1 AND the men of Kirjath-jearim 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.
2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.
6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.

1And the men of Kiriath-iearim came, and fetcht vp the Arke of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his sonne, to keepe the Arke of the Lord.

2And it came to passe while the Arke abode in Kiriath-iearim, that the time was long: for it was twentie yeeres: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 And Samuel spake vnto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye doe returne vnto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods, and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts vnto the Lord, and serue him onely: & he will deliuer you out of the hand of the Philistines.

4Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and serued the Lord onely.

5And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you vnto the Lord.

6And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and powred it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We haue sinned against the Lord. And Samuel iudged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

7And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went vp against Israel: and when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs, that he will saue vs out of the hand of the Philistines.

9 And Samuel tooke a sucking lambe, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly vnto the Lord; and Samuel cried vnto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.

10And as Samuel was offering vp the burnt offering, the Philistines drewe neere to battell against Israel: but the Lord thundred with a great thunder on that day vpon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel.

11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, vntill they came vnder Bethcar.

12Then Samuel tooke a stone, and set it betweene Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-Ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped vs.

13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, all the dayes of Samuel.

14And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel, were restored to Israel, from Ekron euen vnto Gath, and the coasts thereof did Israel deliuer out of the hands of the Philistines: and there was peace betweene Israel and the Amorites.

15And Samuel iudged Israel all the dayes of his life.

16And he went from yeere to yeere in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and iudged Israel in all those places.

17And his returne was to Ramah: for there was his house: and there hee iudged Israel, and there hee built an altar vnto the Lord.

I == 1st Sam 6:21 ; 2nd Sam 6:4 ; Ps 132:6

 

 

 

 

 

III == Gen 35:2 , Deut 6:13 ; 10:20 ; 13:4 ; 30:2-10 ; Josh 24:14 , 23 ; Judg 2:13 ; 1st Kings 8:48 ; 2nd Chr 30:19 ; Job 11:13-14 ; Isa 55:7 ; Hos 2:12 ; Joel 2:12 ; Matt 4:10 ; Luke 4:8

IV == Judg 2:11

V == Judg 20:1 ; 2nd Kings 25:23

VI == Judg 10:10 ; 2nd Sam 14:14 ; 1st Kings 8:47 ; Neh 9:1-2 ; Ps 106:6 ; Dan 9:3-5 ; Joel 2:12

 

 

 

 

VIII == Isa 37:4

 

 

IX == Ps 99:6 ; Jer 15:1

 

X == Josh 10:10 ; Judg 4:15 ; 5:20 ; 1st Sam 2:10 ; 2nd Sam 22:14-15

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Gen 28:18 ; 31:45 ; 35:14 ; Josh 4:9 ; 24:26

 

XIII == Judg 13:1 ; 1st Sam 13:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Judg 2:16 ; 1st Sam 7:6 ; 12:11

 

XVII == Judg 21:4 ; 1st Sam 8:4

1 So the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, appointing his son Eleazar as guardian of the ark of the LORD.

2 From the day the ark came to rest in Kiriath-jearim a long time-twenty years-elapsed, and the whole Israelite population turned to the LORD.

3 Samuel said to them: "If you wish with your whole heart to return to the LORD, put away your foreign gods and your Ashtaroth, devote yourselves to the LORD, and worship him alone. Then he will deliver you from the power of the Philistines."

4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtaroth, and worshiped the LORD alone.

5 Samuel then gave orders, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, that I may pray to the LORD for you."

6 When they were gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out on the ground before the LORD, and they fasted that day, confessing, "We have sinned against the LORD." It was at Mizpah that Samuel began to judge the Israelites.

7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their lords went up against Israel. Hearing this, the Israelites became afraid of the Philistines

8 and said to Samuel, "Implore the LORD our God unceasingly for us, to save us from the clutches of the Philistines."

9 Samuel therefore took an unweaned lamb and offered it entire as a holocaust to the LORD. He implored the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him.

10 While Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines advanced to join battle with Israel. That day, however, the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines, and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.

11 Thereupon the Israelites sallied forth from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, harrying them down beyond Beth-car.

12 Samuel then took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer, explaining, "To this point the LORD helped us."

13 Thus were the Philistines subdued, never again to enter the territory of Israel, for the LORD was severe with them as long as Samuel lived.

14 The cities from Ekron to Gath which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to them. Israel also freed the territory of these cities from the dominion of the Philistines. Moreover there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived.

16 He made a yearly journey, passing through Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah and judging Israel at each of these sanctuaries.

17 Then he used to return to Ramah, for that was his home. There, too, he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

v 1,2. Abinadab had the ark brought into his home and set his son as custodian over it. The fact it was not in the tabernacle caused the people to lament for 20 years before Samuel began his first public ministry. He may have been around 40 at the time, and this would be consistent with God’s many 40 year periods of testing.
Bible Knowledge Commentary says it remained their about 100  years, from the time it was taken at the battle of Aphek, 1104 BC until David brought it back 1003 BC. This would include the 20 years mentioned, the remainder of Samuel’s rule, Saul’s reign, and the some under David.

v 3. If the people were sincere about returning to the Lord, Samuel gave them a four point formula for revival which could be illustrated as stair steps. First step, turn to God; (Repentance) Second, put away idols; (vanity, worry, unbelief, depression, pride, impatience, stress, fear, anger, resentment etc.) Third, prepare hearts; (Scripture, prayer, Holy Spirit filled) Four, Serve God only. (Not just camps, retreats, prayer groups, even soul winning, but a way of life.) In their case, Samuel said if they did that, God would deliver them from the Philistines.

v 4-6. The people responded by doing what Samuel said, so he had them gather at Mizpah, about seven miles north of Jerusalem and he would pray for them. This was a common place of assembly for Israel. In Jud. 20:1 they gathered there to decide what to do about Benjamin after the murder of the Levite’s concubine. Saul was presented as king of Israel at Mizpah, 1 Sam. 10:17.  It was the capital of Judah after Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, 2 Ki. 25;23,25. They had a real spiritual time as they fasted,  confessed their sins, and poured out water as a symbol of their confessed sins as they poured out their hearts to the Lord. Perhaps also as David did, 2 Sam. 23:16, that though he wanted it so much, he gave it to God.

v 7,8. The Philistines mistook the huge gathering at Mizpah as a preparation for  war, so they came to join battle. This frightened the Israelites and they begged Samuel to call upon the Lord for their deliverance.

v 9-12. Even while Samuel was making his offering to the Lord, the Philistines drew near to attack this relatively defenseless gathering. The Lord sent a severe thunderstorm upon them and routed them with Israel in pursuit. This was the same battle ground where Israel had been severely defeated 20 years earlier. Samuel set up a stone calling the place Eben-ezer, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” (He may have written it on the stone.) See the chart at the end of chapter four for the difference when people rely upon God, not just a symbol of God.

v 13,14. In this revival under Samuel, the Philistines were so subdued that Israel even took back the chief cities of Gath and Ekron and the surrounding areas. This was the greatest peace Israel had had in that area.

v 15-17. Samuel had a successful ministry judging Israel the rest of his life. He was a “circuit riding preacher”, going at least annually to Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah and back to his home town of Ramah, where people came from all over Israel to bring their complaints. He built an altar to the Lord there, since Shiloh had been destroyed by Philistines, and there was as yet no other permanent place established for worship. While Bethel is mentioned first, he likely went to Gilgal first and circled back to Bethel.