- 137-
(^57) Comp. Robinson's Bibl. Researches, 2. pp. 223-225; 3. p. 153.
(^58) In vers. 14, 15 we read of a "great stone," while in ver. 18 it is called the great
Avel." Interpreters regard this as a clerical error of the copyist - ( lba for öba ), A
VeL for EVeN. But may it not be that this "great stone" obtained the name Avel,
"mourning," as marking the boundary-line towards Philistia?
(^59) The Authorised Version translates in ver. 19, "they had looked into the ark,"
following in this the Rabbis. But this view is scarcely tenable. Nor is the rendering
of other interpreters satisfactory: "They looked (in the sense of curious gazing) at
the ark," although this assuredly comes within the range of the warning, Numbers
4:20. But the whole text here seems corrupted. Thus in the statement that "He
smote threescore and ten men," the addition "of the people, 50,000," has - judging
it both on linguistic and rational grounds - unquestionably crept into the text by the
mistake of a copyist. But Thenius points out other linguistic anomalies, which lead
to the inference that there may be here some farther corruption of the text.
Accordingly, he adopts the reading from which the LXX. translated: "And the sons
of Jechonias rejoiced not among the men of Beth-shemesh, that they saw the ark of
the Lord."
(^60) See previous note.
(^61) It is difficult to say why the ark was not carried to Shiloh. Ewald thinks that the
Philistines had taken Shiloh, and destroyed its sanctuary; Keil, that the people were
unwilling to restore the ark to a place which had been profaned by the sons of Eli;
Erdmann, that it was temporarily placed at Kirjath-jearim for safety, till the will of
God were known. The latter seems the most satisfactory explanation, especially as
Kirjath-jearim was the first large town between Beth-shemesh and Shiloh, and the
priesthood of Shiloh had proved themselves untrustworthy guardians of the ark.
(^62) Second, probably, only to Moses, if such comparisons are lawful. But even so,
Samuel seems at times more majestic even than Moses - more grand, unbending,
and unapproachable. Ewald compares Samuel with Luther.
(^63) In the New Testament dispensation the outward calling is the result of, or at least
intimately connected with, the inner state. The reverse was the case under the Old
Testament, where the outward calling seems to mold the men. Even the prophetic
office is not quite an exception to this rule.
(^64) As Schmid puts it: "One who follows another, and lamentingly entreats till he
obtains," - as did the Syrophenician woman. Thenius imagines that there is a hiatus
(^)