Antiquities Book 6, Chapter 2
The Expedition Of The Philistines Against The Hebrews And The Hebrews' Victory Under The Conduct Of Samuel The Prophet, Who Was Their General.
1. Now while the city of Kirjathjearim had the ark with them, the whole
body of the people betook themselves all that time to offer prayers and
sacrifices to God, and appeared greatly concerned and zealous about his
worship. So Samuel the prophet, seeing how ready they were to do their
duty, thought this a proper time to speak to them, while they were in
this good disposition, about the recovery of their liberty, and of the
blessings that accompanied the same. Accordingly he used such words to
them as he thought were most likely to excite that inclination, and to
persuade them to attempt it: "O you Israelites," said he, "to whom the
Philistines are still grievous enemies, but to whom God begins to be
gracious, it behooves you not only to be desirous of liberty, but to
take the proper methods to obtain it. Nor are you to be contented with
an inclination to get clear of your lords and masters, while you still
do what will procure your continuance under them. Be righteous then, and
cast wickedness out of your souls, and by your worship supplicate the
Divine Majesty with all your hearts, and persevere in the honor you pay
to him; for if you act thus, you will enjoy prosperity; you will be
freed from your slavery, and will get the victory over your enemies:
which blessings it is not possible you should attain, either by weapons
of war, or by the strength of your bodies, or by the multitude of your
assistants; for God has not promised to grant these blessings by those
means, but by being good and righteous men; and if you will be such, I
will be security to you for the performance of God's promises." When
Samuel had said thus, the multitude applauded his discourse, and were
pleased with his exhortation to them, and gave their consent to resign
themselves up to do what was pleasing to God. So Samuel gathered them
together to a certain city called Mizpeh, which, in the Hebrew tongue,
signifies a watch-tower; there they drew water, and poured it out to
God, and fasted all day, and betook themselves to their prayers.
2. This their assembly did not escape the notice of the Philistines: so
when they had learned that so large a company had met together, they
fell upon the Hebrews with a great army and mighty forces, as hoping to
assault them when they did not expect it, nor were prepared for it. This
thing affrighted the Hebrews, and put them into disorder and terror; so
they came running to Samuel, and said that their souls were sunk by
their fears, and by the former defeat they had received, and "that
thence it was that we lay still, lest we should excite the power of our
enemies against us. Now while thou hast brought us hither to offer up
our prayers and sacrifices, and take oaths [to be obedient], our enemies
are making an expedition against us, while we are naked and unarmed;
wherefore we have no other hope of deliverance but that by thy means,
and by the assistance God shall afford us upon thy prayers to him, we
shall obtain deliverance from the Philistines." Hereupon Samuel bade
them be of good cheer, and promised them that God would assist them; and
taking a sucking lamb, he sacrificed it for the multitude, and besought
God to hold his protecting hand over them when they should fight with
the Philistines, and not to overlook them, nor suffer them to come under
a second misfortune. Accordingly God hearkened to his prayers, and
accepting their sacrifice with a gracious intention, and such as was
disposed to assist them, he granted them victory and power over their
enemies. Now while the altar had the sacrifice of God upon it, and had
not yet consumed it wholly by its sacred fire, the enemy's army marched
out of their camp, and was put in order of battle, and this in hope that
they should be conquerors, since the Jews 5 were caught in distressed
circumstances, as neither having their weapons with them, nor being
assembled there in order to fight. But things so fell out, that they
would hardly have been credited though they had been foretold by
anybody: for, in the first place, God disturbed their enemies with an
earthquake, and moved the ground under them to such a degree, that he
caused it to tremble, and made them to shake, insomuch that by its
trembling, he made some unable to keep their feet, and made them fall
down, and by opening its chasms, he caused that others should be hurried
down into them; after which he caused such a noise of thunder to come
among them, and made fiery lightning shine so terribly round about them,
that it was ready to burn their faces; and he so suddenly shook their
weapons out of their hands, that he made them fly and return home naked.
So Samuel with the multitude pursued them to Bethcar, a place so called;
and there he set up a stone as a boundary of their victory and their
enemies' flight, and called it the Stone of Power, as a signal of that
power God had given them against their enemies.
3. So the Philistines, after this stroke, made no more expeditions
against the Israelites, but lay still out of fear, and out of
remembrance of what had befallen them; and what courage the Philistines
had formerly against the Hebrews, that, after this victory, was
transferred to the Hebrews. Samuel also made an expedition against the
Philistines, and slew many of them, and entirely humbled their proud
hearts, and took from them that country, which, when they were formerly
conquerors in battle, they had cut off from the Jews, which was the
country that extended from the borders of Gath to the city of Ekron: but
the remains of the Canaanites were at this time in friendship with the
Israelites.
body of the people betook themselves all that time to offer prayers and
sacrifices to God, and appeared greatly concerned and zealous about his
worship. So Samuel the prophet, seeing how ready they were to do their
duty, thought this a proper time to speak to them, while they were in
this good disposition, about the recovery of their liberty, and of the
blessings that accompanied the same. Accordingly he used such words to
them as he thought were most likely to excite that inclination, and to
persuade them to attempt it: "O you Israelites," said he, "to whom the
Philistines are still grievous enemies, but to whom God begins to be
gracious, it behooves you not only to be desirous of liberty, but to
take the proper methods to obtain it. Nor are you to be contented with
an inclination to get clear of your lords and masters, while you still
do what will procure your continuance under them. Be righteous then, and
cast wickedness out of your souls, and by your worship supplicate the
Divine Majesty with all your hearts, and persevere in the honor you pay
to him; for if you act thus, you will enjoy prosperity; you will be
freed from your slavery, and will get the victory over your enemies:
which blessings it is not possible you should attain, either by weapons
of war, or by the strength of your bodies, or by the multitude of your
assistants; for God has not promised to grant these blessings by those
means, but by being good and righteous men; and if you will be such, I
will be security to you for the performance of God's promises." When
Samuel had said thus, the multitude applauded his discourse, and were
pleased with his exhortation to them, and gave their consent to resign
themselves up to do what was pleasing to God. So Samuel gathered them
together to a certain city called Mizpeh, which, in the Hebrew tongue,
signifies a watch-tower; there they drew water, and poured it out to
God, and fasted all day, and betook themselves to their prayers.
2. This their assembly did not escape the notice of the Philistines: so
when they had learned that so large a company had met together, they
fell upon the Hebrews with a great army and mighty forces, as hoping to
assault them when they did not expect it, nor were prepared for it. This
thing affrighted the Hebrews, and put them into disorder and terror; so
they came running to Samuel, and said that their souls were sunk by
their fears, and by the former defeat they had received, and "that
thence it was that we lay still, lest we should excite the power of our
enemies against us. Now while thou hast brought us hither to offer up
our prayers and sacrifices, and take oaths [to be obedient], our enemies
are making an expedition against us, while we are naked and unarmed;
wherefore we have no other hope of deliverance but that by thy means,
and by the assistance God shall afford us upon thy prayers to him, we
shall obtain deliverance from the Philistines." Hereupon Samuel bade
them be of good cheer, and promised them that God would assist them; and
taking a sucking lamb, he sacrificed it for the multitude, and besought
God to hold his protecting hand over them when they should fight with
the Philistines, and not to overlook them, nor suffer them to come under
a second misfortune. Accordingly God hearkened to his prayers, and
accepting their sacrifice with a gracious intention, and such as was
disposed to assist them, he granted them victory and power over their
enemies. Now while the altar had the sacrifice of God upon it, and had
not yet consumed it wholly by its sacred fire, the enemy's army marched
out of their camp, and was put in order of battle, and this in hope that
they should be conquerors, since the Jews 5 were caught in distressed
circumstances, as neither having their weapons with them, nor being
assembled there in order to fight. But things so fell out, that they
would hardly have been credited though they had been foretold by
anybody: for, in the first place, God disturbed their enemies with an
earthquake, and moved the ground under them to such a degree, that he
caused it to tremble, and made them to shake, insomuch that by its
trembling, he made some unable to keep their feet, and made them fall
down, and by opening its chasms, he caused that others should be hurried
down into them; after which he caused such a noise of thunder to come
among them, and made fiery lightning shine so terribly round about them,
that it was ready to burn their faces; and he so suddenly shook their
weapons out of their hands, that he made them fly and return home naked.
So Samuel with the multitude pursued them to Bethcar, a place so called;
and there he set up a stone as a boundary of their victory and their
enemies' flight, and called it the Stone of Power, as a signal of that
power God had given them against their enemies.
3. So the Philistines, after this stroke, made no more expeditions
against the Israelites, but lay still out of fear, and out of
remembrance of what had befallen them; and what courage the Philistines
had formerly against the Hebrews, that, after this victory, was
transferred to the Hebrews. Samuel also made an expedition against the
Philistines, and slew many of them, and entirely humbled their proud
hearts, and took from them that country, which, when they were formerly
conquerors in battle, they had cut off from the Jews, which was the
country that extended from the borders of Gath to the city of Ekron: but
the remains of the Canaanites were at this time in friendship with the
Israelites.