1 Samuel 7

1 Samuel 7 concludes the account, begun in 1 Samuel 6, of the return of the ark of the covenant from the Philistines. It then describes how Samuel became established as the judge who governed Israel. In the following chapter, 1 Samuel 8, the people demand a king.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 The men of Kiriath-jearim bring the ark of the LORD into the house of Abinadab and set apart his son Eleazar to keep it. After the ark has remained there twenty years, all Israel longs for the LORD.
• Verses 3–4 Samuel tells the people to put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth, and the people put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth and serve the LORD only.
• Verses 5–6 The people gather at Mizpah, draw water, and pour it out before the LORD. That day they fast and confess their sin, and Samuel judges Israel at Mizpah.
• Verses 7–11 When the Philistines come up against Israel, Samuel offers a suckling lamb as a burnt offering and cries out to the LORD. The LORD throws the Philistines into confusion with a great thunder, and Israel pursues and strikes them as far as below Beth-car.
• Verses 12–14 Samuel sets up a stone between Mizpah and Shen and names it Ebenezer. The cities that had been taken from Israel, from Ekron to Gath, are restored, and there is peace with the Amorites as well.
• Verses 15–17 Each year Samuel travels on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah to judge Israel. He then returns to Ramah, where his home is, and builds an altar there.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 7:3 "Prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only" — a verse that calls for repentance, expressed in putting away idols, before deliverance comes.
• 1 Samuel 7:12 "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us" — the origin of the name Ebenezer, meaning "stone of help."

People and Places

• Samuel: prays for the people, offers sacrifice, and governs as judge.
• Abinadab and Eleazar: a father and son of Kiriath-jearim who were entrusted with keeping the ark.
• Philistines: a people who lived along the coast to the southwest of Israel. Ekron and Gath were Philistine cities.
• Mizpah: the place where the people gathered to repent and where the Philistines were defeated.
• Ramah: the location of Samuel's home.

Points for Reflection

• The text does not explain the meaning of the rite of drawing and pouring out water. Many interpreters see it as an expression of repentance or of pouring out one's heart, but there is no settled interpretation.
• Verse 13 states that the Philistines "came no more" into Israel's territory. Yet war with the Philistines resumes in the time of Saul (1 Samuel 13). Some interpreters limit this statement to the period of Samuel's own rule, while others regard it as a summary statement.
• The place name Ebenezer also appears in 1 Samuel 4:1. Scholars differ on how it relates to the name given to the stone in this chapter.
• The New Testament refers to Samuel as the prophet who brought the period of the judges to a close (Acts 13:20) and as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:32).

In the Korean Church

Verse 12, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us," is frequently used as a sermon text for New Year's Eve watch-night services, church anniversary services, and year-end thanksgiving services. "Ebenezer" is also a common name for churches and memorials.