1 Samuel 7:2 - Forerunner Commentary

1 Samuel 7:2

1 Then the men of ^aKirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of ^bAbinadab on the hill, and ^cconsecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you ^areturn to the Lord with all your hearts, then ^bput away the foreign gods and the ^cAshtoreths from among you, and ^dprepare your hearts for the Lord, and ^eserve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4 So the children of Israel put away the ^aBaals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 And Samuel said, ^a“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and ^bI will pray to the Lord for you.”

6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, ^adrew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they ^bfasted that day, and said there, ^c“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, ^a“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 And Samuel took a ^asuckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then ^bSamuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.

10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. ^aBut the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.

11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.

12 Then Samuel ^atook a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name¹ Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 ^aSo the Philistines were subdued, and they ^bdid not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 And Samuel ^ajudged Israel all the days of his life.

16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.

17 But ^ahe always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he ^bbuilt an altar to the Lord.

Verse Comparison: 1 Samuel 7:2

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American Standard Version
And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah.

Amplified® Bible
And the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim a very long time [nearly 100 years, through Samuel's entire judgeship, Saul's reign, and well into David's, when it was brought to Jerusalem]. For it was twenty years before all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
and it stayed there for twenty years. During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the LORD for help.

Darby English Version
And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah.

Good News Bible
The Covenant Box of the LORD stayed in Kiriath Jearim a long time, some twenty years. During this time all the Israelites cried to the LORD for help.

King James Version
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

New International Version
It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.

New King James Version
So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time seemed long, for it remained there twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Revised Standard Version
From the day that the ark was lodged at Kir'iath-je'arim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, from the day of the dwelling of the ark in Kirjath-Jearim, that the days are multiplied -- yea, they are twenty years -- and wail do all the house of Israel after Jehovah.

New English Translation
It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people¹ of Israel longed for² the Lord.

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