1 Samuel 7:1 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
1 Samuel 7:1
And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Kirjath-jearim
קִרְיַ֣תkir.Yat
H7157
Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim · proper noun, a place name
came
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּvai.ya.Vo.'u
H935
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
up
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙vai.ya.'a.Lu
H5927
to ascend · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
ark
אֲר֣וֹן'a.Ron
H727
a box · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָ֔הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
brought
וַיָּבִ֣אוּvai.ya.Vi.'u
H935
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
house
בֵּ֥יתbeit
H1004
a house (in the greatest variation of applications · noun, common masculine singular construct
Abinadab
אֲבִינָדָ֖ב'a.vi.na.Dav
H41
Abinadab · proper noun, a man's name
hill
בַּגִּבְעָ֑הba.giv.'Ah
H1389
a hillock · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
sanctified
קִדְּשׁ֔וּki.de.Shu
H6942
to be (causatively · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural
Eleazar
אֶלְעָזָ֤ר'el.'a.Zar
H499
Elazar · proper noun, a man's name
son
בְּנוֹ֙be.No
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
keep
לִשְׁמֹ֖רlish.Mor
H8104
properly · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
ark
אֲר֥וֹן'a.Ron
H727
a box · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָֽהYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Samuel 6:2-4 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is…
Joshua 18:14 And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and th…
1 Samuel 6:21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down,…
1 Chronicles 13:5-7 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim.
Psalms 132:6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
Isaiah 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of th…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 7:1-2
Here we must attend the ark to Kirjath-jearim, and then leave it there, to hear not a word more of it except once (Sa1 14:18), till David fetched it thence, about forty years after, Ch1 13:6.
I. We are very willing to attend it thither, for the men of Beth-shemesh have by their own folly made that a burden which might have been a blessing; and gladly would we see it among those to whom it will be a savour of life unto life, for in every place where it has been of late it has been a savour of death unto death. Now,
1. The men of Kirjath-jearim cheerfully bring it among them, Sa1 7:1. They came, at the first word, and fetched up the ark of the Lord. Their neighbours the Beth-shemites, were not…
Fetched up the ark - When these people received the message of the Beth-shemites, they probably consulted Samuel, with whom was the counsel of the Lord, and he had encouraged them to go and bring it up, else they might have expected such destruction as happened to the Beth-shemites.
Sanctified Eleazar - Perhaps this sanctifying signifies no more than setting this man apart, simply to take care of the ark.
John Gill on 1 Samuel 7:1
And the men of Kirjathjearim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord,.... From Bethshemesh, which was near unto them, as Josephus (g) says; they made no difficulty of fetching it, but gladly received it; for if they knew of what happened to the men of Bethshemesh, they knew it was not owing to the presence of the ark among them, but to their irreverent behaviour to it; and though Kirjathjearim was not a Levite city, and so the men of it could not bear the ark themselves, yet they might have proper persons from Bethshemesh to do this service:
and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill; which; hill was within the city of Kirjathjearim, and is mentioned either to distinguish this Ab…
They sanctified his son Eleazar, etc. They chose holy and learned men, and by the name of the sons of God, they appointed teachers who would guard the state of the Church. For Eleazar, who is called the helper of God, figuratively expresses the assembly of those who can say with the apostle: "For we are God's fellow workers" (I Cor. III). And elsewhere: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (Ibid.)
1. Aminadab is interpreted as "my people, willing"; Gibeah, "lofty." And indeed the ark of God must be entrusted to such persons. For a willing people is one whom good will alone draws to the exercise of virtuous works, whom necessity does not compel to fulfill the commandments of God. Blessed Paul indeed proclaims such persons under a single description, saying: "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). What is the house of the willing people, if not the stronghold of holy love? For one could not be willing in the service of the virtues if one did not build for oneself a dwelling place of love. This house is certainly known to be situated in Gibeah, that is, on a height: because by the loftiness of charity we are raised up to heavenly things. Or indeed the house is on a height because charity is preferred above all virtues. For Paul, indicating the height of this sublimity, says: "I show you a still more excellent way. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal" (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:1). But what does it mean that they sanctify Eleazar to guard the ark of God? But this indeed we know from the practice of Holy Church, that a chosen minister first receives the blessing of consecration from the chief men before he undertakes the ministry of offering. But since Eleazar is said to mean "helper of God," it is clearly shown that the ministers of God must not only be sanctified, but also examined as to what sort of men they are who are to be promoted to the order of this consecration. For who are the helpers of God, if not those who accord with divine grace in ministering, and whom the favor of Almighty God visits inwardly, which they themselves confirm through outward ministry by living well and teaching? Whence also, glorying not in vain with Paul, they say: "For we are God's helpers" (1 Cor. 3:9). These indeed, most strong in their manner of life, learned in knowledge, fervent in love, robust in constancy, not only do not need the help of others, but wherever they go, they are able to assist others. Rightly therefore it is said: "They sanctified Eleazar, that he might guard the ark." Because those who still need the help of others are not to be promoted to assisting others. Rightly likewise this same Eleazar is said to be the son of Aminadab: because certainly he who is chosen for…
Dictionary and topics
Abinadab — Father of nobleness; i.e., “noble.” (1.) A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of the covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:1).…
Ark Of The Covenant — The first piece of the tabernacle’s furniture, for which precise directions were delivered. Exod 25. I. Description.— It appears to have been an oblong chest of shittim (acacia) wood, 2 1/2 cubits…
David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Eleazar — God has helped. (1.) The third son of Aaron (Ex. 6:23). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas (Ex. 6:25). After the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:12; Num. 3:4) he was appointed to the…
Ephratah — Fruitful. (1.) The second wife of Caleb, the son of Hezron, mother of Hur, and grandmother of Caleb, who was one of those that were sent to spy the land (1 Chr. 2:19, 50). (2.) The ancient name of…
Gibeah — A hill or hill-town, “of Benjamin” (1 Sam. 13:15), better known as “Gibeah of Saul” (11:4; Isa. 10:29). It was here that the terrible outrage was committed on the Levite’s concubine which led to the…
Kirjath-jearim — City of jaars; i.e., of woods or forests, a Gibeonite town (Josh. 9:17) on the border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned (18:15, 28). The ark was brought to this place (1 Sam. 7:1, 2) from…
Samuel — Heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly…
Uzzah — Strength, a son of Abinadab, in whose house the men of Kirjath-jearim placed the ark when it was brought back from the land of the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:1). He with his brother Ahio drove the cart on…
Abinadab · 1. A Levite, in whose house the ark of God rested twenty years
The men of Kiriath-jearim who transported the Ark and Eleazar were probably Levites (see 6:15; Num 1:47-51). • in charge of it: The same verb describes the Levites’ duty of guarding the Tabernacle (Num 1:53; 3:7).
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
— 1. A Levite, in whose house the ark of God rested twenty years
Ark Of The Covenant · At Kirjath-jearim twenty years — At Kirjath-jearim twenty years
Eleazar (Eleazer) · covenant for a while — covenant for a while
Gibeah · .The ark of the covenant conveyed to, by the Philistines — .The ark of the covenant conveyed to, by the Philistines
Kirjath-Jearim · The ark of the covenant remains for twenty years at — The ark of the covenant remains for twenty years at
Revivals · .Samuel — .Samuel
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
