Poole on 1 Samuel 7:8: Samuel's Intercession, Part 1
- Dr. Dilday
- Mar 27, 2021
- 2 min read
Verse 8:[1] And the children of Israel said to Samuel, (Is. 37:4) Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us (Heb. Be not silent from us from crying unto the LORD our God[2]), that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
[They said to Samuel, Cease not to cry, etc.] The Israelites, although stricken with fear, did not deviate from their intention; they did not despair, or seek the Ark, which is brought forth (Martyr). They, yet blushing with the awareness of their sins, were not daring to approach God, just like those in Ezra 9:6; Luke 18:13. Now, they were deferring so to the sanctity of Samuel, that they were judging that one prayer from him would be more efficacious before God, than the prayers of all others (Mendoza).
[אַל־תַּחֲרֵ֣שׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ מִזְּעֹ֖ק] Be not silent from us, from crying (Montanus) (or crying [Tigurinus Notes], or from praying [Jonathan], or that thou criest not [Septuagint]). Be not silent in crying for us (Pagnine), that is, do not leave or forsake us, that thou criest not continually to Jehovah (Vatablus). Thou shalt not be silent for us, that thou criest not (Junius and Tremellius, similarly Tigurinus). Thou shalt not cease from us. Hebrew: thou shalt not be silent. It is a Synecdoche of species (Piscator). הֶחֱרִישׁ signifies both to be silent, and to be at rest, to cease. For one that is silent ceases to speak. It appears to be derived from חֵרֵשׁ/mute (Drusius).
Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us: We are ashamed and afraid to look God in the face, because of our great wickedness this day remembered and acknowledged; do thou therefore intercede for us, as Moses did for his generation.
William Gurnall's "Christian in Complete Armour": 'The [saints] exceedingly desire prayers. The wicked, I confess, may do this also, but it is by fits—in a pang of fear or fright. Thus Pharaoh sends in all haste for Moses when the plagues of God are in his house and fields. The carnal Jews pray Samuel to pray for them that they die not; but it was when terrified with dreadful thunder and rain that fell, 1 Samuel 7:8-10. Yea, Simon Magus himself, smitten with horror at Peter's words, begs his payers, "that none of those things which he had spoken might come upon him." But at another time these wretches cared neither for the saints nor for their prayers. Pharaoh, wh…
Matthew Henry: 'Israel cleaves closely to Samuel, as their best friend, under God, in this distress; though he was no military man, nor ever celebrated as a mighty man of valour, yet, being afraid of the Philistines, for whom they thought themselves an unequal match, they engaged Samuel's prayers for them: Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, 1 Samuel 7:8. They were here unarmed, unprepared for war, come together to fast and pray, not to fight; prayers and tears therefore being all the weapons many of them are now furnished with, to these they have recourse. And, knowing Samuel to have a great interest in heaven, they earnestly beg of him to improve it fo…
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