8 Andthe children of Iſrael ſaid to Samuel, + Ceaſe + Heb: 5; not to cry unto the LORD our God for us s, that he ,,; ens will ſave us out of the hand of the Philiſtines, from us . 2 We are aſhamed and afraid to look God in the face, becauſe from cryivg. of our great wickedneſs this day remembred and acknowledged 3 do thou therefore intercede for us, as Moſes did fer his Generati- Ne 9 4 And Samuel took a ſucking lamb a, and offered it b for a burnt-offering wholly c unto the LORD : and * Samuel cried unto the LORD for I{rael, and the LORD |] heard him @. / gs a Which it might be, though it was more 4han eight days od; 1. wh and ſo that Law, Exod: 23: 19. was not violated. 6 Either himſelf/99*%- by Divine Inſtin&, which was a ſufficient Warrant ; or rather by a Prieſt, as Saul is afterwards faid to have offered, 1 Sam: 13: g. c Burning allthe partsof it, according to the Law of the Burnt-effe- rings ; whereas 1n other offerings ſome parts were reſerved. d As appears by the Effe&s, the following Thunder, and the overthrow of the Phtliſtines Hoſt. : | 10 Andas Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philiſtines drew near to battel againſt Iſrael: bur _ che LORD thundred with a great F thunder on that + Heb: day upon the Philiſtines, and diſcomfited them, and vie they were ſmitten e before Iſrael, | e Either by the Lighrnings, or Thunderbolts, or other things which accompanied the cracks of Thunder : or by the !ſ-aclires, who perceiving them to be affrighted and flee aways purſued, and ſmote chem, as the next Verſe mentions. ; 11 And the men of Iſrael went out of Mizpeh, and purſued the Philiſtines, and ſmote them f, uncil they came under Beth-car. f Qu. Whence had they Weapons wherewith to ſmite them? Anſw. Divers of them probably brought them to the Aſſembly, o-= thers borrowed them at Mizpeh, or the neighbouring places : And the reſt might be the Arms of the Philiſtines, which they threw away to haſten their flight, as is uſual in ſuch caſes. ; 12 Then Samuel cook a ſtone g, and ſet it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name thereof _ [| Eben-ezer þ, faying, Hitherto hath the LORD i] That is ,- helped us z. the ſtone of z A rude unpoliſh'd ſtone, which was not prohibited by thar#*/Ps Law, Levitz 26: 1. there being no danger of Worſhipping tuch a Stone, and this being ſet up only as a Monunient of the Viftory. h By which, compared with Chap: 4: 1. it appears, that this Vifto- ry was gained in, or near the very ſame place where the Ir aelites receiveg their former fatal loſs. i He hath begun to help us in ſome meaſure, though not complearly to deliver us- By which wary Expreſſion, he exciteth both their thankfulneſs for their Mercy reccived, and their holy fear and care to pleaſe and ſerve the Lord, that he might proceed to help and deliver them more effe= ctually.. "= | 13 4 So the Philiſtines were ſubdued, and they came no more into the coaſt of Iſrael &: and the hand - of the LORD was againſt the Philiſtines all che days of
Samuel | | bL 2 U & i.e- They
* Pſal: 99:6- |
* Deut. 16+ 19.
bap. VIIE
2 . Di:pen{atione + Heb. and
be circutted.
'Fide atter lucre, and * took bribes 4, and perverted
L. cafne not with a great Hoſt, as now*they did, but |
em with ſtragling Parties, or Gariſons; as 1 Sam.
fp & EC. They
d th | z pr_—_— thay came not, to wit, all the days of Samucl, as it fol-
7 r; for in
" e. while Samuel was their ſole Judge, or Ru'cr ;
_ tha they did come, 1 Sam? 13: 5, 174 and 14+ 52+ and 17. 7 fy And the cities which the Philiſtines had taken from Iſrael, | were reſtored to Ifrael 7, from Ekron even unto Gath, and the coaſts thereof did Hrael deli- yer out of the hand of the Philiſtines : and there was
peace m between Iſrael and the Amorites 7, { "0h 1 By the Philiſtines, who, ir ſeems, were frighted into this _ tution by their dread of Samuel, and of the Divine 74. ae M _ -5#. The Philiftines had Cries and Garifons 1n Iſrael s Land after this - Saws; 10: 5. and 13% 3- Anſw. Either therefore thoſe
ime3 as 1 Anw. rt + or nr es were not any of theſe here mentioned 3 for it is not ſzid, I hat
— Ciries were Reſtored, but only indefinitely, he Citres, and - —» —drouryaph certain Compals from Ekron to Gath ; or ge of the Cities now Reſtored by the Philſtines, were afterwards ral en by them. m An agreement for the Ceſſation of all Afts of Hoitl1- ty- n i. e» The Canaanites, off called Amorites, becauſe theſe une Getty the moſt Valiant and Terrible of all thoſe Nations, an the firſt Enemies whieh the Iſraelites met with, when they went to take Poſſeſſin of their Land. They made this Peace with the Ca- Haanites, thar they might be more at leiſure to oppoſe the Philiſliness now their moſt Potent Enemies.
i5 And Samuel judged life 0.
.'0 For thoug not then quite
Ifrael all the days of his
h Saul was King in Samuel's Iaſt days, yet Samuel did ceaſe to be a Judge, being 10 made by God's extra- ordinary Call, which Saul could not deſtroy ; And therefore Sam- vel did ſometimes, upon great occaſions, though not ordinarily, exerciſe the Office of a Judge aftcr the beginning of Saul's Reign ; as Chap: 11; 7+ and 15; 32, 33- And the years of the Rule of Saul and Sarnel are joyned togerher, Afts 13: 209 21. Q-e#. How doth the Office of a Judge agree with Hannahb's Vow, whereby ſhe deve- ted him to a perp<rual attendance upon the Lords ſervice ? Anſw, This was not inconſiſtent with her Vow, which conſiſted of two Branches, the one more general, that he ſhou!d be given, or lent to the Lord all his days, 1 Sam; 1; Is 28. which ſhe faithfully executed, leaving him wholly to the ſervice and diſpoſal of rhe Lord, who thought fic to employ him in this way ; and, if any thing therein was Contrary tO thar Vow, could undoubtedly dit- penſe with it, 2s being his own Right only ; the other more par- ticu'ar, th:t 70 Raſor ſbould come upon h1s Head ; nor doth it appear that ths part, was violat-d; or if it was, 1t was done by Divine
he went from year to year Þ 1n circuit to
_ and judged I{-