1 Samuel 7:1 kjv
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.
1 Samuel 7:1 nkjv
Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:1 niv
So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They brought it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:1 esv
And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:1 nlt
So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it.
1 Samuel 7 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference ||--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|| Exo 25:10-22 | "They shall make an ark of acacia wood... a mercy seat... and I will meet with you there." | Ark's original purpose as God's dwelling/meeting place. || Num 4:15 | "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects... the Kohathites shall come to carry them." | Levitical role in carrying the Ark. || Num 4:20 | "...but they must not go in to look at the holy things even for a moment, or they will die." | Strict prohibition on looking at holy objects. || Num 10:33-36 | "When the ark set out, Moses said, 'Arise, O LORD...' " | Ark leading Israel's journeys. || Josh 3:3-6 | "...when you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God... then you shall set out from your place..." | Ark leading Israel into the promised land. || 1 Sam 4:3-11 | "Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh..." | Ark's capture by the Philistines. || 1 Sam 5:1-12 | "...Philistines had taken the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod." | Ark's journey and judgments in Philistia. || 1 Sam 6:19 | "He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD." | Previous judgment for improper Ark handling. || 2 Sam 6:2-9 | "...and when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God..." | Death for touching the Ark. || 1 Ki 8:1-11 | "...they brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD..." | Ark's eventual placement in Solomon's Temple. || Ps 132:8 | "Arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might." | Prayer for God's presence to rest. || Exo 29:36-37 | "Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. You shall purify the altar as you make atonement for it and consecrate it..." | Principle of consecration/setting apart. || Lev 8:30 | "Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood... and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments... Thus he consecrated Aaron and his garments..." | Consecration of priests. || Deut 10:8 | "At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD..." | Levitical duty for the Ark specified. || 2 Chr 29:34 | "But the priests were too few to flay all the burnt offerings, so their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished... for the Levites were more conscientious to sanctify themselves than the priests." | Emphasis on willingness to be consecrated. || Isa 52:11 | "Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the LORD." | Purity required for handling sacred objects. || Rom 12:1 | "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." | New Testament concept of personal consecration. || Eph 5:26 | "...to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." | Believers consecrated by Christ and Word. || 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' " | Command to live a consecrated life. || 1 Pet 2:5 | "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | Believers as a spiritual priesthood. || 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." | Believers as a "royal priesthood," set apart. || Matt 18:20 | "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I among them." | God's presence among His people not confined to specific structures. || Acts 7:48-50 | "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands." | God transcends physical dwellings. || Isa 57:15 | "For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit...' " | God's presence not limited to physical locations. |
1 Samuel 7 verses
1 Samuel 7 1 Meaning
The verse describes the journey of the Ark of the LORD after the devastating incident at Beth-shemesh. The men of Kiriath-jearim took the sacred Ark from Beth-shemesh and placed it in the home of Abinadab, located on a hill. Crucially, they consecrated Abinadab's son, Eleazar, setting him apart to be the appointed keeper of the Ark of the LORD. This marked the beginning of the Ark's long stay, approximately twenty years, in a private residence rather than a designated tabernacle or priestly site, signifying a period of improvisation and transition in Israel's spiritual life.
1 Samuel 7 1 Context
1 Samuel chapter 7 opens at a pivotal moment in Israel's history. Chapters 4-6 detail the calamitous loss of the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines, the severe judgments brought upon the Philistines while the Ark was in their land, and its disastrous return to Beth-shemesh, where many Israelites perished for looking into it. The immediate aftermath of the Beth-shemesh tragedy leaves the Ark a feared, dangerous object, prompting its transfer to a safer, more respectful location. This verse initiates a new phase where the Ark is placed in a private home for an extended period of twenty years (1 Sam 7:2), signaling a temporary resolution to the Ark's housing dilemma following the apparent destruction or abandonment of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. This unstable arrangement underscores Israel's spiritual decline and lack of proper centralized worship, yet it providentially sets the stage for Samuel's call to national repentance and subsequent divine deliverance from the Philistines at Ebenezer (1 Sam 7:3-12).
1 Samuel 7 1 Word analysis
- And the men of Kiriath-jearim came: Kiriath-jearim (קִרְיַת יְעָרִים, Qiryat Ye'arim), meaning "city of forests," was a town in the tribal territory of Judah, specifically Gibeonite territory. Its inhabitants demonstrating initiative and responsibility suggests a fear of the LORD and reverence for the sacred object, contrasting with the prior disregard at Beth-shemesh.
- and took the ark of the LORD: The Ark (אֲרוֹן יְהוָה, Aron Yahweh) represents God's manifest presence, His throne on earth, and the covenant He made with Israel. The careful, non-sacrilegious manner of transporting it—after the Philistine and Beth-shemesh disasters—highlights the newfound sobriety regarding the Ark's holiness.
- and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill: Abinadab (אֲבִינָדָב, Avinadav), meaning "my father is noble/willing," hosts the Ark. His lineage is not explicitly stated as Levitical or Aaronic, which implies a providential and pragmatic solution due to the spiritual disarray of the time. The mention of "on the hill" (gibe'ah) might indicate a place of prominence, safety, or elevated ground for this significant divine presence.
- and they consecrated Eleazar his son: "Consecrated" (וַיְקַדְּשׁוּ, vayqaddshu, from קָדַשׁ, qadash) means to set apart, make holy, or dedicate for a sacred purpose. The "they" refers to the men of Kiriath-jearim, who performed this act of dedication. Eleazar, though not explicitly from the priestly line of Aaron, was "set apart" for the specific sacred task of guarding the Ark. This unconventional appointment highlights God's sovereignty in raising up individuals for service in unique circumstances when the established systems were compromised or non-functional.
- to keep the ark of the LORD: "Keep" (לִשְׁמֹר, lishmor, from שָׁמַר, shamar) implies a careful guarding, watchfulness, and preservation of the sacred object. This responsibility underscored the immense holiness of the Ark and the need for constant vigilance and respectful handling, learning from the grave errors of those who preceded them in its custody.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the LORD": This action signifies human responsibility and courage in stepping up to handle what had become a fearsome, even deadly, divine artifact. Their initiative ensured the Ark was not abandoned.
- "and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill": This indicates a practical, immediate, and temporary solution for the Ark's housing, necessitated by the collapse of central worship sites (like Shiloh) and the absence of clear leadership regarding its proper placement. It underscores the transitional period Israel was in.
- "and they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD": This phrase details a key act of sacred commissioning. It shows that even in an unorthodox setting, a sense of sacred duty and formal dedication to God's presence was observed. The unusual consecration highlights God's capacity to work through alternative channels when His established order is in disarray, emphasizing the importance of setting apart individuals for specific sacred services, regardless of typical lineage, for His purposes.
1 Samuel 7 1 Bonus section
The house of Abinadab on the hill became the Ark's dwelling place for approximately twenty years, as mentioned in the subsequent verse (1 Sam 7:2). This lengthy stay highlights the prolonged period of spiritual disorganization in Israel before the monarchy. During this time, the Ark was largely removed from the national consciousness, contributing to a spiritual lull until Samuel initiated widespread repentance. Kiriath-jearim itself was part of the Gibeonite league (Josh 9:17), hinting at an ongoing integration of these non-Israelite groups into the national life and religious consciousness of Israel. The spontaneous consecration of Eleazar also presents an early glimpse of divine pragmatism, a contrast to the meticulous Mosaic law. This pragmatic appointment anticipates the later Spirit-empowered figures (like Samson, Gideon, Saul, David) who operated outside rigid institutional structures, emphasizing God's direct sovereign intervention in His people's affairs. It underlines that holiness is ultimately attributed and maintained by God's choice and the recipient's faithfulness to that call, not solely by inherited privilege.
1 Samuel 7 1 Commentary
1 Samuel 7:1 details a crucial, yet unconventional, period in the Ark's history. Following its capture and disastrous return, it was no longer fit for Beth-shemesh. The fear and awe of God's presence led the people of Kiriath-jearim to step in. This ad hoc arrangement—housing the Ark in a private home and assigning an unqualified individual (by Mosaic law standards) to its care—demonstrates God's accommodating grace during Israel's spiritual decline. While the Mosaic Law specified Levitical duties concerning the Ark and the Aaronic priesthood for sacred service, God permitted this temporary deviation to ensure His presence remained among His people. The "consecration" of Eleazar was a setting apart for this specific, critical task, highlighting that God can appoint instruments for His will even when the established systems are faltering. It served as a holding place for God's manifest presence, paving the way for a period of national restoration under Samuel's prophetic leadership (as seen in 1 Samuel 7:2-17), demonstrating God's continued faithfulness despite His people's disorder.