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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Death of Eli. (b. c. 1120.)
THE DEATH OF ELI. (B. C. 1120.) Tidings are here brought to Shiloh of the fatal issue of their battle with the Philistines. Bad news flies fast. This soon spread through all Israel; every man that fled to his tent broug…
The Death of Phinehas' Wife. (b. c. 1120.)
THE DEATH OF PHINEHAS' WIFE. (B. C. 1120.) We have here another melancholy story, that carries on the desolations of Eli's house, and the sorrowful feeling which the tidings of the ark's captivity excited. It is concern…
The Fall of Dagon. (b. c. 1120.)
THE FALL OF DAGON. (B. C. 1120.) Here is, I. The Philistines' triumph over the ark, which they were the more pleased, the more proud, to be now masters of, because before the battle they were possessed with a great fear…
The Distress of the Philistines. (b. c. 1120.)
THE DISTRESS OF THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1120.) The downfall of Dagon (if the people had made a good use of it, and had been brought by it to repent of their idolatries and to humble themselves before the God of Israel a…
The Ark Among the Philistines. (b. c. 1120.)
THE ARK AMONG THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1120.) The first words of the chapter tell us how long the captivity of the ark continued—it was in the country of the Philistines seven months. In the field of the Philistines (so…
The Restoration of the Ark. (b. c. 1119.)
THE RESTORATION OF THE ARK. (B. C. 1119.) We are here told, I. How the Philistines dismissed the ark, 1 Samuel 6:10-11. They were made as glad to part with it as ever they had been to take it. As God had fetched Israel…
The Ark at Beth-shemesh. (b. c. 1119.)
THE ARK AT BETH-SHEMESH. (B. C. 1119.) Here is, 1. The sin of the men of Beth-shemesh: They looked into the ark of the Lord, 1 Samuel 6:19. Every Israelite had heard great talk of the ark, and had been possessed with a…
The Ark at Kirjath-jearim. (b. c. 1099.)
THE ARK AT KIRJATH-JEARIM. (B. C. 1099.) Here we must attend the ark to Kirjath-jearim, and then leave it there, to hear not a word more of it except once (1 Samuel 14:18), till David fetched it thence, about forty year…
Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 7:3-6
We may well wonder where Samuel was and what he was doing all this while, for we have not had him so much as named till now, since 1 Samuel 4:1, not as if he were unconcerned, but his labours among his people are not me…
The Israelites Attacked by the Philistines; Samuel's Intercession for Israel. (b. c. 1099.)
THE ISRAELITES ATTACKED BY THE PHILISTINES; SAMUEL'S INTERCESSION FOR ISRAEL. (B. C. 1099.) Here, I. The Philistines invade Israel (1 Samuel 7:7), taking umbrage from that general meeting for repentance and prayer as if…
The Defeat of the Philistines. (b. c. 1092.)
THE DEFEAT OF THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1092.) We have here a short account of the further good services that Samuel did to Israel. Having parted them from their idols, and brought them home to their God, he had put them…
The Wickedness of Samuel's Sons. (b. c. 1075.)
THE WICKEDNESS OF SAMUEL'S SONS. (B. C. 1075.) Two sad things we find here, but not strange things:—1. A good and useful man growing old and unfit for service (1 Samuel 8:1): Samuel was old, and could not judge Israel,…
The People Desire a King; God's Answer to Israel; The People Insist on Having a King. (b. c. 1075.)
THE PEOPLE DESIRE A KING; GOD'S ANSWER TO ISRAEL; THE PEOPLE INSIST ON HAVING A KING. (B. C. 1075.) We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Is…
The Parentage of Saul. (b. c. 1075.)
THE PARENTAGE OF SAUL. (B. C. 1075.) We are here told, 1. What a good family Saul was of, 1 Samuel 9:1. He was of the tribe of Benjamin; so was the New-Testament Saul, who also was called Paul, and he mentions it as his…
Saul Seeks His Father's Asses; Saul Goes to Seek Samuel. (b. c. 1075.)
SAUL SEEKS HIS FATHER'S ASSES; SAUL GOES TO SEEK SAMUEL. (B. C. 1075.) Here is, I. A great man rising from small beginnings. It does not appear that Saul had any preferment at all, or was in any post of honour or trust,…
Saul Introduced to Samuel. (b. c. 1070.)
SAUL INTRODUCED TO SAMUEL. (B. C. 1070.) Here, I. Saul, by an ordinary enquiry, is directed to Samuel, 1 Samuel 9:11-14. Gibeah of Saul was not twenty miles from Ramah where Samuel dwelt, and was near to Mizpeh where he…
Saul Entertained by Samuel. (b. c. 1070.)
SAUL ENTERTAINED BY SAMUEL. (B. C. 1070.) Providence having at length brought Samuel and Saul together, we have here an account of what passed between them in the gate, at the feast, and in private. I. In the gate of th…
Saul Anointed by Samuel; Samuel's Address to Saul. (b. c. 1070.)
SAUL ANOINTED BY SAMUEL; SAMUEL'S ADDRESS TO SAUL. (B. C. 1070.) Samuel is here executing the office of a prophet, giving Saul full assurance from God that he should be king, as he was afterwards, according to these pro…
Saul Among the Prophets. (b. c. 1070.)
SAUL AMONG THE PROPHETS. (B. C. 1070.) Saul has now taken his leave of Samuel, much amazed, we may well suppose, at what has been done to him, almost ready to question whether he be awake or no, and whether it be not al…
The Election of a King; Saul Introduced to the People. (b. c. 1070.)
THE ELECTION OF A KING; SAUL INTRODUCED TO THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 1070.) Saul's nomination to the throne is here made public, in a general assembly of the elders of Israel, the representatives of their respective tribes at…
Extremity of Jabesh-Gilead. (b. c. 1069.)
EXTREMITY OF JABESH-GILEAD. (B. C. 1069.) The Ammonites were bad neighbours to those tribes of Israel that lay next them, though descendants from just Lot, and, for that reason, dealt civilly with by Israel. See Deutero…
The Distress of Jabesh-Gilead; Saul Succours Jabesh-Gilead. (b. c. 1069.)
THE DISTRESS OF JABESH-GILEAD; SAUL SUCCOURS JABESH-GILEAD. (B. C. 1069.) What is here related turns very much to the honour of Saul, and shows the happy fruits of that other spirit with which he was endued. Observe her…
Sacrifices Offered to God. (b. c. 1069.)
SACRIFICES OFFERED TO GOD. (B. C. 1069.) We have here the improvement of the glorious victory which Saul had obtained, not the improvement of it abroad, though we take it for granted that the men of Jabesh-Gilead, havin…
Samuel's Discourse to Israel. (b. c. 1069.)
SAMUEL'S DISCOURSE TO ISRAEL. (B. C. 1069.) Here, I. Samuel gives them a short account of the late revolution, and of the present posture of their government, by way of preface to what he had further to say to them, 1 S…