1 Samuel 7:16

16 Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.

1 Samuel 7:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 7:16

And he went from year to year in circuit
As judges do; or "from the year in the year" ^F18 from the time of the year in the year, as the Targum, from the middle of it, that is, every half year; and so Josephus says ^F19, that he went twice a year in circuit: and the places he went to, and where he held his courts of judicature, were

Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh;
by Bethel is not meant Shiloh, as Abarbinel, for that was now destroyed; nor Kirjathjearim, where the ark was, for it would have been called by its name; but the same Bethel that was near to Ai, and not far from Shiloh, and was in the tribe of Benjamin, as all those places were. Gilgal was where the tabernacle, ark, and camp of Israel were first pitched, when they came over Jordan, and Mizpeh where the people used to be assembled on occasion, see ( 1 Samuel 7:5 1 Samuel 7:6 ) ,

and judged Israel in all those places;
who came from all parts hither with their causes, and for advice and counsel in all cases, at the returning periods.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (hnvb hnv ydm) "ex anno in anno".
F19 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 3. sect. 1.

1 Samuel 7:16 In-Context

14 The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.

15 Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life.

16 Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.

17 Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the LORD at Ramah.