1 Samuel 7:7-11
Verse 7 The Philistines went up against Israel - They went to give them battle before that, by continual accessions of numbers, they should become too powerful. Verse 8 Cease not to cry unto the Lord - They had strong confidence in the intercession of Samuel, because they knew he was a holy man of God. Verse 9 Samuel took a sucking lamb - This sucking lamb must have been eight days under its mother before it could be offered, as the law says, Lev 22:27. Though Samuel was not a priest, yet he offered this sacrifice; or he might have ordered Eleazar to offer it, and still be said to have done it himself: Qui facit per alterum, facit per se; "He who procures a thing to be done, may be said to do it himself." His not sacrificing at the tabernacle was justified by the necessity of the case; neither tabernacle nor ark was at hand. Verse 10 The Lord thundered with a great thunder - Literally, The Lord thundered with a great voice - he confounded them with a mighty tempest of thunder and lightning, and no doubt slew many by the lightning. Verse 11 Under Beth-car - We know not where this place was; the Septuagint have Beth-chor; the Targum, Beth-saron; and the Syriac and Arabic, Beth-jasan.
Copyright information for
Clarke