pregnant wife, was so distraught when she heard the news that the ark had been taken and that Eli and her husband were dead, that she went into labor.

(20) And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said, "Fear not, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.

After she delivered the baby, she was dying.  The women who stood by her tried to encourage her by telling her she had borne a son which was usually a matter of joy, but she did not answer them, nor did she seem to regard what they said at all.

(21) And she named the child Ichabod, 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."

As she was dying, she named her child Ichabod which literally meant "no glory."  She gave as her reason for naming him Ichabod, that the glory had departed from Israel because the ark of God had been taken and her father-in-law and her husband had died.  That may have been what the women attending her thought was the reason, but Phinehas's wife repeated her reason, specifying it was only because the ark of God had been taken that the glory had departed from Israel, and that is why she named her child Ichabod.  It was not because of the death of her father-in-law and her husband that she said the glory had departed, but only because the ark was taken.

I am struck by the sincere love of God and His ark displayed by Eli and his daughter-in-law.  Although there was much sin and apathy in Israel that caused God to turn away from them and allow His ark to be taken by heathens and "suffered His glory for a time to become eclipsed," as Adam Clarke put it in his Commentary on the Bible, these two were so struck by sorrow and the horror of it, it killed them.  Nothing brings such overpowering grief and feelings of desolation and even hopelessness than the thought that God has left us, that He has turned His back on us.  Although they had become complacent, these two apparently had a deep love for God.  They just needed to be reminded of that fact.  However, it was too late for them as they died, but their lesson for us lives on forever.  God hates a lukewarm Christian (Revelation 3:16).

The Lord Calls Samuel

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 3:1) And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

In the last chapter and post, we learned that the priesthood had become defiled by Eli's sons, the priests.  The word of the Lord was precious and rare in those days, and there were no visions of the Lord to people.  However, Samuel had continued to grow physically and spiritually under the leadership of Eli.

(2) And it came to pass at that time, when Eli lay down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see, (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, (4) That the Lord called to Samuel, and he answered "Here am I."

One night when Eli had lain down in his place to go to sleep, and his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see, Samuel had also lain down to go to sleep.  This was early in the morning when it was still dark, before the lamps in the candlestick in the tabernacle that were lit in the evening went out in the morning.  The Lord called to Samuel, and he answered he was there.

(5) And he ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down.

Samuel ran to Eli, thinking it was he who called him, needing his assistance in something.  However, Eli told him that he had not called him, and he should go back to sleep.  Samuel went back and lay down.

(6) And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." And he answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

The Lord called to Samuel again, and again Samuel, thinking it was Eli who called him, went to him, telling him he was there for he did call him that time.  However, once again, Eli said he had not called, and he told Samuel to go lie down again.

(7) Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.

Samuel obviously knew of the Lord but did not know Him personally.  Hearing the word of the Lord was very rare at that time, and Samuel had never heard from Him before.

(8) And the Lord called Samuel the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

The Lord called to Samuel a third time, and again he went to Eli, thinking it must be him who called him.  Eli could tell that Samuel was definitely hearing someone call him, and as there was no one else around, he realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel.

(9) Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Realizing it was the Lord who called Samuel, Eli told him to go lie down again, and if the Lord called him again, he should answer, asking the Lord to speak for he, His servant, was listening.  Therefore, Samuel went and lay down again.

(10) And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears."

The Lord came and stood before Samuel this time, or a vision of one whom Samuel would know to be the Lord, as no one could actually see God and live (Exodus 33:20).  He called out to Samuel again, and Samuel answered that he was ready to hear the Lord.

(11) And the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle."

The Lord spoke to Samuel, telling him He was going to do something in Israel so great it would stun everyone.  In the words of Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible, "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."

(12) "In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. (13) For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. (14) And therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."

The Lord told Samuel that He would perform against Eli and his house all the things He had spoken to Eli through the prophet (1 Samuel 2:27).  When He began the execution of His purpose, nothing would deter Him from bringing all His judgments to a conclusion.  He told Samuel what He had told Eli, that He would judge his house forever because his sons had been so vile in the priesthood, and he had done nothing to restrain them.  The iniquity of Eli's house could not be atoned for through sacrifices or offerings forever.

(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.

After the Lord had spoken to him, Samuel lay there until the morning, when he got up and opened the doors of the house of the Lord.  He was afraid to tell Eli about his vision.

(16) Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here I am." (17) And he said, "What is the thing that the Lord has said to you? I pray you do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you."

Eli called to Samuel, and Samuel came to him.  Eli asked him what the Lord had said to him and asked him not to hide it from him.  He went as far to pledge a sort of curse against Samuel if he did not tell him everything the Lord had said.  I don't believe Eli was threatening Samuel.  I believe his intent was to have Samuel tell him everything even if he felt it might hurt Eli.

(18) And Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him."

Samuel told Eli everything the Lord had said to him.  In submission to the will of God, Eli said He was, after all, the sovereign Lord, and He would do what was just and right.  Eli was a good man, but he was a weak man.  As the Apostle Paul would later say in 1 Timothy 3:5, "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"

(19) And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

Samuel grew to manhood, and the Lord was with him, teaching him and prospering him.  He let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground as false or useless, which may refer to the words Samuel spoke about his vision.  It may also refer to Samuel's words in general as the Lord was preparing him to be His prophet.

(20) And all Israel from Dan 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.

All of Israel from Dan in the far north to Beersheba in the south knew that Samuel was to be a prophet of God.  The Lord appeared again to Samuel, perhaps often, for the Lord revealed His will to him by His word.

One cannot help but be struck by the beauty of Hannah's testimony.  Once so low, she appealed to the Lord for a son.  In gratitude, she gave her son back to the Lord for His service.  Little did she know just how great a service he would provide.  The Lord blessed her sacrifice beyond her wildest dreams, I'm sure, in raising up Samuel to be His prophet, and He also gave her five more children.

A more unpleasant moral of this story is about raising our children to fear the Lord and putting God first.  Eli was held responsible for not reining in his sons.  Sometimes even the best parents can have rebellious children, and they still love them.  However, the love for their children cannot supersede the love for God.  That was where Eli really failed.  When his sons violated the laws of God and His house, that is when Eli should have stood up for the Lord and ousted his sons, or at the very least sought counsel of the Lord and had his sons repent and seek atonement for their sins if the Lord allowed.  We are to seek the Lord first and foremost, and when man contradicts God, "We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). 

The Wickedness of Eli's Sons

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 2:11) And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

In the last post, Hannah had brought her child to Eli at the tabernacle of the Lord, as she had vowed in her prayer when she asked the Lord for a son.  Hannah had delivered a song of thanksgiving and praise, and now her husband Elkanah, with Hannah, I'm sure, went back to their home in Ramah.  Their son Samuel stayed with Eli and ministered to the Lord in whatever way he could at his young age, surely learning songs of praise and learning to read the book of the law.

(12) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they did not know the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:3 told us that the names of Eli's sons were Hophni and Phinehas, and they were priests of the Lord.  Since Eli was high priest, his sons were priests by birth.  However, we learn here that they really didn't know the Lord but were sons of wickedness.

(13) And the priests' custom with the people was when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand while the flesh was boiling, (14) And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

I believe the sense is that the priests had made their own custom that was not in agreement with the law of the Lord.  According to the law, if this was a burnt offering, it was wholly consumed by fire, so this must have been a peace offering where part belonged to the Lord, the fat which was burnt, the breast and shoulder went to the priest, and the rest went to the owner of the sacrifice, who made a feast of it for his family and friends.  The parts of the flesh that were boiling were probably the parts belonging to the owner and his family, but the priests, Hophni and Phinehas, had made it a custom to send a servant with a three-pronged fork to draw up more portions for themselves.  This they did to all the Israelites with their offerings.

(15) Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have boiled flesh of you, but raw." (16) And if any man said to him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently and then take what your soul desires," then he would answer him, "No, but you shall give it now, and if not, I will take it by force."

Also before they burnt the fat of the offering, the priest's servant came and demanded flesh to roast for the priest, for he wanted raw flesh to roast, not boiled flesh after the owner's portion was boiled.  If a man told the servant that they must burn the fat first in keeping with the law, the priest's servant refused and said he wanted it right then, and if the owner refused, he would take what he wanted by force.  It was obvious in this that the priests had no respect and reverence for the things of the Lord, nor for His laws.

(17) Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

The sin of the priests was very great before the Lord, in that they took what was not their own, sometimes by force, and before the Lord had His part in the offering, and all this was done in the Lord's house, in His presence.  This plainly showed that they had no respect nor fear of God.  Also they caused all men to find offering to the Lord a disagreeable thing when they saw how the law of God was not followed.  It probably made some neglect bringing their sacrifices at all.

(18) But Samuel ministered before the Lord as a child, girded with a linen ephod.

However, Samuel ministered before the Lord, even at his young age.  He wore a linen ephod such as the priests wore, which would appear to be a special privilege to one so young.

(19) Moreover, his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

Hannah, his mother, would make Samuel a coat to wear over his other clothes and bring one to him every year when her family came to offer the yearly sacrifice.

(20) And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The Lord give you descendants of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord." And they went to their own home.

On one such occasion Eli blessed Elkanah and Hannah, telling them they would be blessed with more children because of their gift of Samuel to the Lord.  Then they went to their own home.

(21) And the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Indeed, the Lord gave Hannah more children, three sons and two daughters, while Samuel grew up before the Lord in the tabernacle.

(22) Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Eli became very old, and it seems it was only then that he heard about what his sons had been doing to the Israelites with regard to their offerings, and also how they sexually lay with women who assembled at the door of the congregation.

(23) And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. (24) No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear; you make the Lord's people to transgress."

Eli asked his sons why they did such things.  He heard of all they were doing from the people.  Not only were they doing evil, but they caused the people to sin, as well.  They caused the people to sin in the way they offered their offerings, and they caused the women to sin who came to the tabernacle, whom they took to satisfy their sexual desires.

(25) "If one man sins against another, the judge shall judge him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who shall intreat for him?" However, they did not hearken to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

Eli continued with his somewhat mild rebuke of his sons.  If a man sinned against another man, a judge would determine the outcome, but if one sinned against God, who would dare intercede for him?   I think his point was that even he, their father, would not be able to defend them if they sinned against God.  However, his sons would not listen to their father nor heed his warning, but that was part of the Lord's will, for He would kill them for their wickedness.

(26) And the child Samuel grew on and was in favor, both with the Lord and also with men.

Meanwhile, Samuel grew in the tabernacle, and he was in favor of the Lord, as well as with men.

(27) And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Did I plainly appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? (28) And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? And did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?'"

A messenger from God went to Eli, and speaking the words of the Lord, reminded him that the Lord Himself had appeared to his forefather Aaron when they were in Egypt, and that He had chosen Aaron and his descendants out of all the tribes to be His priests.  They had much honor and privilege, and the Lord provided them with their share of the offerings.

(29) "'Therefore, why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My habitation, and honor your sons above Me to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all offerings of Israel My people?'"

The man of God continued with the words of the Lord, asking why Eli trampled upon and despised His offering that He had commanded in His house.  He accused him of honoring his sons above the Lord because he allowed them to dishonor Him by their actions.  It is likely that Eli would have taken part in feasts their sons made with the choicest pieces of the offerings of the people.  More than likely, it is probably a sure thing that he did, as the message of the Lord was that all of them made themselves fat with the best of the offerings.

(30) "Therefore the Lord God of Israel says, 'I said indeed your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever.' But now the Lord says, 'Be it far from Me, for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.'"

The man of God continued.  The Lord God of Israel had determined that Eli's line through his father, Ithamar, should minister before Him forever.  However, now the Lord said it was far from Him to allow the priesthood to continue in the line of Ithamar and Eli.  He would honor those who honored Him, but those who despised Him, as Eli's sons had shown they did, would be only lightly esteemed.  Actually, the original word "qalal" that was translated as "lightly esteemed" is more often translated as "cursed" in other scriptures.  That is probably a better meaning here.

(31) "'Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.'"

The Lord warned Eli that the days were coming when He would cut off his strength, power, and authority, and that of his father's, and there would be no old man left in his house.

(32) "'And you shall see an enemy in My habitation, in all which God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.'"

Eli would live to see an enemy or affliction in the Lord's tabernacle in all the wealth that the Lord had planned for Israel.  The prophet repeated that there would not be an old man in Eli's house, and this time he added the word "forever." 

(33) "'And the man of yours whom I shall not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart, and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.'"

The state of any man of Eli's posterity whom the Lord did not cut off from His altar would make his eyes cry and his heart full of grief.  All of his posterity would die in the prime of their lives.

(34) "'And this a sign unto you that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die both of them.'"

There would be a sign to Eli that all the man of God had told him would be fulfilled when he saw his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, die on the same day.

(35) "'And I will raise Me up a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.'"

Continuing with the words of the Lord, the man of God told Eli He would raise up a faithful priest who would do according to the will and heart of the Lord.  The Lord would build him a sure house, which probably meant He would give him a numerous posterity to ensure the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.  He and his posterity would walk before the Lord's anointed, the Messiah, forever.  The priests were to represent Christ, act in His name, and point toward the coming Messiah.

(36) "'And it shall come to pass, everyone who is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, "Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

Everyone left alive in Eli's house would be reduced to begging God's priest for a small piece of silver and a morsel of bread and asking to be put into one of the priests' offices in whatever inferior post they might find in order to keep them from starving.

The main subject of this part of the chapter focuses on the wickedness of Hophni and Phinehas, and even Eli, because of his weakness and leniency and failure to stop the wicked behavior in God's house.  The sad state of the priesthood throughout this post is sprinkled with the bright spots of little Samuel growing in the Lord.  It's a perfect picture of our world today, so much wickedness even in high places of government and the church, but throughout the world in different walks of life, God is raising up His people to follow Him, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

It's not that God was raising up Samuel to be His priest, as Samuel was not from the correct line of priests, but He was raising him up for other purposes.  There is only one perfect priest who can do all according to the heart and mind of God, and that is Jesus Christ.  In Him, the Lord will build a sure house, the Christian church upon the rock that is Jesus Christ.  The wickedness of Eli's sons and Eli himself who knew what his sons were doing was evil, but he did nothing about it, illustrates the need for a Savior.  We all sin and come short of the glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23).  "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Birth of the Prophet Samuel

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

(1 Samuel 1:1) Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

This first chapter of 1 Samuel takes us back to the time of the judges of Israel, Samson being the last one (Judges 16).  Judges 17-21 didn't actually follow a chronological order but told how the people had strayed and did what was right in their own eyes, before the time of the judges.  I've been disappointed in this particular chronological pattern of studying the Bible that was presented by Skip Andrews, as it is not always exactly in chronological date order, but I can't change now.  This chapter begins by telling us about a man named Elkanah who lived at a place called Ramathaim Zophim in Mount Ephraim.  He was the son of Jeroham, who was the son of Elihu, who was the son of Tohu, who was the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite from Ephratah which is said to be another name for Bethlehem Judah.

(2) And he had two wives, the name of the one Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah, and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

(3) And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

Elkanah went, as he did yearly, to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord, called the Lord of hosts, which means the Lord of heaven's armies.  Eli was the next judge after Samson and was also the high priest.  He and his sons who were also priests were there in Shiloh.

(4) And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters.

This was probably a peace offering where the bringer of the offering shared in the feast made of his offering.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, explained:  "The sacrifices which were made were probably peace-offerings, of which the blood was poured out at the foot of the altar; the fat was burnt on the fire; the breast and right shoulder were the portion of the priest, and the rest belonged to him who made the offering; on it he and his family feasted, each receiving his portion..."  Elkanah gave portions of his offering to his wife Peninnah and to her children.

(5) But to Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah; but the Lord had shut up her womb.

It appears that Elkanah gave Hannah a more special or choice portion because he loved her.  However, Hannah had no children because the Lord had shut her womb.

(6) And her adversary also provoked her sorely to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

Scripture doesn't tell us who Hannah's adversary was, but it was probably Peninnah, perhaps jealous that Elkanah loved Hannah best, and she taunted Hannah because she had been unable to have children.  It doesn't have to be Peninnah; the adversary could be Satan feeding her with all sorts of negative thoughts because she had not been able to bear children.  Even if it was Peninnah, Satan the adversary had a hand in it, to be sure.

(7) And he did so year by year; when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Elkanah went to the house of the Lord for this feast year after year.  "She" provoked Hannah when she went up to the house of the Lord, so it is Peninnah who was her adversary.  They were going to make an offering to the Lord, and Peninnah was accompanied by all her children, and Hannah was alone, so Peninnah taunted Hannah until she wept and did not eat.

(8) Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

Elkanah asked Hannah why she grieved so and did not eat.  He asked if his love for her was better than if she had had ten sons.  Or perhaps the meaning was that his love was better than the comfort and love she would receive from ten sons.  The point was that his great love for her, obviously greater than the love he had for Peninnah and her children, should demonstrate that it didn't matter to him that she could not bear him any children.

(9) So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

Hannah rose up to leave after they had eaten and drunk.  Eli the priest who was also the judge sat upon probably what was called the seat of judgment by a post of the temple of the Lord.

(10) And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept sorely. (11) And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me and not forget Your handmaid, but will give to Your handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

Hannah wept bitterly and prayed to the Lord.  She vowed that if the Lord looked down on her favorably and gave her a boy child, she would dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life, as a Nazarite, and no razor would ever touch his head.

(12) And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli observed her mouth. (13) Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

Hannah was praying to herself, not aloud, but her lips moved as she prayed in her heart.  Eli saw her and observed her mouth moving and thought she was drunk.

(14) And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you."

Eli spoke to Hannah and asked how long she intended to be drunk and told her to put her wine away.

(15) And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. (16) Do not count your handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken until now."

Hannah told Eli she had not been drinking, but she was just very sorrowful and had poured out her soul to the Lord.  She asked that he not consider her a daughter of wickedness, that it was only because of her overwhelming grief and complaint that her mouth had moved while she prayed.

(17) Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him."

Eli then told Hannah to go in peace, that the God of Israel would grant her request for which she had prayed and asked of God.

(18) And she said, "Let your handmaid find grace in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.

Hannah wished that she may have found favor with Eli and then went her way.  She ate and she was no longer sad because she had assurance in the words of the priest that God would favorably answer her prayer.

(19) And they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house to Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

Elkanah and his family rose up early the next morning and went to the tabernacle to worship the Lord, and then they went back to their home in Ramah, or Ramathaim.  There Elkanah knew his wife Hannah in an intimate way, and the Lord remembered her as she had prayed He would.

(20) So it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son and called his name Samuel, "Because I have asked him of the Lord."

It came to pass when the time was come for Hannah to give birth, she had a son and named him Samuel, which meant literally "heard of God," because she had asked the Lord for him, and the Lord had heard her prayers and answered favorably.

(21) And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

Elkanah and his family went to offer a yearly sacrifice to the Lord and for whatever vow he had made since the last offering.  He had possibly made a vow on the occasion of Hannah's prayer and vow, or maybe he vowed an offering of thanksgiving for the child.

(22) But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned, and I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord and abide there forever."

Hannah did not go with her family because she had told Elkanah that she wouldn't go until her baby was weaned, and then she would take him to appear before the Lord where he would abide forever, in keeping with her vow.

(23) And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems to you good; wait until you have weaned him; only the Lord establish His word. So the woman abode and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

Elkanah told Hannah to do what she thought best and wait until she had weaned Samuel.  Then may the Lord establish His word as vowed by Hannah, to accept and preserve Samuel, and have him grow up a Nazarite in service to the Lord.  Hannah stayed and nursed her baby until she had weaned him.

(24) And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young.

When Hannah had weaned her son, she took him with a bull, flour, and a bottle of wine for offerings, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh.  The child was quite young, probably a small toddler.

(25) And they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli.

The bull was slaughtered for sacrifice, and the child was brought to Eli.

(26) And she said, "O my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. (27) For this child I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. (28) Therefore I have also lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah reminded Eli about who she was, the woman who had prayed to the Lord beside him.  She never told him what she had prayed for, only that she had poured her soul out to the Lord (verse 15), but Eli told her that God would grant her petition (verse 17).  She now told Eli that she had prayed for a child, and the Lord had given her her petition.  She went on to tell him that she was giving her son to the Lord for His service for as long as he lived.  "He" worshiped the Lord there, perhaps Eli who gave thanks to the Lord for what he had declared would be having come to fruition.  Some Biblical scholars think Samuel is meant.  Although he was very young, his spirit knew and was capable of worshiping God in some way, just as Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when he heard Mary (Luke 1:41).  Others think "they" was meant, and they all worshiped the Lord for what He had done.

John the Baptist Preaches and Baptizes Jesus

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 3:1) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate became governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, (2) Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

As Luke sought to write a truly chronological record of Jesus, some time had passed from the end of chapter 2 that found Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy and the beginning of chapter 3.  He went to great lengths to record the leaders of the day.  It was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of Rome, and the third of the Caesars, Julius being the first, then Augustus who was Caesar when Jesus was born, and Tiberius was the third, at this time having been ruler for fifteen years.  It was at that time that Pontius Pilate became governor of Judea.  Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great, was tetrarch or district ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, two provinces of Syria, bordering Judea.  Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, another province of Syria.  Annas and Caiaphas, Annas's son-in-law, were high priests.  It was at that time that the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

(3) And he came into all the country around Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

That word of God that came to John obviously filled him with the Holy Spirit and directed him to start his ministry.  He came out of the wilderness into the parts of the country that bordered the Jordan River and began preaching about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.

(4) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'"

John's coming out of the wilderness to preach was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, "The voice of him crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"  John was to be about the business of preparing the way for Jesus, preparing hearts to receive Him when He appeared on the scene.

(5) "'Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth. (6) And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Luke continued quoting Isaiah 40:4-5, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see together.'"  In making straight the way of the Lord, every hindrance would be removed, and all people would be able to see the glory of the Lord and His salvation revealed in the form of Jesus Christ on earth.

(7) Then he said to the multitude that came forth to be baptized by him, "O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

A multitude of people came out to see John and to be baptized by him.  According to the account in Matthew it was when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees among the people that he spoke to them, calling them a generation of vipers poisoning the people against God and against one another.  However, this could be the message to all who came to him, as all people are poisonous and poisoned by sin.  By the fact that they came out to him to be baptized was evidence that they had heeded his warning to repent and be baptized and be saved from the wrath to come.

(8) "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

Fruits worthy of repentance would be those that showed a true and genuine desire to repent of sins before God.  The opposite of that would be a pride in that they descended from Abraham as if that alone was enough to save them.  John told them not to rely on that, as it was nothing special as the Lord could raise up stones as children of Abraham.

(9) "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire."

Like when an axe is brought to the root of a tree to begin chopping, so had the time come for repentance; now that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and the gospel was being preached, it was more urgent than ever that sinners come to repentance.  Otherwise, those with no good fruits of true and genuine repentance would be cut down and cast into the fire as in hellfire.  

(10) And the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

More than just the fruits initially brought that showed a genuine desire to repent, there should be good fruits resulting from a changed heart, which is the meaning of a repentant heart.  The people should lead lives that showed their repentance was genuine.  These were probably the fruits the people were asking about when they asked what they should do to avoid being fruitless and worthy of nothing but being cast into the fire.

(11) He answered and said to them, "He who has two coats, let him impart to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise."

John answered them by telling them to help others less fortunate than they were with all that was in their ability to do.  Basically, they were just to be kind and charitable with whatever they had.

(12) Then publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Master, what shall we do?"

Tax collectors also came to John to be baptized, and they also asked him what they should do.

(13) And he said to them, "Exact no more than what is appointed you."

Note that John didn't tell them to quit their jobs.  As hated as they were, theirs was not a sinful or unlawful profession in and of itself.  However, it seems there were tax collectors who collected more than was required by law in order to pocket some extra for themselves.  John told them not to do that, but to do their work fairly and honestly.

(14) And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no man, nor accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."

Again John's answer was basically to just do their jobs fairly and honestly, and not use their positions to do harm to anyone, either by violence or by false accusations, and to be content with their wages, not seeking to add to them through extortion or other evil means.

(15) And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, (16) John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I comes, the strap of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

As the people were expecting their Messiah, men pondered in their hearts whether or not John was the expected Christ.  However, John told the people that while he baptized them with water, there was One coming mightier than he, dispelling their beliefs that he might be the Messiah.  This coming One was so great that John himself was not worthy to even loosen the straps of His sandals, intimating that He would be their long-awaited Messiah.  He added that the coming One would not baptize with mere water, but would baptize with the Holy Spirit to cleanse and purify the heart as with fire.  As water cleaned the outside, fire would purify the inside.

(17) "Whose fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

John went on to describe the coming One as having a winnowing fan, cleaning His threshing floor, as all the world was His, separating the wheat from the chaff.  The wheat He would gather to Himself, but the chaff would be burned with unquenchable fire.

(18) And many other things in his exhortations he preached to the people.

John preached many other things to the people regarding the Messiah and the good news and salvation He would bring.

(19) But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, (20) Added also this, above all, that he shut up John in prison.

However, John was eventually imprisoned by Herod because he had reproved him for taking his own brother's wife, Herodias, as his own, not to mention all the other evil Herod had done.  Luke called it the most evil of all that Herod had shut John up in prison.

(21) Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, (22) And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased."

Obviously before John was imprisoned, when he had been preaching and baptizing all the people, Jesus came to him also to be baptized.  It seems that while Jesus was being baptized or very immediately afterward, He was praying, a fact not documented in the other accounts in Matthew and Mark, and the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.  A voice came from heaven saying that Jesus was His beloved Son in Whom He was well pleased.

(23) And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph who was the son of Eli,

The sense of the verse is that Jesus came to be, that is, He began His ministry, what He was sent to do, at about thirty years of age.  Dr. John Lightfoot, theologian and greatest Hebrew scholar in England in the 1600's, said that because of the way it was written in the Hebrew, that Jesus was a full twenty-nine years old, entering His thirtieth year.  His ministry was 3 1/2 years long, so He died at 32 1/2 years of age.  What was more amazing to me was the significance of 3 1/2 years that Dr. Lightfoot showed to be symbolic in the Bible.  The heavens were said to be shut up for 3 1/2 years in Elijah's time (Luke 4:25, James 5:17).  Prophesies in Revelation 11:2-3 speak of 42 months, and 1260 days, both equaling 3 1/2 years.  The prophesies in Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14 speak of time, times, and half a time, which is thought to be a year, two years, and half a year, or 3 1/2 years.  Jesus was thought by the people to be the son of Joseph, who is said here to be the son of Eli.  He was actually the son-in-law of Eli, as Mary was the daughter of Eli, and Joseph, the son of Jacob.  Thus begins the genealogy of Jesus through Mary's line.

(24) Who was of Matthat, who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janna, who was of Joseph, 

The genealogy of Jesus continues with Eli being the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Janna, who was the son of Joseph.  I will end this post here, as Blogger only allows twenty tags per post, and I feel anyone in Jesus's genealogy is worth a tag, at the very least.  Luke 3 and the genealogy of Jesus will continue in the next post.