“And the ark of the LORD was in the cities of the Philistines seven months.”
Samuel 6 concludes a lengthy episode that revolves around the capture of the holy ark by the
Philistines. It features the human toll paid for having misappropriated and displaced the
Hebrew’s holiest vessel. Now in this chapter comes the denouement, a strange one at that.
After getting clobbered by the Maker, Philistines returned His ark. History records that “the ark
of the LORD was in the cities of the Philistines seven months.” Before Abravanel details the
Philistine’s deliberations which ultimately led to the ark’s return home to Israel, he begins by
citing an ancient rabbinic source that zeroes in on the ark’s seven-month sojourn on foreign
turf. Specifically, why, the rabbis ponder, had the ark been M.I.A., if you will, for that particular
duration of time – “seven months”? What can be learned from that detail?
In order to understand why the ark experienced the shame of being captured and paraded
around Philistine-controlled territory (and before being placed next to Dagon, the Philistine
god), we need to step back in Jewish history, the rabbis urge. They go back in time to Abraham,
the first patriarch. Recall, Abraham had spent time in Philistine lands, hosted by King Abimelech
of Gerar (Genesis 20). There, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the couple’s miracle child.
Soon thereafter, the king and his general, eager to sign a peace accord with Abraham, called on
him. “And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke
unto Abraham, saying: God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear unto me here by
God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son; but
according to the kindness that I have done unto you, you shall do unto me, and to the land
wherein you have sojourned.” Abravanel takes a close look at the emerging detente.
King Abimelech sought to secure a multi-generational peace treaty (“my son…my son’s son”)
with the budding Hebrew nation; however, Abraham demurred. “And Abraham said: I will
swear.” Abravanel learns that the patriarch would not bind future generations. Instead,
“Abraham said: I will swear.” Abravanel learns that it would only be a personal commitment
binding Abraham – not his descendants. Even that narrow or limited deal rankled the Creator,
say the sages: “And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.”
Because Abraham entered into the arrangement with King Abimelech, trouble brewed as the
Creator bristled: You gave the king seven ewe-lambs, Abimelech’s Philistine descendants will
slay seven of your line – Samson, Hophni, Phineas, Saul and his three sons. Another opinion
states that God’s anger erupted, destroying the Hebrew’s seven divine houses or Tabernacles:
the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Shiloh, Nov, Givon, the first holy Temple, and the second holy
Temple. Finally, a third fiasco targeted God’s ark; it would be taken “prison of war”, brought to
“the cities of the Philistines seven months.”