“And the men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and
brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son
to keep the ark of the LORD.”
The previous chapter ended on a sour note, this even after the Philistines parted with God’s
ark, escorting it out from their midst. Eventually a cow-driven wagon, ark in tow, settled in
Beth-shemesh. In the earlier essay, Abravanel unpacks the misdeeds of that town’s residents, a
miscellany of misconduct that caused the Creator to claim the lives of seventy people.
Seemingly, at root was Jewish behavior aping that of the Philistines. Recall, the Philistines
played ping pong, so to speak, with the holy ark, pawning it off from city to city. Consequently,
Abravanel notes, the people of Beth-shemesh were punished for copying the Philistines (but on
a lower scale).
A study in contrast, the people of Kirath-jearim opened their arms wide to God’s ark,
respectfully housing it, without a farthing of fear for heavenly reprisal. “And the men of Kiriath-
jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in
the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.”
The safekeeping arrangement for God’s ark proved to be an enduring one. “And it came to
pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was
twenty years; and all the House of Israel yearned after the LORD.” Abravanel probes the nature
and the timing of the Hebrews’ religious pining, as we shall now discuss.
In fact, Abravanel surmises, Jewish remorse and repentance were slow in coming. Very slow.
“And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long.”
Years elapsed before stone hearts softened and sullied souls stirred. “For it was twenty years.”
To the nation’s discredit, the wonders that God wrought on behalf of His ark in the Philistine
cities and the wrath with which He rocked the residents of Beth-shemesh hardly raised an
eyebrow in the peoples’ collective conscience.
Hence, Abravanel concludes that for twenty long years, all the while when God’s ark dwelled in
Kiriath-jearim, contrition had not been aroused. However, after twenty years, the nation
awoke. Specifically, they felt badly for having abandoned their Creator and for having pledged
allegiance to idolatry. “And all the House of Israel yearned after the LORD. And Samuel spoke
unto all the House of Israel, saying: If you do return unto the LORD with all your heart, then put
away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto the
LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
As momentum gained, Samuel determined a need to capitalize, per se, on the Hebrews’ good
intentions and positive change of heart. The prophet sought an inspirational venue for a mass,
religious convocation. “And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto
the LORD.” Indeed, the grand assembly in Mizpah turned out to be a watershed moment in
Jewish history. “Then the Children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and
served the LORD only.”
Why did Samuel choose Mizpah, Abravanel questions? Moreover, why did the prophet extend a
promise, that God “will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines?” To answer the last
question first, Abravanel learns that Samuel needed to disabuse the Hebrews of a baseless fear.
Namely, the Hebrews heard that even though the Philistines did the right thing by returning
God’s ark, it didn’t mean that the Maker held the Philistines in great esteem He didn’t. And He
certainly did not “owe” them anything. To the contrary, by the Holy Nation stepping up and
cleaving to the One Above, He would “deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Let’s circle back to Samuel’s choice of Mizpah. In fact, Abravanel learns, the place had been a
holy haunt for centuries. Consider, Joshua placed an altar there and offered fervent prayer, in
hopes of currying the Creator’s help in defeating the Canaanite kings. From that time forward,
Mizpah attracted Jews who would tap into the place’s sanctity, for it had become a repository
for the tears the Jews had shed – and a fount of hope and faith.