1 Samuel · Majority Standard Bible
1 Samuel 7 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark.
2 And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the LORD.
2 From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.
3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4 So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.
4 Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines
7 When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
8 The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.
9 Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel, and Yahweh answered him.
10 As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.
11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car.
11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.
16 He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.
17 Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.
17 His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Eleazar
Consecrated by the men of Kiriath-jearim to guard the ark of the LORD in his father Abinadab's house on the hill.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 7:1
Samuel
Born to Hannah in answer to prayer and dedicated to the LORD at Shiloh, he was confirmed as a prophet, judged Israel all his life, anointed Saul and then David, and was buried at…
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 1:20; 1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Samuel 7:15
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Samuel 6:2–4; Isaiah 52:11; 1 Samuel 6:21; Joshua 18:14; 1 Chronicles 13:5–7
- 2 Jeremiah 3:13; Jeremiah 31:9; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; Judges 2:4; Zechariah 12:10–11
- 3 Luke 4:8; Deuteronomy 13:4; Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13; Isaiah 55:7
- 4 Hosea 14:8; Hosea 14:3; Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 11:33; Judges 10:15–16
- 5 Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 12:23; 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:17; 1 Samuel 7:12
- 6 2 Samuel 14:14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Judges 10:10; Psalm 106:6; Psalm 62:8
- 7 1 Samuel 17:11; 1 Samuel 13:6; Exodus 14:10; 2 Chronicles 20:3
- 8 Isaiah 37:4; James 5:16; 1 Samuel 12:19–24; Isaiah 62:1; Isaiah 62:6–7
- 9 Jeremiah 15:1; Psalm 99:6; 1 Samuel 7:17; Psalm 50:15; 1 Samuel 16:2
- 10 1 Samuel 2:10; 1 Samuel 12:17; 2 Samuel 22:14–15; Judges 5:20; Joshua 10:10
- 12 2 Corinthians 1:10; Joshua 4:9; Acts 26:22; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 35:14
- 13 Judges 13:1; 1 Samuel 17:49–53; 1 Samuel 31:1–7; 1 Samuel 14:20–23; 1 Samuel 13:1–5
- 14 Psalm 106:34; Deuteronomy 7:2; Deuteronomy 7:16; Judges 4:17
- 15 1 Samuel 7:6; Acts 13:20–21; Judges 2:16; 1 Samuel 12:1; 1 Samuel 25:1
- 16 Psalm 75:2; Psalm 82:3–4; Judges 10:4; Judges 5:10; Judges 12:14
- 17 1 Samuel 1:19; 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 1:1; Genesis 33:20; Genesis 35:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… were confused, and fell before Israel and were overcome; [then] he took one stone and set it up between the old and new Massephat [Mizpeh], and called its name Ebenezer, which means "the stone of the helper," and said, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." Massephat is interpreted "desire." That stone of the helper is the mediation of the Saviour, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)