Text -- 1 Samuel 7:6 (NET)
Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley: 1Sa 7:6 - -- As an external sign, whereby they testified, both their own filthiness and need of washing by the grace and Spirit of God, and blood of the covenant, ...
As an external sign, whereby they testified, both their own filthiness and need of washing by the grace and Spirit of God, and blood of the covenant, and their sincere desire to pour out their hearts before the Lord, in true repentance, and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.
That is, in the public assembly, where God is in a special manner present.
Wesley: 1Sa 7:6 - -- That is, governed them, reformed all abuses against God or man, took care that the laws of God should be observed, and wilful transgressions punished.
That is, governed them, reformed all abuses against God or man, took care that the laws of God should be observed, and wilful transgressions punished.
JFB: 1Sa 7:3-6 - -- A great national reformation was effected through the influence of Samuel. Disgusted with their foreign servitude, and panting for the restoration of ...
A great national reformation was effected through the influence of Samuel. Disgusted with their foreign servitude, and panting for the restoration of liberty and independence, they were open to salutary impressions; and convinced of their errors, they renounced idolatry. The re-establishment of the faith of their fathers was inaugurated at a great public meeting, held at Mizpeh in Judah, and hallowed by the observance of impressive religious solemnities. The drawing water, and pouring it out before the Lord, seems to have been a symbolical act by which, in the people's name, Samuel testified their sense of national corruption, their need of that moral purification of which water is the emblem, and their sincere desire to pour out their hearts in repentance before God.
JFB: 1Sa 7:6 - -- At the time of Eli's death he could not have much exceeded twenty years of age; and although his character and position must have given him great infl...
At the time of Eli's death he could not have much exceeded twenty years of age; and although his character and position must have given him great influence, it does not appear that hitherto he had done more than prophets were wont to do. Now he entered on the duties of a civil magistrate.
Clarke: 1Sa 7:6 - -- Drew water, and poured it out - It is not easy to know what is meant by this; it is true that pouring out water, in the way of libation, was a relig...
Drew water, and poured it out - It is not easy to know what is meant by this; it is true that pouring out water, in the way of libation, was a religious ordinance among the Hebrews, (Isa 12:3), and among most other nations, particularly the Greeks and Romans, who used, not only water, but wine, milk, honey, and blood, as we find by Homer, Virgil, Euripides, Sophocles, Porphyry, and Lucian. Our Lord seems to allude to this ceremony, Joh 7:37-38 (note), where see the note
The Chaldee Paraphrast understands the place differently, for he translates: "And they poured out their hearts in penitence, as Waters, before the Lord."That deep penitential sorrow was represented under the notion of pouring out water, we have a direct proof in the case of David, who says, Psa 22:14, I am Poured Out like Water, my heart is like wax; it is Melted in the midst of my bowels. And to repentance, under this very similitude, the prophet exhorts fallen Jerusalem: Arise, cry out in the night; in the beginning of the watches Pour Out thine Heart Like Water before the face of the Lord; Lam 2:19. David uses the same image, Psa 62:8 : Trust in him at all times, ye people; Pour Out your hearts before him. The same figure is used by Hannah in 1Sa 1:15 of this book; I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have Poured Out my soul before the Lord. Perhaps the drawing and pouring out of water mentioned in the text was done emblematically, to represent the contrition of their hearts
Clarke: 1Sa 7:6 - -- And Samuel judged - He gave them ordinances, heard and redressed grievances, and taught them how to get reconciled to God. The assembly, therefore, ...
And Samuel judged - He gave them ordinances, heard and redressed grievances, and taught them how to get reconciled to God. The assembly, therefore, was held for religio-politico-military purposes.
TSK -> 1Sa 7:6
TSK: 1Sa 7:6 - -- drew water : Grotius says, that the pouring out of water means the shedding of tears; and the Targum reads, ""And they poured out their hearts in peni...
drew water : Grotius says, that the pouring out of water means the shedding of tears; and the Targum reads, ""And they poured out their hearts in penitence, as waters, before the Lord.""Others suppose that it was done emblematically, to represent the contrition of their hearts, and their desire to wash away their past offences. But some learned men conceive that it was poured out as a libation, in token of joy, after they had fasted and confessed their sin, as they were wont to do in the feast of tabernacles. (See note on Num 29:35.) 1Sa 1:15; 2Sa 14:14; Job 16:20; Psa 6:6, Psa 42:3, Psa 119:136; Jer 9:1; Lam 2:11, Lam 2:18, Lam 3:49
fasted : 2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21-23; Neh 9:1-3; Dan 9:3-5; Joe 2:12; Jon 3:1-10
We have sinned : Lev 26:40; Jdg 10:10; 1Ki 8:47; Ezr 9:5-10; Job 33:27, Job 40:4, Job 42:6; Psa 38:3-8, Psa 106:6; Jer 3:13, Jer 3:14, Jer 31:19; Luk 15:18
collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> 1Sa 7:6
Barnes: 1Sa 7:6 - -- Two rites are brought together here which belong especially to the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement, respectively, namely, drawing and ...
Two rites are brought together here which belong especially to the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement, respectively, namely, drawing and pouring out water, and fasting. Hence, some think that Samuel chose the Feast of tabernacles, and the fast which preceded it, as the occasion for assembling the people. Others explain the pouring out water as the pouring out the heart in penitence as it were water; or, as a symbolic act expressing their ruin and helplessness 2Sa 14:14; or as typifying their desire that their sins might be forgotten "as waters that pass away"Job 11:16.
And Samuel judged - This seems to denote the "commencement"of Samuel’ s Judgeship civil and military, as having taken place at Mizpeh on this occasion. As civil Judge he did exactly what Moses did Exo 18:13-16; as military Judge he did what Othniel, Ehud, Barak, and Gideon had done before him, organized and marshalled the people for effectual resistance to their oppressors, and led them out to victory.
Poole -> 1Sa 7:6
Poole: 1Sa 7:6 - -- To Mizpeh not that beyond Jordan, of which Jud 11:11,29 ; but another in Canaan, where the Israelites used to assemble, Jud 20:1 1Sa 10:17 .
Drew wa...
To Mizpeh not that beyond Jordan, of which Jud 11:11,29 ; but another in Canaan, where the Israelites used to assemble, Jud 20:1 1Sa 10:17 .
Drew water and poured it out; which they did either,
1. Figuratively; they drew tears out of their hearts, and poured out of their eyes as it were rivers of water; such descriptions of penitential sorrow being not unusual. See Psa 6:7 119:136 Jer 19:1 Lam 3:48,49 . Or rather,
2. Properly, because they are said first to draw it , and then to pour it out . And this agrees well with the state of those times, wherein such rites as this were very customary. Now this course they seem to have used, either,
1. As a mean or instrument of their purification. So they washed themselves in this water, thereby acknowledging their filthiness, and cleansing themselves as the law prescribed. But this seems not probable,
1. Because here is only mention of drawing and pouring forth this water before the Lord, but not of any washing themselves with it.
2. Because this was not a fit time and place to purify themselves in this great and general assembly. Or,
2. As an external sign, whereby they testified and professed both their own great filthiness and need of washing by the grace and Spirit of God, and blood of the covenant, which are oft signified by water, and their sincere desire to pour out their very hearts before the Lord in true repentance, and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.
Before the Lord i.e. in the public assembly, where God is in a special manner present, as hath been noted before.
Samuel judged the children of Israel i.e. governed them, reformed all abuses against God or man, took care that the laws of God should be observed and executed, and wilful transgressors punished.
Haydock -> 1Sa 7:6
Haydock: 1Sa 7:6 - -- Lord, having purified themselves with it, Exodus xix 24. Others think that it was a kind of a protestation, that they were willing to perish if they...
Lord, having purified themselves with it, Exodus xix 24. Others think that it was a kind of a protestation, that they were willing to perish if they proved faithless; (Sa) or a symbol that they rejected every vestige of idolatry, and every sin, with true repentance. (Sanctius) (Tirinus) ---
Water was also the most ancient species of libation, before honey, and afterwards wine were adopted. (Porphyrius) ---
Though the law did not prescribe it, there was not prohibition. On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the people went to the pool of Silo to fetch water, and to pour it out in the temple, as a libation to the Lord; and it is thought that Jesus Christ alludes to this custom, John vii. 24. (Lamy, Introd.) See 2 Kings xxiii. 16. (Calmet) ---
Fasted. They confess their sins and do penance, while Samuel sits as judge, (Salien) an had been endeavouring for twenty years to excite them to repentance, and to adhere to the one true religion. (Tirinus)
Gill -> 1Sa 7:6
Gill: 1Sa 7:6 - -- And they gathered together to Mizpeh,.... Even all Israel, at least the heads of the people, and representatives of them:
and drew water, and poure...
And they gathered together to Mizpeh,.... Even all Israel, at least the heads of the people, and representatives of them:
and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord; drew it from some fountain near at hand, and poured it out as in the presence of God, who was where his people were met together. Jerom k relates it as tradition of the Jews, that curses were cast into this water, as in the water of jealousy, and that idolaters were tried by it; and that whatever idolater, who denied he worshipped idols, and tasted of it, his lips so stuck together that they could not be separated, and by this means was known and put to death; and therefore it is said Samuel judged now at this place: but it should be observed, this water was not drank, but poured out; and that as a token of their humiliation, as Jarchi, that they were before the Lord, as water poured out; and of the sincerity of their repentance, as the Targum, which is,"they poured out their heart in repentance, as water;''and of the atonement and expiation of their sins, which passed away as water to be remembered no more, as Kimchi, or rather signifying hereby that they thoroughly renounced idolatry, that nothing of it should remain; as water entirely poured out, there remains not so much as any smell of it in the cask, as does of honey or oil, or such kind of liquor; for what a learned writer l says, that this was in token of joy, like that at the feast of tabernacles, when they drew water out of the fountain of Siloah, seems not so agreeable, since this was a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, as follows:
and fasted on that day, and said there, we have sinned against the Lord; Samuel prayed in public for them, with whom they joined; and they fasted in a literal sense, abstaining from food, and made a confession of their sins; this was the work of that day:
and Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh; not that he now began to judge them, but went on in a more public and vigorous manner to judge them; he sat, and heard, and tried causes that came before him; explained the laws of God to them, and enforced the obedience of them; reformed abuses that were among them, and punished idolaters.