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mother-in-law, visitors usually being dismissed with gifts for their families. V. 18. Then said she, Naomi, Sit still, my daughter, she was to remain quietly at home, until thou know how the matter will fall, what the outcome of the business would be; for the man, Boaz, will not be in rest until he

have finished the thing this day. He was an energetic man, who always went forward toward the goal with open directness. All the virtues which we here find in him and in Ruth, purity, chastity, openness, generosity, a strict regard for the rights of the neighbor, are fruits of faith.

CHAPTER 4.

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth. THE NEARER RELATIVE DECLINES TO ACT. V. 1. Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there, he went early since he wanted to be sure of finding the man for whom he was looking, and the space just inside the city gate was used for the transaction of judicial business, as well as for the marketplace; and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake, namely, in his talking to Ruth, chap. 3, 12. 13, came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here, the legal formula for summoning a person when seeking a judicial decision. And he turned aside, and sat down. V. 2. And he, Boaz, took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here, this being the customary complement of witnesses. And they sat down. V. 3. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's, she had disposed of this piece of land, the family inheritance. "The name of Elimelech was still on the property; consequently the law demanded its redemption, and directed this demand to the nearest blood-relative. It is on the basis of this prescription that Boaz begins his negotiation with the unnamed kinsman, in the interest of Naomi." (Lange.) V. 4. And I thought to advertise thee, literally, uncover thy ear, to inform him solemnly and officially, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people, the men sitting by acting as witnesses of the transaction. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. Boaz came only in second place in the right to purchase the field according to law. While reminding the nearer relative of the duty imposed on him by law, he indicates his readiness to render the service demanded, in case the other should prefer to be excused. And he said, I will redeem it, believing that it was a mere matter of paying the purchase money. V. 5. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inherit

ance, for such was the law of entailment connected with levirate marriages, the oldest son springing from such a union continuing the inheritance in the family of his mother. V. 6. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, he could not fulfil that condition, lest I mar mine own inheritance, for he held it possible to decline in the case of a woman of Moab what he would otherwise have considered a plain duty; redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it; his mind was definitely made up to step back. V. 7. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, whenever real estate changed hands, for to confirm all things, the author here explaining a custom which had been discontinued, except in the case mentioned Deut. 25, 9; a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor, thereby surrendering all claims to the right of possession which would have been his had he fulfilled its conditions; and this was a testimony in Israel. Similar selfish considerations as those urged by the unnamed kinsman in this case have caused many people to lose even greater inheritances than that of a piece of land. V. 8. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz. Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. He relinquished all his claims.

THE HAPPY Marriage of Boaz and RutH. · V. 9, And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, those present at the transaction, Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. He made a formal declaration that he would fulfil the condition, that he acquired the property in question, that he was willing to marry the Moabitess. V. 10. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, acquired by taking over the obligation connected with the land, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not out off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place, like a withered branch which is cut off a tree; ye are witnesses this day. V. 11. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, responding to this frank appeal and declaration, said, We are

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INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.

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witnesses, their testimony giving legal standing to the transaction. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house, literally, that is about to come, like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel, as the mothers of the twelve tribes; and do thou worthily in Ephratah, in raising up sons who would be heroes of strength, and be famous in Bethlehem, through the honor brought upon him by the same excellent sons; v. 12. and let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar, the special ancestress of their own tribe, bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. speaks well of the love and respect in which Ruth was held that the people were so unanimous in bestowing this blessing, with its prayer for such great and wonderful earthly advantages. V. 13. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, the marriage took place without delay; and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, for children are Jehovah's gift, Ps. 127, 3, and she bare a son. V. 14. And the women said unto Naomi, for she no longer was lonely and wanting in women interested in her as at first, when she returned from the land of Moab, poor and bereaved, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, to redeem her from the disgrace of childlessness, of having her family cut off in Israel, that his name may be famous in Israel, being on the lips of many people with words of praise. V. 15. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, to refresh and cheer up her soul, and a nour

isher of thine old age, by taking care of her in her declining years; for thy daughter-inlaw, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him, surely a very high praise for Ruth,, showing the regard in which she was held by all the women of the city and neighborhood. V. 16. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, like an actual grandmother, and became nurse unto it, a foster-mother instructing the boy in Israelitish life and customs, an instructress in the Law of God. V. 17. And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed (servant), with reference to the fact that the boy would take care of her, as they had pictured it in their effusive congratulations; he is the father of Jesse, the father of David, and thus one of the ancestors of Christ, Matt. 1, 5. 6. V. 18. Now, these are the generations of Pharez, the list being appended to the book for quick reference; Pharez begat Hezron, 1 Chron. 2, 4, v. 19. and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, v. 20. and Amminadab begat Nahshon, Num. 1, 7, and Nahshon begat Salmon (or, Salmah), v. 21. and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, v. 22. and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. Note: To this day the Lord measures out joy as well as sorrow to His children. He may send affliction and tribulation for many years, but He will often grant a peaceful old age. Our trust in Him must never waver, for His compassion fails not, and His merciful promises will not fall to the ground.

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.

INTRODUCTION.

The First Book of Samuel is really only the first part of a larger history, which was later divided into two parts. When the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible was made, the translators divided both the Book of Samuel and the Book of Kings into two, and each of the four parts was called a book of the Kings, for which reason the subtitle in the Authorzed Version is retained, "The First Book of the Kings." Books of Samuel the historical account is called, not because Samuel was the author, although he may have left some written notes, but because he is the prominent figure in the earlier history and because he exerted a very pronounced influence in Israel even when the form of government had been changed to a monarchy. "The influence of Samuel, who had called and anointed both

Saul and David, was felt in Israel throughout the reign of Saul, and must have been a decisive factor in the training of David for his future task. Beginning with a biographical sketch of Samuel's life before he became the last Judge of Israel, the author takes up the thread of history at the point where the Book of Judges drops it after relating the end of Samson, and carries it forward to the close of David's reign." Samuel, the last Judge of Israel, Saul, the first king of Israel, and David, the greatest king of Israel, are the three leading characters. But the book was not merely written "to be a record of the lives of three great men whom God gave to His people, although their story is full of human interest. The Christian reader will retain the proper point of view, that this story sets forth the

providential control which God exercised over the affairs of His people, achieving His purposes without fail."

The author of the book does not mention his name, and it is impossible from the contents to make a definite statement regarding the authorship except this, that it was not composite. Samuel himself could not have written the entire history, since his death is related, 1 Sam. 25, 1; 28, 3; also the division of the people into two separate kingdoms is referred to, which took place long after Samuel's death, 1 Sam. 11, 8; 15, 4; cp. 27, 6. It is probable that some prophet living not long after the

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Samuel's Birth and Presentation to the Lord.

CHAPTER 1.

The

THE UNHAPPINESS AND THE PRAYER OF HANNAH. — V. 1. Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of Mount Ephraim, usually called Ramah, some six miles northwest of Jerusalem, in the territory of Benjamin, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, after whom this special region was named, an Ephrathite, cp. 1 Chron. 6, 22-27, belonging to the tribe of Levi; v. 2. and he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah (charm, grace), and the name of the other Peninnah (coral, pearl); and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. bigamy of Elkanah, though tolerated by God among the Jews, was opposed to the original divine institution of monogamy, and the misfortune which attached to this relation appeared in Elkanah's married and family life. V. 3. And this man went up out of his city yearly, year after year, to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh, evidently at the Feast of Passover and of Unleavened Bread, since he took his whole household along. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. This notice is here inserted by the author to prepare for the subsequent history. Elkanah, as a true Israelite, worshiped the great Lord of hosts, the one true God, and he brought his sacrifices of peaceofferings in order to strengthen his fellowship with this God. V. 4. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, it happened on the day that he brought his sacrifice, he gave to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions, as their part of the sacrificial feast, Deut. 12, 11-18; v.5. but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion, a double portion; for he loved Hannah, she was his favorite wife, as Rachel had been Jacob's; but the Lord had shut up her womb, He had given her no children, and childlessness was rightly held to be a great

misfortune, a reproach, even a divine punishment, Gen. 19, 31; 30, 1. 23. V. 6. And her adversary, Peninnah, who was jealous of Elkanah's special love for Hannah, also provoked her sore for to make her fret, to make her worried and excited, because the Lord had shut up her womb, while Peninnah, more fortunate in child-bearing and therefore boastful, made it a point to vex her with her childlessness. V. 7. And as he, Elkanah, did so year by year, followed the same custom, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she, Peninnah, provoked her, for she had her flock of children about her and made use of the occasion to sneer at lonely Hannah; therefore she wept and did not eat, she was too deeply hurt to have any appetite. V. 8. Then said Elkanah, her husband, to her, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and why is thy heart grieved? This is a climax showing his deep anxiety and solicitude for her. Am I not better to thee than ten sons? The deep and tender love of the husband tried to console her in her great disappointment. V. 9. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk, at the conclusion of the sacrificial meal. Now Eli, the priest, the high priest at that time, sat upon a seat by a post of the Temple of the Lord, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of Jehovah, the palace of the Lord. V. 10. And she was in bitterness of soul, on account of the continuance of her hopelessness and of the vexations which she suffered from her adversary, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore, her many tears being an expression of her grief because all her petitions up to that time had ben unheard. V. 11. And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, Jehovah of Sabaoth, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, the misery of her childlessness, and remember me, and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, consecrate him for lifelong service in the

Tabernacle, to which the Levites were not pledged otherwise; and there shall no razor come upon his head, he was to be a perpetual Nazarite, Num. 6, 2 ff. V. 12. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, in a long and urgent prayer, that Eli marked her mouth, for she was evidently out in the court of the Tabernacle, not far from the altar of burnt offerings. V. 13. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart, literally, "to her heart"; she was so deeply engrossed with her trouble that she forgot her surroundings. Her face was full of expressive eagerness and emotion, but her communing with the Lord was all in her heart. Only her lips moved, in the intensity of her fervor, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli, drawing a rash and profane conclusion, thought she had been drunken, having partaken of too much wine at the sacrificial meal. V. 14. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee, namely, by sleeping off its effects in secret, where her supposed condition would offend no one. V. 15. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord; I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit, in deep trouble, this being an emphatic and indignant denial of Eli's suspicions; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, a very intoxicating beverage made of barley, dates, and honey, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Cp. Ps. 42, 5. V. 16. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, be was not to place her on a level with worthless, bad women; for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto, while Eli had observed her. V. 17. Then Eli answered and said, not only retracting his accusation, but remembering the dignity of his office, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him, not a prophecy, but a sincere wish and prayer. V. 18. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight, she showed her modesty, reverence, and humility in accepting the kind wishes of the high priest. So the woman went her way and did eat, her heart was eased, so she could partake of food, and her countenance was no more sad. The right conclusion of a prayer is a confident Amen, which testifies that we are sure of the hearing of our prayer by God in advance.

SAMUEL BORN AND BROUGHT TO SHILOH. — V. 19. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before the Lord, took part in the morning service, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife; and the Lord remembered her, for it is He alone whose gift children are in marriage. V. 20.

Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, at the end of the period of pregnancy, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel (asked of God), saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord, he was a perpetual reminder of the fact that God hears prayers, even for temporal blessings. V. 21. And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow, for apparently he also had made a promise to the Lord and now offered this in the form of a sacrifice in addition to those portions of his property which belonged to the Lord by law. Samuel may, at that time, have been two or three months old. V. 22. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, which occurred at the age of three years, then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord and there abide forever, consecrated to the Lord's service all his life. V. 23. And Elkanah, her husband, said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good, he was in entire sympathy with his wife in this matter; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish His word, fulfil it, bring it to completion, namely, so far as his destination for the Lord's service was concerned. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. V. 24. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, one for each year of the boy's life, and one ephah of flour (about 26 quarts), three-tenth deals being required for each bullock, and a bottle of wine, for a drink-offering, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh; and the child was young, having probably just turned three years. V. 25. And they slew a bullock, as a burnt offering to accompany the consecration of Samuel, and brought the child to Eli, for both parents presented him to the Lord. V. 26. And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord, the circumstance by which Eli was to remember her. V. 27. For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him; v. 28. therefore also I have lent him to the Lord, given him to the Lord in turn; as long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord, given to the Lord as one that had been granted by the Lord. And he, Elkanah, as the father of the house, worshiped the Lord there. It is pleasing to God if parents consecrate their sons for the service of the Church. But the main thing is for all men who have experienced God's love and faithfulness in their lives to place themselves in the Lord's service, both body and soul.

Hannah's Song.

CHAPTER 2.

my

The Wickedness of Eli's Sons. HANNAH'S SONG OF THANKFULNESS. — V. 1. And Hannah prayed and said, in an exaltation of spirit brought about by the Holy Ghost, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord, said of vigorous courage and consciousness of power; mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, being opened widely to praise the salvation of the Lord; because I rejoice in Thy salvation, in the merciful kindness which Jehovah had shown her. V. 2. There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none beside Thee, His holiness being the reflection of His majesty; neither is there any rock like our God, in whom the believers may always place their trust with firm confidence, Deut. 32, 4. 15. V. 3. Talk no more so exceeding proudly, these words being addressed to the godless, to the enemies of Jehovah; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth, anything which savors of impertinence against Jehovah; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, an omniscient God, and by Him actions are weighed, or, all His doing is weighed by Him, is right and true. V. 4. The bows of the mighty men are broken, all human power being helpless before Him, and they that stumbled are girded with strength, prepared for battle by virtue of their trust in Jehovah. V. 5. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, having been reduced to the most pitiful straits; and they that were hungry ceased, receiving the food which they need by the mercy of God, so that the barren hath born seven, Ps. 113,9; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble, having been bereaved of her children in her old age, Jer. 15, 9. V. 6. The Lord killeth and maketh alive, sending danger and distress, but also delivering those that trust in Him, Ps. 30, 3. 4; He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up, extricating His children from deadly sorrow, from extreme misfortune, and placing them in safety and joy. V. 7. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, for in His hands are all the treasures of the world; He bringeth low and lifteth up. V. 8. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, from the deepest dishonor and disgrace, in which one is, as it were, trodden under foot, to set them among princes, on seats of honor, such as are occupied by the nobility, and to make them inherit the throne of glory, to hold the very opposite position of that which formerly was theirs; for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, having been erected by Him and being held in place by His almighty power, and He hath set the world upon them, as the Creator and Sustainer of the world. V. 9. He will keep the feet of

His saints, to guard them from tottering and falling, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, deprived of the light of God's mercy; for by strength shall no man prevail; it is impossible for man, in his own might, to defy the storms of life. V. 10. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces, for Jehovah will destroy and annihilate those who lift up their voices to challenge Him; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them, as a warning of the nearness of His judgment; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King, to His Anointed, the future Messiah of Israel, and exalt the horn of His Anointed. The kingdom of Christ extends to the ends of the earth, which He will judge on the Last Day. Then the unbelievers, the godless, will be condemned to everlasting damnation, but the power of the Christ of God will be established throughout eternity. Thus the inspired song reached its wonderful climax. V. 11. And Elkanah, with his household, went to Ramah to his house. And the child, Samuel, did minister unto the Lord before Eli, the priest.

THE WICKED PRACTISES OF ELI'S SONS. V. 12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, worthless, profitless rascals; they knew not the Lord, they did not fear Him, they had no faith in Him. V. 13. And the priest's custom with the people was that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth, a trident, or three-pronged fork, in his hand; v. 14. and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself. That was the greedy conduct of the priests in the preparation of the sacrificial meal after the sacrifice proper had been brought. This manner of acting had already become the rule. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither, thus robbing the people and the Lord, instead of confining themselves to the wave-breast, the heave-shoulder, and certain other perquisites, Lev. 7, 28-36; Num. 18. V. 15. Also before they burned the fat, before the sacrifice proper, which included the fat, Lev. 3, 3—5, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, for they did not want boiled meat all the time; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but iaw, such as was still full of strength and juice. V. 16. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, that is, he was about to have the fat of his offering burned, according to law, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he, the priests' servant, would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now; and

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