1 Samuel 7:2 kjv
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:2 nkjv
So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:2 niv
The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time?twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:2 esv
From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
1 Samuel 7:2 nlt
The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time ? twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them.
1 Samuel 7 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:29 | "if you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him..." | Emphasizes seeking God with wholehearted devotion. |
| Josh 18:1 | "...whole congregation...assembled at Shiloh...set up the tent of meeting there." | Contrast with Ark's uncentralized location for 20 years. |
| Judg 4:3 | "...Israel cried out to the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron..." | Illustrates a prior 20-year period of oppression and crying out to God. |
| 1 Sam 4:10-11 | "...Philistines struck Israel, and they fled... the ark of God was taken..." | Background to the Ark's captivity and return. |
| 1 Sam 6:21-7:1 | "...they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim..." | Account of the Ark's relocation to Abinadab's house. |
| 2 Chr 7:14 | "if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face..." | God's promise to heal and hear if His people repent. |
| Neh 9:3 | "...read from the Book of the Law... and confessed and worshiped..." | Illustrates corporate repentance and seeking God's word. |
| Psa 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart..." | True repentance comes from a humbled heart. |
| Psa 132:8 | "Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength." | Highlights the Ark's symbolic power as God's presence. |
| Isa 55:6-7 | "Seek the LORD while He may be found... return to the LORD..." | Calls to timely repentance and turning to God. |
| Jer 29:13 | "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." | Divine promise linked to earnest seeking. |
| Joel 2:12-13 | "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning... Rend your hearts..." | Defines true, inward repentance. |
| Lam 3:40-41 | "Let us test and examine our ways, And return to the LORD..." | Encouragement for self-examination and return. |
| Hos 5:15 | "In their distress they will earnestly seek Me." | God's design to draw His people through hardship. |
| Jon 3:5-10 | "The people of Nineveh believed God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth..." | Example of national repentance averting judgment. |
| Zec 12:10 | "...they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him..." | Prophetic vision of a future national mourning leading to repentance. |
| Matt 5:4 | "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." | Spiritual mourning that leads to comfort and blessing. |
| Rom 8:26-27 | "...Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words..." | Emphasizes the deep, unutterable nature of spiritual lament. |
| 2 Cor 7:10 | "godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation..." | Distinguishes godly sorrow from worldly sorrow. |
| Jam 4:8-10 | "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... Humble yourselves..." | The path to drawing near to God involves humility. |
| Rev 2:5 | "Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent..." | A call to recall lost devotion and return. |
1 Samuel 7 verses
1 Samuel 7 2 Meaning
For a period of twenty years, during which the Ark of the Covenant remained in Kirjath-jearim, the people of Israel endured prolonged national distress. This suffering eventually led them to a deep, collective spiritual lamentation and genuine turning of their hearts toward the LORD, expressing a profound yearning for His renewed presence and intervention.
1 Samuel 7 2 Context
Following a catastrophic defeat by the Philistines (1 Sam 4), the Ark of the Covenant was captured, leading to the death of Eli and his sons. The Philistines, afflicted by divine plagues, returned the Ark (1 Sam 5-6). It first came to Beth-shemesh, where many were struck down for improperly looking into it. Consequently, the people of Beth-shemesh requested the men of Kirjath-jearim to take the Ark. The Ark was then brought to the house of Abinadab on a hill in Kirjath-jearim, where his son Eleazar was consecrated to guard it (1 Sam 7:1). This verse, 1 Samuel 7:2, picks up immediately after this, detailing the long duration of the Ark's stay there and the profound spiritual awakening among the Israelites during this period. The national spiritual condition had been characterized by ungodliness among priests (Eli's sons) and widespread idolatry, contributing to their military and social vulnerability.
1 Samuel 7 2 Word analysis
And it came to pass (וַיְהִי, vayhi): A common Hebrew literary device indicating a continuation of narrative or a transition to a new significant event. It marks the start of a period of national turning.
while the ark abode (מִיּוֹם שֶׁבֶת הָאָרוֹן, miyyom shevet ha'aron):
- abode (שֶׁבֶת, shevet): Refers to residing, dwelling, sitting. Here, it indicates the Ark's settled, yet unideal, resting place away from a central tabernacle or sanctuary for an extended period. The Ark, representing God's active presence, was separated from the heart of Israelite worship for these years.
- the ark (הָאָרוֹן, ha'aron): The Ark of the Covenant, representing God's throne and presence among His people (Exo 25:22). Its dwelling in Kirjath-jearim highlights the state of Israel's disconnected relationship with God during this era.
in Kirjath-jearim (בְּקִרְיַת יְעָרִים, b'kiryat ye'arim): Meaning "city of forests." This was a Levitical city (Josh 18:14, 21:17) but its selection as the Ark's residence was due to the Beth-shemites' fear, not a divinely appointed place for long-term dwelling, underscoring the spiritual disarray.
that the time was long (וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים, vayirbu hayyamim):
- time was long (וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים, vayirbu hayyamim): Literally "and the days multiplied" or "increased." This emphasizes the great duration and the significant passage of time. It speaks to a period of divine silence, patient waiting, and prolonged testing for Israel.
for it was twenty years (וַיְהִי עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, vayhi esrim shanah): This precise numerical marker highlights the significant length of national distress and the time it took for a collective spiritual awakening to occur. This long duration points to Israel's prolonged state of spiritual decline and the slow process of collective realization and lament.
and all the house of Israel (וַיִּנָּהוּ כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, vayinnahu kol-bet Yisra'el):
- all the house of Israel (כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, kol-bet Yisra'el): Signifies a widespread, unified national movement of the people, not just a small segment. This implies a significant, widespread shift in the spiritual temperature of the nation.
lamented (וַיִּנָּהוּ, vayinnahu): This verb is from the root נוּהּ (nuah), meaning "to lament," "to mourn," "to sigh," or "to bewail." It implies a deep emotional and spiritual cry. It signifies not mere complaining about hardship, but an inward turning and sorrow, acknowledging their distance from God and yearning for His favor. This word carries a sense of spiritual groaning or distress.
after the LORD (אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה, aharei Yahweh): This is a crucial prepositional phrase. It's not merely lamenting because of their suffering, but seeking or pursuing the LORD. It denotes a turning towards God with intention, desire, and repentance, indicating that their focus was spiritual restoration, rather than simply physical relief. It's a lament born of a deep yearning for the true God, signifying true spiritual desire.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim: This phrase indicates a period of divine disconnect. The Ark, the tangible symbol of God's presence, was geographically and functionally separated from Israel's main religious and political life for a significant duration, reflecting the nation's spiritual estrangement from God.
- that the time was long; for it was twenty years: This highlights God's prolonged patience and the period of national suffering as a catalyst for spiritual introspection. It was a testing time, designed to lead Israel to repentance, demonstrating that spiritual renewal is not an overnight event but often involves a period of humbling.
- and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD: This marks a profound national spiritual turning point. The collective "lamenting after the LORD" signifies genuine corporate repentance and a unified hunger for restored fellowship with God, setting the stage for His subsequent deliverance. It underlines the essential prerequisite for national revival: a heartfelt return to the Lord.
1 Samuel 7 2 Bonus section
The specific "twenty years" mentioned here marks the beginning of Israel's national lament and longing for God, signifying the gestation period for revival that would culminate under Samuel's leadership in the rest of 1 Samuel chapter 7. While the Ark likely remained in Kirjath-jearim longer (up until David moved it), this 20-year period is significant for the spiritual awakening that transpired during that specific duration. It indicates a process where hardship matured into humility, and national apathy transformed into corporate seeking of God. This era also highlights God's often prolonged patience, allowing consequences to fully manifest to bring His people to a place of genuine return, rather than immediate, superficial rescue. The very phrase "lamented after the LORD" underscores that the issue was not merely external enemies or physical hardships, but Israel's spiritual alienation from God, and their restoration thus required a spiritual reorientation.
1 Samuel 7 2 Commentary
1 Samuel 7:2 describes a critical twenty-year period of national hardship and spiritual awakening for Israel. The long dwelling of the Ark in the remote Kirjath-jearim symbolized Israel's disconnected state from God's full presence and blessings. This era was characterized by an underlying sense of divine absence and Philistine dominance, which served as God's disciplinary tool. After enduring years of suffering, "all the house of Israel" reached a breaking point, transitioning from mere distress to a heartfelt "lamenting after the LORD." This lament was more than just crying out about their troubles; it was a profound yearning and seeking of God Himself, a sign of genuine repentance and a collective desire to return to their covenant relationship. This deep, internal spiritual movement across the entire nation was a prerequisite for God's redemptive intervention, setting the stage for Samuel's leadership and the subsequent spiritual revival. It teaches that true spiritual change, whether individual or corporate, begins with humble acknowledgment of spiritual distance and a sincere longing for God.
- Example for practical usage: Just as Israel's long period of distress led to a yearning for the LORD, personal or corporate challenges can become catalysts for deeper seeking of God, turning moments of struggle into opportunities for genuine repentance and renewed fellowship.