1 Samuel 7:2
New International Version
The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the LORD.

New Living Translation
The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them.

English Standard Version
From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.

King James Bible
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

New King James Version
So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned after the LORD.

NASB 1995
From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

NASB 1977
And it came about from the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim that the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened from the day when the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
And from that day the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a very long time, for it was twenty years [until the reign of King David]; and all the house of Israel lamented (wailed) and grieved after the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the LORD.

American Standard Version
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 lamented after Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And it was from the day that the Ark dwelt in Quryath Narayn, and the days were many and were about twenty years, and all of the house Israel departed after LORD JEHOVAH

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass from the time that the ark was in Cariathiarim, the days were multiplied, and the time was twenty years; and all the house of Israel looked after the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
and it stayed there for 20 years. During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the LORD for help.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, that from the day the ark of the Lord abode in Cariathiarim days were multiplied, (for it was now the twentieth year,) and all the house of Israel rested following the Lord.

English Revised Version
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 lamented after the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A long time passed after the ark came to stay at Kiriath Jearim. For 20 years the entire nation of Israel mournfully sought the LORD.

Good News Translation
The Covenant Box of the LORD stayed in Kiriath Jearim a long time, some twenty years. During this time all the Israelites cried to the LORD for help.

International Standard Version
A long time passed—it was twenty years—from the time the Ark came to reside in Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel mourned because of the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, from the day of the dwelling of the Ark in Kirjath-Jearim, that the days are multiplied—indeed, they are twenty years—and all the house of Israel wails after YHWH.

Majority Standard Bible
And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.

New American Bible
From the day the ark came to rest in Kiriath-jearim, a long time, twenty years, elapsed, and the whole house of Israel turned to the LORD.

NET Bible
It was quite a long time--some twenty years in all--that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people of Israel longed for the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
It happened, from the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

World English Bible
From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, from the day of the dwelling of the ark in Kirjath-Jearim, that the days are multiplied -- yea, they are twenty years -- and wail do all the house of Israel after Jehovah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samuel Subdues the Philistines
1Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD. 2And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. 3Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”…

Cross References
Joshua 9:17
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities--Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

1 Samuel 7:1
Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab's house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.

1 Samuel 7:3
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."

1 Chronicles 13:3
Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in the days of Saul."

Jeremiah 26:20
Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass, while the ark stayed in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

lamented

Judges 2:4
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Jeremiah 3:13,22-25
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD…

Jeremiah 31:9
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Jump to Previous
Abode Ark Dwelling House Israel Jearim Kiriath Kiriath-Jearim Kir'iath-Je'arim Kirjathjearim Kirjath-Jearim Lamented Mourned Passed Searching Time Twenty Weeping Yearned
Jump to Next
Abode Ark Dwelling House Israel Jearim Kiriath Kiriath-Jearim Kir'iath-Je'arim Kirjathjearim Kirjath-Jearim Lamented Mourned Passed Searching Time Twenty Weeping Yearned
1 Samuel 7
1. They of Kiriath Jearim bring the ark to Abinadab, and sanctify Eleazar as guard
2. After twenty years,
3. the Israelites, by Samuel's means, solemnly repent at Mizpeh
7. While Samuel prays and sacrifices,
10. the Lord thwarts the Philistines by thunder at Ebenezer
13. The Philistines are subdued
15. Samuel judges Israel














(2) And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years.--Literally, And it came to pass, from the day that the Ark rested at Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years. There is something very touching in this sad note of time. We think we read Samuel's own words here. The unwearied toiler for God and His dear people found the twenty years a weary period of waiting. We must not, however, by any means suppose that the hungering of Israel after their God-Friend only began after the twenty years of sorrow were over.

It had been a stern trial time. The great victory of Aphek and the destruction of Shiloh had laid all Israel at the feet of their Philistine enemies, and they, we know, made their supremacy bitterly felt. The restoration of the Ark in no wise signified that they loosed their hold on the conquered people. This long time, when the hand of Philistia pressed so heavily on Israel, was the important period of Samuel's life. For these twenty years he must have laboured incessantly to wake up the old worship of the Eternal and the pure life loved by God among the people. The early dreams of his boy days, the hopes excited by his burning enthusiasm, were scattered to the winds.

The fatal battle of Aphek, the capture of the holy Ark, the death of his old guardian, the great high priestly judge Eli, the sack and devastation of Shiloh, the loved sanctuary, the terrible and continued oppression of Philistia, had opened the eyes of the young inspired man of God. Taught by the bitter lessons of adversity, he saw it was by no bold stroke of a few gallant patriots that the nation could be saved; all such efforts Samuel the seer, after the crushing defeat of Aphek, saw would only sink the nation into still lower depths of degradation and misery. Other and different things were needed before the lion standard of Judah could be safely unfurled, or the war-cry of Ephraim raised on her mountains. "What means he used we are not told, or what was his mode of life during those twenty years of waiting and work; but probably the life of the young prophet-judge was that of a fugitive, going stealthily from place to place that he might teach and preach, hiding in the caverns in the limestone ranges of Judaea, emerging thence to visit now one quarter of the country and now another, ever in danger, but gradually stirring up, not merely those districts which were contiguous to the Philistines, but all Israel to a sense of the greatness of their sins, and to the necessity of renewed trust in and return of old love to their God. And so a fresh spiritual life by degrees sprang up among the people, and with it came the certainty of the future restoration of their national independence."--Dean Payne Smith.

And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.--The English Version is singularly happy here. The Hebrew word Englished by "lamented after" has been variously rendered and paraphrased. The Syriac translates, "they all cast themselves down after Jehovah." Gesenius and some would translate "were assembled together;" others, "the people of Israel quieted themselves, and in quiet devotion followed Jehovah," but the English Version is best on all grounds. This "lamenting" or "hungering after the Lord" was a gradual result of Samuel's unwearied labours. The assertion of 1Samuel 3:19, that "none of his words fell to the ground," especially belongs to this period of restless activity, when dangers and apparently insurmountable difficulties hemmed him in; slowly, but surely, the heart of the people, roused by his loving but passionate appeals, returned to their Eternal Friend; sick of crime and folly, gradually they began to hate their impurity and moral degradation; by degrees they began to loathe their idolatry; and when Samuel, after his twenty years of faithful restless work among them, summoned them boldly to declare their abhorrence of the strange Philistine gods, and the life taught and lived by the Philistine peoples, the heart of all Israel responded with intense gladness to the summons.

Then the wise and patriotic statesman-prophet saw the hour of deliverance and national restoration had struck. No longer solitary hamlets and scattered families mourned after the glorious Eternal and His pure holy worship and life; but the heart of a whole people mourned after the Lord, and hungered for His presence among them once more.

Verse 2. - While the ark, etc. The literal translation of this verse is, "And it came to pass, from the day that the ark rested at Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years." The words dwell wearily upon the length of this mournful period, during which. Israel was in a state of subjection to the Philistines, with its national life crushed to the ground, and its strength wasted by unjust exactions and misrule. For though the Philistines gave up the ark, there was no restoration of the national worship, nor did they abandon the political fruits of their victory at Eben-ezer. But quietly and calmly Samuel was labouring to put all things right. It was the principle of the theocracy that Jehovah punished his subjects for their sins by withdrawing his protection, and that on their repentance he took again his place at their head as their king, and delivered them. Samuel's whole effort, therefore, was directed to bringing the people to repentance. What means he used we are not told, nor what was his mode of life; but probably it was that of a fugitive, going stealthily from place to place that he might teach and preach, hiding in the caverns in the limestone range of Judaea, emerging thence to visit now one quarter of the country and now another, ever in danger, but gradually awakening, not merely those districts which were contiguous to the Philistines, but all Israel to a sense of the greatness of their sins, and the necessity of renewed trust and love to their God. And so a fresh spiritual life sprang up among the people, and with it came the certainty of the restoration of their national independence. All the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah. The word used here is rare, and the versions all differ in their translation of it. Really it is a happy one, embracing the two ideas of sorrow for sin, and also of re. turning to and gathering themselves round Jehovah. The Syriac alone retains this double meaning, by saying that "they all cast themselves down after Jehovah," i.e. that they sought him with deep humility. Gradually, then, a change of heart came over the people; but the removal of the ark to a more fit place, and the restoration of Divine service with ministering priests and Levites, could take place only after the Philistine yoke had been broken. From 1 Samuel 13:19 22 we learn how vigilant and oppressive that tyranny was; and the heart of the writer, in inditing this verse, was full of sorrow at the thought that the repentance of Israel was so slow and unready, and that therefore it had to wait twenty years before deliverance came.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And from that day
מִיּ֞וֹם (mî·yō·wm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

a long
וַיִּרְבּוּ֙ (way·yir·bū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

time
הַיָּמִ֔ים (hay·yā·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

passed,
וַיְהִ֗י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

twenty
עֶשְׂרִ֣ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

years
שָׁנָ֑ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

in all,
וַיִּֽהְי֖וּ (way·yih·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

as the ark
הָֽאָרוֹן֙ (hā·’ā·rō·wn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

remained
שֶׁ֤בֶת (še·ḇeṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

at Kiriath-jearim.
יְעָרִ֔ים (yə·‘ā·rîm)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7157: Kiriath-jearim -- 'city of forests', a city given to Judah, then to Benjamin

And all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the house
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

mourned
וַיִּנָּה֛וּ (way·yin·nā·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5091: To groan, bewail, to assemble

and sought after
אַחֲרֵ֥י (’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT History: 1 Samuel 7:2 It happened from the day that (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 7:1
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