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- A.M. 2888.
*H And the men of Cariathiarim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and carried it into the house of Abinadab, in Gabaa: and they sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the ark of the Lord.
Ver. 1. In Gabaa. That is, on the hill, for Gabaa signifieth a hill. Ch. 1 Par. xiii. 6. — It was perhaps the citadel, (H.) or an elevated situation, such as were generally chosen for the temples both of the true and of false gods. C. — Abinadab was a Levite of renowned virtue. M. — The people of this city knew that the ark was a source of blessings to those who received it with respect; and, that the Bethsamites had been punished only for their irreverence. W. — Samuel was first consulted before the people, in a body, undertook to remove the ark; and here he was probably recognized for the judge of Israel, in which character he henceforward appears, exhorting all to obey the Lord with sincerity. He appoints a general assembly at Masphath, to enter into a solemn covenant with the Lord, and to adopt means for recovering their liberty. We have only a very concise account of these important transactions, owing to the modesty of the author, which the Holy Spirit would teach us to imitate. C. — Sanctified. Chal. "set over," (M.) prepared by suitable purifications, &c. C. — Some think, that Eleazar received the priestly or the Levitical consecration, Num. viii. 7. We have no proof that he was of the family of Aaron, nor does his name occur in the genealogies of the Levites, as they are perhaps too short. Josephus (vi. 2.) asserts that he was a Levite. C. — But even a laic, like Obededon of Geth, might have been the guardian of the ark, as he would not have to touch it. Salien, A.C. 1112. — Eleazar had two brothers, who acted in the same capacity when David intended to remove the ark to Sion. At that time he was perhaps dead, or decrepit, as his father might be on this occasion. H. — It is not improbable but they were of the race of Aaron. T.
*H And it came to pass, that from the day the ark of the Lord abode in Cariathiarim, days were multiplied (for it was now the twentieth year) and all the house of Israel rested, following the Lord.
Ver. 2. Year. Some would date all the subsequent events from this period. But is it credible that Samuel should neglect for twenty years to make this exhortation to the people? and how will it be true, that God humbled the Philistines during the whole time (C.) of his administration, which perhaps (H.) only lasted so many years? v. 13. C. — It is more probable, therefore, that the power of the enemy was broken by the destruction caused by the presence of the ark, which kept them under due restraint for a long time; and when they attempted, once more, to molest the Israelites, they were entirely discomfited by a miraculous storm, at the prayer of Samuel, v. 10. Salien (A. 2960) allows, that this took place in the twentieth year since the ark came to Cariathiarim, in which year Samuel appointed his children judges at Bersabee, though he continued to act, and was judge for twenty-three years, (some say thirty-eight) and even under the reign of Saul had almost an absolute sway, as the prophet of the Lord. H. — Rested: continued steadfast, (Sanctius) "cried unto," (Pagnin.) "Looked (H.) or returned." Sept. "Lamented after the Lord." Heb. M. — They were not soon induced to break this solemn covenant. Isai. vii. 2. T.
* Footnotes
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Deuteronomy
6:13
Take heed diligently lest thou forget the Lord, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name.
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Matthew
4:10
Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.
*H And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If you turn to the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, Baalim and Astaroth: and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Ver. 3. Saying. When the ark was translated, (C.) and on many other occasions, this was the theme of his discourse to the Israelites, pressing them to cease from doing evil, and to perform good works. H. — Thus he preached every year in the different cities. v. 16. Lyran. — Astaroth. These were the principal idols of the country, (Salien, Judg. ii. 11.) under which all the others were included. M. — Prepare. God lays this injunction upon us, to remind us of our liberty, and we beg that he would convert us, acknowledging the necessity of his grace. C. — "God does not require impossibilities, but by his command, admonishes thee to do what thou canst, and to pray for what thou art not able to perform, and he assists thee, that thou mayst be able to perform it." C. Trid. vi. 11. S. Aug. &c.
* Summa
*S Part 2, Ques 112, Article 2
[I-II, Q. 112, Art. 2]
Whether Any Preparation and Disposition for Grace Is Required on Man's Part?
Objection 1: It would seem that no preparation or disposition for grace is required on man's part, since, as the Apostle says (Rom. 4:4), "To him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt." Now a man's preparation by free-will can only be through some operation. Hence it would do away with the notion of grace.
Obj. 2: Further, whoever is going on sinning, is not preparing himself to have grace. But to some who are going on sinning grace is given, as is clear in the case of Paul, who received grace whilst he was "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" (Act 9:1). Hence no preparation for grace is required on man's part.
Obj. 3: Further, an agent of infinite power needs no disposition in matter, since it does not even require matter, as appears in creation, to which grace is compared, which is called "a new creature" (Gal. 6:15). But only God, Who has infinite power, causes grace, as stated above (A. 1). Hence no preparation is required on man's part to obtain grace.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Amos 4:12): "Be prepared to meet thy God, O Israel," and (1 Kings 7:3): "Prepare your hearts unto the Lord."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 111, A. 2), grace is taken in two ways: first, as a habitual gift of God. Secondly, as a help from God, Who moves the soul to good. Now taking grace in the first sense, a certain preparation of grace is required for it, since a form can only be in disposed matter. But if we speak of grace as it signifies a help from God to move us to good, no preparation is required on man's part, that, as it were, anticipates the Divine help, but rather, every preparation in man must be by the help of God moving the soul to good. And thus even the good movement of the free-will, whereby anyone is prepared for receiving the gift of grace, is an act of the free-will moved by God. And thus man is said to prepare himself, according to Prov. 16:1: "It is the part of man to prepare the soul"; yet it is principally from God, Who moves the free-will. Hence it is said that man's will is prepared by God, and that man's steps are guided by God.
Reply Obj. 1: A certain preparation of man for grace is simultaneous with the infusion of grace; and this operation is meritorious, not indeed of grace, which is already possessed--but of glory which is not yet possessed. But there is another imperfect preparation, which sometimes precedes the gift of sanctifying grace, and yet it is from God's motion. But it does not suffice for merit, since man is not yet justified by grace, and merit can only arise from grace, as will be seen further on (Q. 114, A. 2).
Reply Obj. 2: Since a man cannot prepare himself for grace unless God prevent and move him to good, it is of no account whether anyone arrive at perfect preparation instantaneously, or step by step. For it is written (Ecclus. 11:23): "It is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich." Now it sometimes happens that God moves a man to good, but not perfect good, and this preparation precedes grace. But He sometimes moves him suddenly and perfectly to good, and man receives grace suddenly, according to John 6:45: "Every one that hath heard of the Father, and hath learned, cometh to Me." And thus it happened to Paul, since, suddenly when he was in the midst of sin, his heart was perfectly moved by God to hear, to learn, to come; and hence he received grace suddenly.
Reply Obj. 3: An agent of infinite power needs no matter or disposition of matter, brought about by the action of something else; and yet, looking to the condition of the thing caused, it must cause, in the thing caused, both the matter and the due disposition for the form. So likewise, when God infuses grace into a soul, no preparation is required which He Himself does not bring about. ________________________
THIRD
*S Part 3, Ques 171, Article 5
[II-II, Q. 171, Art. 5]
Whether the Prophet Always Distinguishes What He Says by His Own Spirit from What He Says by the Prophetic Spirit?
Objection 1: It would seem that the prophet always distinguishes what he says by his own spirit from what he says by the prophetic spirit. For Augustine states (Confess. vi, 13) that his mother said "she could, through a certain feeling, which in words she could not express, discern betwixt Divine revelations, and the dreams of her own soul." Now prophecy is a Divine revelation, as stated above (A. 3). Therefore the prophet always distinguishes what he says by the spirit of prophecy, from what he says by his own spirit.
Obj. 2: Further, God commands nothing impossible, as Jerome [*Pelagius. Ep. xvi, among the supposititious works of St. Jerome] says. Now the prophets were commanded (Jer. 23:28): "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word with truth." Therefore the prophet can distinguish what he has through the spirit of prophecy from what he sees otherwise.
Obj. 3: Further, the certitude resulting from a Divine light is greater than that which results from the light of natural reason. Now he that has science, by the light of natural reason knows for certain that he has it. Therefore he that has prophecy by a Divine light is much more certain that he has it.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Hom. i super Ezech.): "It must be observed that sometimes the holy prophets, when consulted, utter certain things by their own spirit, through being much accustomed to prophesying, and think they are speaking by the prophetic spirit."
_I answer that,_ The prophet's mind is instructed by God in two ways: in one way by an express revelation, in another way by a most mysterious instinct to "which the human mind is subjected without knowing it," as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. ii, 17). Accordingly the prophet has the greatest certitude about those things which he knows by an express revelation, and he has it for certain that they are revealed to him by God; wherefore it is written (Jer. 26:15): "In truth the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing." Else, were he not certain about this, the faith which relies on the utterances of the prophet would not be certain. A sign of the prophet's certitude may be gathered from the fact that Abraham being admonished in a prophetic vision, prepared to sacrifice his only-begotten son, which he nowise would have done had he not been most certain of the Divine revelation.
On the other hand, his position with regard to the things he knows by instinct is sometimes such that he is unable to distinguish fully whether his thoughts are conceived of Divine instinct or of his own spirit. And those things which we know by Divine instinct are not all manifested with prophetic certitude, for this instinct is something imperfect in the genus of prophecy. It is thus that we are to understand the saying of Gregory. Lest, however, this should lead to error, "they are very soon set aright by the Holy Ghost [*For instance, cf. 2 Kings 7:3 seqq.], and from Him they hear the truth, so that they reproach themselves for having said what was untrue," as Gregory adds (Hom. i super Ezech.).
The arguments set down in the first place consider the revelation that is made by the prophetic spirit; wherefore the answer to all the objections is clear. _______________________
SIXTH
*H And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Masphath, that I may pray to the Lord for you.
Ver. 5. Masphath lay south of Jerusalem, (C.) and was a convenient place for all to meet at. M. They came armed, and the Philistines (C.) suspecting their designs, proceeded to attack them. H.
*H And they gathered together to Masphath, and they drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and they fasted on that day, and they said there: We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Masphath.
Ver. 6. Lord, having purified themselves with it. Ex. 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. T. — 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 no 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, Jo. vii. 24. Lamy. Introd. See 2 K. xxiii. 16. C. — Fasted. They confess their sins and do penance, while Samuel sits as judge, (Salien) and had been endeavouring for twenty years to excite them to repentance, and to adhere to the one true religion. T.
*H And they said to Samuel: Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
Ver. 8. Philistines. Those who distrust their own strength, and join true repentance with prayer, striving to interest the friends of God in their cause, may confidently hope for victory. H.
*H And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it whole for a holocaust to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.
Ver. 9. Sucking lamb. Any might be used, when eight days old, except for the paschal lamb, which must be older; a yearling. Ex. xxiii. 9. Lev. xxii. 27. — Offered it, either by the hands of the priests, or by dispensation, which authorized him to sacrifice out of the tabernacle. — Whole, without blemish; (Eccli. xlvi. 19.) or, not having time to divide it, according to the ritual. Lev. i. 12. He consumed even the skin. Salien. — Sept. "with all the people."
*H And it came to pass, when Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines began the battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and terrified them, and they were overthrown before the face of Israel.
Ver. 10. Israel. The princes of the Tyrians had come to the assistance of the enemy; (Eccli. xlvi. 21. C.) but all in vain. The greatness of the army only increases the greatness of the carnage, when the Lord enters the lists. H. — The sacred penman speaks with great modesty of this victory, which is nevertheless one of the most important recorded in Scripture. The Philistines could not recover themselves for 20 years; they found it necessary to restore the cities which they had taken, (C.) to relinquish the tribute, and to come to such conditions as Samuel imposed upon them. He suffered them, however, to keep possession of some strong holds, such as Gabaa, from which they were expelled by Jonathan. Salien says in the 22d year of Samuel, and the last of Achitob, the high priest, A. 2961.
*H And the men of Israel going out of Masphath, pursued after the Philistines, and made slaughter of them till they came under Bethchar.
Ver. 11. Bethchar, "the house of the penetrator." Cor denotes the celestial fluid, which the Philistines probably supposed was discharged by the heavens, independently of the great Creator. Hence their punishment was very appropriate. Parkhurst. — The latter heathens always represented their Jupiter armed with thunder and lightning—
*H And Samuel took a stone, and laid it between Masphath and Sen: and he called the place The stone of help. And he said: Thus far the Lord hath helped us.
Ver. 12. Sen, "the tooth," a craggy rock of that appearance. Syr. Beth-jasan. C. — Some take it to be the same with Bethchar. Malvenda. — It was before ignoble, (Salien) and the situation not known, till this monument was erected, with the inscription, Thus far, &c. — Help; "Aben-ezer," mentioned before, C. iv. 1. These religious monuments were not prohibited by the law. Lev. xxvi. 1. Samuel would take every precaution that they should not become objects of idolatry, as he was under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit. C.
*H And the Philistines were humbled, and they did not come any more into the borders of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, all the days of Samuel.
Ver. 13. Any more, for a long time, (M.) during Samuel's administration; for we find them again attacking Saul. C. xiii. This expression is often used to denote a cessation of some continuance. Isai. xxiii. 12. 15. 2 K. vii. 10.
*H And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel, were restored to Israel, from Accaron to Geth, and their borders: and he delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and there was peace between Israel and the Amorrhites.
Ver. 14. Geth, which two cities still continued in their possession. Others, which had fallen to the share of Dan, they gave up, which explains Judg. xviii. 1. 31. — Philistines. Here ended the forty years' servitude. C. — Salien (A. 2860) rather thinks that it terminated in the death of Samson, when it was judged expedient to entrust the reins of government into the hands of an old man, Heli, the high priest, as there was no need of an expert general, the heads of the Philistines being all destroyed. Judg. xiii. 1. H. — Amorrhites: the dispersed nations of Chanaan were all kept under. C.
*H And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life:
Ver. 15. Life; as sole judge for twenty years, (Gordon. D.) and conjointly with Saul till he died, almost 100 years old, a year or two before the unfortunate king. Saul put him on a level with himself; (C. xi. 7.) and he continued to be regarded as the oracle of Israel ever since he was about forty years old; (C.) or he did not long survive the election of the new king, (M.) as Tirin, Sanctius, &c. reduce his reign to two years, allowing thirty-eight to Samuel, so that both filled up the space of forty years. Act. xiii. 20. The life of Samuel, on this supposition, will not much exceed sixty, and he must have come into power in early life. C. xii. 2. H. — This verse is no proof that the present book was written long after Samuel's time. D.
*H And he went every year about to Bethel and to Galgal and to Masphath, and he judged Israel in the foresaid places.
Ver. 16. Places. Sept. "in all these holy places." Some take Bethel to mean the city, where the ark was, (C.) or the holy of holies, in the tabernacle, at Silo, &c. H. — The northern tribes might meet him at Bethel; those on the east of the Jordan, at Galgala, of Benjamin; and the tribes of Juda, Simeon, and Dan, might have an opportunity of hearing the holy prophet, and decide their controversies, at Masphath. C. — Thus Samuel gave an excellent instruction to pastors and governors, to watch over their people. H.
*H And he returned to Ramatha: for there was his house, and there he judged Israel: he built also there an altar to the Lord.
Ver. 17. Ramatha; his native place. His high office would not allow him to remain always near the tabernacle. C. i. 11. and 28. C. — Lord, by his direction, (M.) both to satisfy his own devotion, and that he might consult the Lord when the people wanted advice. C.