Study Desk

But they arose early the next morning, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Thus the men of Ashdod saw that it was so and said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god."

So they said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not turned away from you."

So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that bring the land to ruin, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will ease His hand from you, your gods, and your land.

See, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that smote us; it happened to us by chance."

And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and brought the ark of Yahweh up and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill and set apart Eleazar his son as holy in order to keep the ark of Yahweh.

Thus Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

But his return would be to Ramah, for his house was there, and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to Yahweh.

And it happened when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.

The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.

But his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after greedy gain and took bribes and caused justice to turn aside.

And he said, "This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.

And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.

He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

He will also take your male slaves and your female slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

Now he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take now with you one of the young men, and arise, go search for the donkeys."