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now and ever afterwards, the sunlight of autumn rather than that of summer; a
sunlight, not of undimmed brightness, but amidst clouds and storm.-- end of volume 4 --(^1) Prophets and Prophecy in Israel. By Dr. A. Kuenen. London, 1877.
(^2) Comp. also the full discussion in Roediger's Gesenii Thes., Vol. 3, p. 1380 b - the
positive part of which it has not suited Dr. Kuenen to notice.
(^3) Onkelos paraphrases: "He will remember what thou hast done to him at the
beginning, and thou shalt keep in mind against him to the end."
(^4) This is well brought out in Ewald, Gesch. d. V. Isr., vol. 2:(3rd ed.) P. 596.
(^5) Comp. Auberlen, as quoted by Keil, Bibl. Comm., vol. 2. s. 2, p. 17.
(^6) Ewald suggests that Eli had attained the dignity of judge owing to some outward
deliverance, like that of the other judges. But the Scriptural narrative of Eli, which
is very brief, gives us no indication of any such event.
(^7) Notwithstanding high authority, I cannot look for Ramah, as most modern writers
do, anywhere within the ancient territory of Benjamin. The expression, "Mount
Ephraim," might indeed be taken in a wider sense; but then there is the addition "an
Ephrathite," that is, an Ephraimite. Keil's suggestion that Elkanah was originally an
Ephraimite, but had migrated into Benjamin, is wholly unsupported.
(^8) Some of the Rabbis fancifully render it, "the watchers," or prophets.
(^9) With one exception - 2 Chronicles 28:7 - Levites seem in civic respects to have
been reckoned with the tribes in whose territories they were located, as Judges
17:7. This would be a further undesigned fulfillment of Genesis 49:7.
(^10) The Mosaic Law tolerated and regulated, but nowhere approved it, and in
practice polygamy was chiefly confined to the wealthy.
(^11) If the inference be admitted, Judges 11:40; 21:19, must also refer to the Feast of
the Passover. On the observance of this feast during the period of the Judges,
comp. Hengstenberg, Beitr. 3. 79, etc.
(^)