Synopsis of the Chapter
The ark is transferred from Bethshemesh to Kiriath-jearim; in the twentieth year after the transfer, Samuel, having renewed the covenant, thoroughly purges Israel of idols and binds them to the one God. Then when the Philistines attack, praying and sacrificing, he strikes them with thunder; whereupon the Hebrews cut down the stricken, so that throughout the whole time of Samuel they were humbled. Therefore Samuel judged Israel in peace for his whole life.
Verse 1: The ark brought to Kiriath-jearim ¶
1. THE MEN OF KIRIATH-JEARIM THEREFORE CAME AND BROUGHT BACK THE ARK. — Hear Adrichomius, page 22: "Kiriath-jearim, the city of Forests, which is also Kiriath-baal, and Bala, Baalah, sometimes Baal and Pharasim, and together Baal-perazim, and Jarim according to Jerome. It is four and a half miles from Jerusalem going west toward Diospolis."
IN THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB IN GIBEAH. — This "Gibeah" was not the city of Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua ch. XVIII, as Angelomus, Rupert, Lyranus, and the Rabbis hold; but it was a hill or higher place in the city of Kiriath-jearim. For Gibeah in Hebrew signifies a hill or high place. Bede adds that that hill was the citadel of the whole city: that place therefore, being lofty, honored, and fortified, was fitting for the ark, which was like the citadel of all Israel. Hence the ark was a type of the Blessed Virgin, who, exalted above all the heavens, intercedes for all who invoke her.
AND THEY CONSECRATED ELEAZAR HIS SON — that is, they consecrated him through Ahitub the High Priest dwelling in the city of Shiloh; or as a Levite, as Abulensis, Theodoret, Procopius, and Cajetan hold; or as a priest, as Angelomus, Hugh, and Dionysius think. For he was a just man, says Josephus.
Verse 2: The twentieth year ¶
2. FOR IT WAS NOW THE TWENTIETH YEAR — of the transfer and relocation of the ark to Kiriath-jearim, and consequently it was the twentieth year from the death of Eli, and from the leadership of Samuel, who succeeded Eli. Moreover, the ark remained thereafter in Kiriath-jearim until the seventh year of the reign of David, who transferred it from there, as is said clearly and expressly in 1 Chronicles ch. XIII, verse 5, to the house of Obed-edom; then to Mount Zion; then it was transferred to the temple built by Solomon.
AND ALL ISRAEL RESTED AFTER THE LORD. — The whole people of Israel, terrified by the disaster of Eli and the plagues inflicted by God through the ark, for twenty years rested in the true worship of the one God, with Samuel exhorting and urging them; although some still worshipped the Baals and Ashtaroth, not publicly but privately.
Tropologically, learn here that in all the world there is no true rest except in God and in the love and worship of God. For this will bring about rest of conscience, rest with neighbors, rest from enemies, rest from temptations. Hear Dionysius the Carthusian: "Let us strive to rest in God; for He is our end, to whom we must always look and aspire; in whom alone true and saving rest consists."
Verse 3: Prepare your hearts for the Lord ¶
3. PREPARE YOUR HEARTS FOR THE LORD. — Hear St. Gregory: "He prepares his heart for the Lord who separates his mind not only from impure thoughts, but also illumines it with the brightness of holy thoughts and virtues, so that, as though the idols had been cast down and shattered, he makes himself a temple of God; when he establishes there the seat of divine grace, where he has not permitted evil spirits to dwell through wicked desires."
And Theodoret on Psalm IX, verse 1: "It is proper, he says, for perfect men to dedicate their whole heart to God and to consecrate their entire mind to Him. For he who divides his thoughts between mammon and God, between Christ and gold, between the present life and the future, cannot truly say: I will confess to You, O Lord, with my whole heart."
Verse 5: Gather all Israel to Mizpah ¶
5. GATHER ALL ISRAEL TO MIZPAH, THAT I MAY PRAY FOR YOU TO THE LORD. — For Mizpah was an elevated place, a seat of government, inasmuch as Samuel judged there, that is, administered justice, and therefore it was frequented by gatherings of people, and accordingly suited for assemblies, meetings, and prayer. Hence Mizpah in Hebrew means the same as watchtower. There, then, Samuel renews and restores the covenant of the people with God.
Verse 6: They drew water and poured it out ¶
6. THEY DREW WATER AND POURED IT OUT BEFORE THE LORD — as a sign of repentance by which they perfectly renounced idolatry and sins, as if saying: Just as we pour out this water, so also we pour out our heart and all its vices before the Lord, professing that we detest them, repent, and pour out this water in place of tears. Whence the Chaldean: they poured out their heart in repentance; the Rabbis: they drew tears from the well of their heart. "What is it, says St. Gregory, to draw water but to produce streams of tears from the deep confusion of a penitent soul?"
AND THEY FASTED. — Behold here three acts of penance, namely contrition, signified in the pouring of water; confession, when they say: "We have sinned against the Lord;" satisfaction, when they fast. For as St. Gregory says: "When the mind is pierced by weeping, it is also necessary that the flesh, which was subject to pleasures, be afflicted."
WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD. — Excellently St. Ambrose, book II On Penance ch. VIII: "The Lord, he says, knows all things; but He awaits your voice, not to punish, but to pardon: He does not wish the devil to insult you, and to accuse you of hiding your sins. Anticipate your accuser; if you accuse yourself, you will fear no accuser: if you hand yourself over, even if you have died, you will live again."
Verse 7: The Philistines went up against Israel ¶
7. THE SATRAPS OF THE PHILISTINES WENT UP AGAINST ISRAEL — that is, against Israel, namely with a strong army to defeat them and to break up the assemblies; because they suspected the Hebrews wished to rebel against them and shake off their yoke, as indeed they did shake it off through Samuel.
Tropologically St. Gregory: "When the foreign gods have been removed, he says, the fast completed, and the discipline of examination exhibited by the preacher, the princes of the Philistines go up against Israel; because when we advance to a higher life, the evil spirits, who always envy those doing good, become more hostile to us."
Verse 9: Samuel offered a suckling lamb ¶
9. AND SAMUEL TOOK A SUCKLING LAMB, AND OFFERED IT AS A WHOLE HOLOCAUST TO THE LORD. — From this it is clear that Samuel, although by descent he was merely a Levite, was nevertheless by God's dispensation an extraordinary priest, though not the Supreme Pontiff, as Serarius holds.
But why is this called a "whole holocaust"? I answer: "whole," that is, undivided: for it was customary for the victim to be cut into parts and thus burned on the altar; but this one, because of the attacking Philistine enemy, could not be divided, but was placed whole upon the altar.
Verse 10: The Lord thundered upon the Philistines ¶
10. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHILE SAMUEL WAS OFFERING THE HOLOCAUST, THE PHILISTINES BEGAN BATTLE AGAINST ISRAEL; BUT THE LORD THUNDERED WITH A GREAT NOISE ON THAT DAY UPON THE PHILISTINES, AND TERRIFIED THEM — "while the victim lamb was still burning, says Josephus, the Lord terrified the enemies with lightning, thunder, and earthquake." Thus God through lightning destroyed the army of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, as I said on Exodus XIV; and the Canaanites through Joshua, ch. XVIII, verse 11; and the Barbarians through the Thundering Legion under the Emperor Antoninus.
Tropologically St. Gregory: "The thunders of the clouds, he says, are the fervent desires of the elect, by which they drive out the suggestions of evil spirits. For the imperfect desires of Christians are not terrible to demons. The great crash of thunder, therefore, is the perfect desire of each elect person."
Verse 11: They struck them to Beth-car ¶
11. THEY STRUCK THEM DOWN TO THE PLACE THAT WAS BELOW BETH-CAR. — Beth-car was a village so named from its abundance of lambs. For Car signifies a lamb: unless you say the place was named from the lamb immolated here by Samuel; for this lamb was the cause of the victory.
Mystically St. Gregory says Beth-car, that is, the house of the lamb, denotes the life and conduct of Christ, toward which we must all strive: "Because, he says, through an unceasing effort of struggle, we must press on toward the citadel of perfection, where we become so much more terrible to our enemies, the closer we are to our Redeemer."
Verse 12: The Stone of Help ¶
12. THE STONE OF HELP. — St. Cyprian, book II of the Testimonies, translates it "the helping stone." This stone was an enduring monument of the victory granted to the Hebrews by God through the prayers of Samuel.
Verse 14: Peace between Israel and the Amorites ¶
14. AND THERE WAS PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE AMORITES — that is, between the Jews and the Philistines; for the Philistines are called Amorites here, because they had occupied those places of the Amorites.
Verses 15-17: Samuel judged Israel all his life ¶
15. AND SAMUEL JUDGED ISRAEL ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE.
16. AND HE WENT EVERY YEAR, MAKING A CIRCUIT OF BETHEL AND GILGAL AND MIZPAH. — Here Samuel presents the image of a perfect Judge and Ruler by going about the cities of Israel, devoting himself entirely to the welfare of his subjects, sparing no labor, but continuously judging, that is, deciding lawsuits, settling disputes, restoring and strengthening peace and concord among all, governing, commanding, punishing the wicked, rewarding the good, during his whole lifetime. Moreover, Samuel and Saul together presided over the people for 40 years, Acts XIII.
Finally, let Rulers and Prelates imitate Samuel in visiting their provinces. Whence the Council of Trent, session XXIV, ch. III On Reform, so decrees: "Patriarchs, Primates, Metropolitans, and Bishops shall not neglect to visit their own diocese in person."
17. HE ALSO BUILT AN ALTAR THERE (in Ramah where he lived) TO THE LORD — so that he might frequently sacrifice on it, and reconcile God with all Israel. For although Samuel was an extraordinary priest not by descent but by God's dispensation, nevertheless the power of this priesthood was in him constant, stable, and perpetual throughout his whole life.