1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 25Perez-uzzah (2 Sam. 6:2-11; 1 Chron. 13:5-14)Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:12-17; 1 Chron. 15:2—16:6,37-38)Jerusalem (1 Chron. 15:1)2. The response of Eli 4:12-18The deaths of Hophni and Phinehas, who accompanied the soldiers into battle, were thesign God promised Eli that He would remove the priestly privilege from Eli's descendantseventually (2:34). The writer carefully recorded that it was the news that the Philistineshad captured the ark, not that his two sons had died, that shocked Eli and caused him todie (v. 18).There is a word play in the Hebrew text that helps us understand the significance of thedeparture of God's glory. The Hebrew word for "heavy" (v. 18) is kabed, and the wordfor "glory" (v. 21) is kabod. Rather than Israel enjoying glory from God's presencethrough Eli's priesthood, Eli himself had received the glory, as his heavy weight implies.Eli's self-indulgence was responsible for the departure of God's glory from Israel andfrom his line of priests. 66The battle of Aphek recorded in this chapter took place in 1104 B.C. Since Eli was 98years old when he died on hearing the news that the Philistines had taken the ark in thisbattle, he must have been born in 1202 B.C. 673. The response of Phinehas' wife 4:19-22Likewise the news of the loss of the ark is what distressed Phinehas' wife more than thenews of the deaths of her husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law (vv. 21-22)."Ichabod" is usually translated, "The glory has departed," but it may mean, "Where is theglory?""With the surrender of the earthly throne of His glory, the Lord appearedto have abolished His covenant of grace with Israel; for the ark, with thetables of the law and the capporeth [mercy seat], was the visible pledge ofthe covenant of grace which Jehovah had made with Israel." 68Her words may also reflect a pagan viewpoint to some extent, that because the Philistineshad stolen what represented Yahweh, the Lord Himself had abandoned the nation. Inview of God's promises and revealed plans for Israel, she should have known that He hadnot abandoned His people (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; cf. Matt. 28:20). Furthermore the Israelitesknew that the true God is omnipresent.66 See John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, p. 400-401.67 See the "Chronology of 1 and 2 Samuel" earlier in these notes.68 C. F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel, pp. 56-57.