I Samuel 7:15

Samuel's judicial labours. - With the calling of the people to Mizpeh, and the victory at Ebenezer that had been obtained through his prayer, Samuel had assumed the government of the whole nation; so that his office as judge dates from his period, although he had laboured as prophet among the people from the death of Eli, and had thereby prepared the way for the conversion of Israel to the Lord. As his prophetic labours were described in general terms in Sa1 3:19-21, so are his labours as judge in the verses before us: viz., in Sa1 3:15 their duration, - "all the days of his life," as his activity during Saul's reign and the anointing of David (1 Samuel 15-16) sufficiently prove; and then in Sa1 3:16, Sa1 3:17 their general character, - "he went round from year to year" (וסבב serves as a more precise definition of והלך, he went and travelled round) to Bethel, i.e., Beitin (see at Jos 7:2), Gilgal, and Mizpeh (see at. Sa1 3:5), and judged Israel at all these places. Which Gilgal is meant, whether the one situated in the valley of the Jordan (Jos 4:19), or the Jiljilia on the higher ground to the south-west of Shiloh (see at Jos 8:35), cannot be determined with perfect certainty. The latter is favoured partly by the order in which the three places visited by Samuel on his circuits occur, since according to this he probably went first of all from Ramah to Bethel, which was to the north-east, then farther north or north-west to Jiljilia, and then turning back went towards the south-east to Mizpeh, and returning thence to Ramah performed a complete circuit; whereas, if the Gilgal in the valley of the Jordan had been the place referred to, we should expect him to go there first of all from Ramah, and then towards the north-east to Bethel, and from that to the south-west to Mi…

In this chapter we have, I. The eclipsing of the glory of the ark, by its privacy in Kirjath-jearim for many years (Sa1 7:1, Sa1 7:2). II. The appearing of the glory of Samuel in his public services for the good of Israel, to whom he was raised up to be a judge, and he was the last that bore that character. This chapter gives us all the account we have of him when he was in the prime of his time; for what we had before was in his childhood (ch. 2 and 3); what we have of him after was in his old age (Sa1 8:1). We have him here active, 1. In the reformation of Israel from their idolatry (Sa1 7:3, Sa1 7:4). 2. In the reviving of religion among them (Sa1 7:5, Sa1 7:6). 3. In praying for them against the invading Philistines (Sa1 7:7-9), over whom God, in answer to his prayer, gave them a glorious victory (Sa1 7:10, Sa1 7:11). 4. In erecting a thankful memorial of that victory (Sa1 7:12). 5. In the improvement of that victory (Sa1 7:13, Sa1 7:14). 6. In the administration of justice (Sa1 7:15-17). And these were the things for which God was preparing the designing him, in the early vouchsafements of his grace to him.

7:15 judge for the rest of his life: Once Saul became king (ch 10), Samuel’s role was more judicial than military.