Chapter 7: The Ark finds a new home and the people repent

1.      The new residence of the Ark

• The residents of Kiryat Yearim came to Beit Shemesh and brought the Ark of G-d back with them to their city. They brought it to the home of Avinadav who lived in the valley, and his son Elazar was designated to guard the Ark of G-d. The Ark remained in the city of Kiryat Yearim for 20 years and the people of Israel followed after G-d at that time.

2.      The people repent:

• Shmuel arouses the people in repentance: Shmuel told the entire House of Israel that if they returned to G-d with all of their heart and removed from their midst the foreign deities and idols and they prepare their heart to serve G-d alone, then He will save them from the hands of the Philistines.
• The people repent and Shmuel prays to G-d on their behalf: So, the Jewish people did as they were instructed and removed from amongst their midst the idolatry of Baal and Ashtoros and they only served G-d alone. Shmuel then told the Jewish people that they should all gather by Mitzpah and he will pray to G-d on their behalf over there. The people gathered by Mitzpah and draw water and poured it before G-d [as a sign of repentance and subjugation to G-d[1]]. They fasted on that day and said over there that they had sinned to G-d. Shmuel judged the Jewish people in Mitzpah [adjudicating monetary claims as well as giving out due punishment for the sins that were confessed[2]].

3.      The Jewish people annihilate the Philistines:

• The Jewish people fear the Philistines: The Philistines heard that the Jewish people had gathered in Mitzpah and the leaders of the Philistines went up in war against them. When the Jewish people heard this, they became very frightened from the Philistines.
• Shmuel prays to G-d and brings an offering: The Jewish people turned to Shmuel and said: Do not silence yourself from turning to Hashem, our G-d, and screaming to Him on our behalf to save us from the hands of the Philistines. So, Shmuel took a young [female[3]] nursing lamb and he offered it as an Olah offering to G-d. Shmuel shouted to G-d on behalf of the Jewish people and G-d answered him. While Shmuel was busy bringing his Olah offering, the Philistines came forward to wage war against the Jewish people.
• The Philistines flee and are killed: G-d brought upon the Philistines a great thunderous noise on that day and caused them to panic and flee before Israel. The Jewish people left the city of Mitzpah and chased after the Philistines, killing them until the city of Beis Kur.
• The stone monument: Shmuel took a single stone and placed it between the city of Mitzpah and Beis Hashein, and he called its name Even Haozer, representing the message that G-d had helped us until here.
• The Philistines are ruled over by the Jews: The Philistines became subdued under the Jewish people and no longer attempted to breach the border of Israel. The hand of G-d ruled over the Philistines throughout the entire life of Shmuel.
• The cities that were captured by the Philistines from the Jewish people were returned to the Jewish people, from Ekron until Gat.

4.      The state of affairs for the remainder of Shmuel’s life:

• There was peace between the Jewish people and the Emorites.
• Shmuel judged the Jewish people for the remainder of his life [for a total of thirteen years[4]]. Shmuel would make a yearly round to Beis Keil, Gilgal and Mitzpah, and he judged the Jewish people in all these places. He would return to the city of Ramasa, as there was his home and from there, he judged the Jewish people and built an altar for G-d.

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[1] See Rashi 7:6

[2] Rashi and Radak 7:6

[3] Rashi 7:9

[4] Radak 7:15