which were generally on or near a hill. The words may be more suitably
rendered, “They buried him in Gibeah of Phinehas”, i.e., in the city of
Phinehas, which has been identified, in accordance with Jewish and
Samaritan traditions, with Kefr Ghuweirah=‘Awertah, about 7 miles north
of Shiloh, and a few miles south-east of Nablus. “His tomb is still shown
there, overshadowed by venerable terebinths.” Others, however, have
identified it with the village of Gaba or Gebena of Eusebius, the modern
Khurbet Jibia, 5 miles north of Guphna towards Nablus.
(2.) An inhabitant of Kirjath-jearim who was “sanctified” to take charge of
the ark, although not allowed to touch it, while it remained in the house of
his father Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1, 2; comp. Numbers 3:31; 4:15).
(3.) The son of Dodo the Ahohite, of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the
three most eminent of David’s thirty-seven heroes (1 Chronicles 11:12)
who broke through the Philistine host and brought him water from the well
of Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:9, 16).
(4.) A son of Phinehas associated with the priests in taking charge of the
sacred vessels brought back to Jerusalem after the Exile (Ezra 8:33).
(5.) A Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chronicles 23:21, 22).
- ELECTION OF GRACE The Scripture speaks (1) of the election of
individuals to office or to honour and privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Saul,
David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so
also were the apostles. (2) There is also an election of nations to special
privileges, e.g., the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 7:6; Romans 9:4). (3) But in
addition there is an election of individuals to eternal life (2 Thessalonians
2:13; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; John 13:18).
The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God
(Ephesians 1:5, 11; Matthew 11:25, 26; John 15:16, 19). God claims the
right so to do (Romans 9:16, 21).
It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of soverign grace
(Romans 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:3-6). All that pertain to salvation, the means
(Ephesians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) as well as the end, are of God (Acts
5:31; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 2:5, 10). Faith and
repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and
regeneration is God’s work, a “new creature.”