I Samuel - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 282

THE PERIOD OF SAMUEL.———I. SAM. 7———9 16 18 6--·x5 Beth — shcmshitc, and stood there, where there was a great stone, so they broke up the wood of the cart, and oitered the heifers as a burnt offering to the EVER-L1v1No. The Levites, however, took down

the Ark of the Evmz-L1v1No, and the chest which was with it, in which werethe things of gold, and placed it upon the great stone, and the people of Beth—shemsh burnt offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the EVER·L1V1NG, whilst the Five lords of the Philistines looked on, and then returned to Akron. These were the tumours of gold

which the Philistines returned as an offering to the Even-r.1viNG: For Ashdod one; For Gazah one; For Askalon one; For Gath one; F or Akron one; With mice of gold equal to the number of all the cities of the Philishtim, for the Five Lordships, for fortresses, and open villages. And the great stone upon which

the Ark of the EVER-L1v1NG rested can be seen on the farm of joshua the Beth-shemshite to this day. (B-0 I¥39·) ®h2·§\rk at @2tb- 20 21 shams};. But· the EVER-L1v1NG punished

some of the inhabitants of Beth- shemsh, because they had looked into the Ark; He punished seventy persons, and fifty bu1locks.1 So the men murmured among the_ people, for the Evan - r.1v1NG struck the people with a great stroke. The inhabitants of Beth-shemsh conse- Who is able to stand before the Holy LORD GOD? and to what purpose has He come up to us? They therefore sent messengers to the people of Krith-jarini to say, The Philistines have sentsus the Ark of the EVER-Livms. Come down and take it to yourselves. This dimcult passage has puzzled trans-

lators tor over 2,ooo years. But if we take as it does amongst its other signihcations, and as I do, the whole diiiiculty vanishes, for it arose from the love of the marvellous in commen- tators, or the Greek translators, who fancied that to insert impossible statements in the text added to its grandeur—a plan of amending the Scriptures not extinct yet.-·F. F. (s.c. 1138.) ®b2 §Bcnplz of {trilli- Qnrim take the Gbuatung uf the Ark. The people of Krith—]arim conse-

quently came, and took the Ark of the EvER·L1vmG and brought it to the house of Abinadab, on the hill, and he devoted his son Alazar to take care of the Ark of the Even-Livinc. The Ark of the Evu1z·1.xvme, how- ever, remained in Krith—]arim for a long period,——twenty years altogether and the whole House of Israel mourned after the EvER»LivING. (sc. 1120.) $:1::11:21 zxlyurts heli- giuus lllzfurm mth in it lletmii against the j9l3iIistixt2s. T hen Samuel spoke to all the House

If you turn to the EvBR—L1v1NG with your whole heart, iiing out the foreign gods from among you, and fix your heart to the EVER- L1v1NG,and serve Him alone, and He will redeem you from the hands of the Philishtim. The Children of Israel consequently

expelled the Balim and the Ash- teroths, and served the EvER»L1v1NG alone. Collect the

representatives of Israel to Mitzphah, and pray for yourselves to the EVER- They therefore assembled at Mitzphah, and drew water, and poured it out before the Evmz-Livine, and fasted on the same day, and said, ‘We have sinned against the EVER- After thatlSamuel judged the Israelites in Mitzphah. GDI;2 §l;ili¤tinzs ahtmmzz against Mraz!. But the Philishtim heard that the

Israelites had assembled in Mitzphah, so the lords of the Philishtim went up to the Children of Israel, and when the Israelites perceived it they were in terror before the Philishtim. The Children of Israel consequently said Work for us with a cry to the EVER-Livmc our Gon, that He may save us from the hand of the Philishtiml (sc. 112o.) Wha §§l;i1istinz¤ fig Xl! uni: in at myuttitzr Sturm, mth are ruutzh. Samuel, therefore, took a fat young g lamb, and offered it as a whole burnt- 282