1 Samuel 25:1

“And Samuel died, etc.] In the interval, when Saul and David were parted, and before they saw each other again; according to the Jewish chronology f483, Samuel died four months before Saul; but other Jewish writers say f484 he died seven months before; Abarbinel thinks it was a year or two before; which is most likely and indeed certain, since David was in the country of the Philistines after this a full year and four months, if the true sense of the phrase is expressed in (<092707>1 Samuel 27:7); and Saul was not then dead; and so another Jewish chronologer f485 says, that Saul died two years after Samuel, to which agrees Clemens of Alexandria f486; and according to the Jews f487, he died…”

“SAMUEL DIES. (Sa1 25:1-9) Samuel died--After a long life of piety and public usefulness, he left behind him a reputation which ranks him among the greatest of Scripture worthies. buried him in his house at Ramah--that is, his own mausoleum. The Hebrews took as great care to provide sepulchers anciently as people do in the East still, where every respectable family has its own house of the dead. Often this is in a little detached garden, containing a small stone building (where there is no rock), resembling a house, which is called the sepulcher of the family--it has neither door nor window. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran--This removal had probably no connection with…”

“In his house at Ramah - Probably in the court or garden attached to his dwelling-house. (Compare 2 Chronicles 33:20; 2 Kings 21:18; John 19:41.) The wilderness of Paran - The Septuagint has the far more probable reading “Maon.” The wilderness of Paran lay far off to the south, on the borders of the wilderness of Sinai Num 10:12; 1 Kings 11:18, whereas the following verse 1 Samuel 25:2 shows that the scene is laid in the immediate neighborhood of Maon. If, however, Paran be the true reading, we must suppose that in a wide sense the wilderness of Paran extended all the way to the wilderness of Beersheba, and eastward to the mountains of Judah (marginal references). return to 'Top of Page'”

“Lamented him - Those have hard hearts, that can bury their faithful ministers with dry eyes, and are not sensible of the loss of them who have prayed for them, and taught them the way of the Lord. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 25:2”

“25:1-44 This episode about Nabal falls between two accounts in which Saul pursued David and David spared Saul’s life. Nabal was similar to Saul. 25:1 Maon: This town in southern Judah (see study note on 23:24) was likely Nabal’s home. The wilderness of Paran, located in the northern half of the Sinai Peninsula, was too far south. The wilderness of Paran served as a place of refuge (Gen 21:21; 1 Kgs 11:18).”

“am 2944, bc 1060, An, Ex, Is 431 Samuel: Sa1 28:3 lamented: Gen 50:11; Num 20:29; Deu 34:8; Act 8:2 in his house: Sa1 7:17; Kg1 2:34; Ch2 33:20; Isa 14:18 the wilderness: Gen 14:6, Gen 21:21; Num 10:12, Num 12:16, Num 13:3, Num 13:26; Psa 120:5 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 25:2”

“The death of Samuel is inserted here, because it occurred at that time. The fact that all Israel assembled together to his burial, and lamented him, i.e., mourned for him, was a sign that his labours as a prophet were recognised by the whole nation as a blessing for Israel. Since the days of Moses and Joshua, no man had arisen to whom the covenant nation owed so much as to Samuel, who has been justly called the reformer and restorer of the theocracy. They buried him "in his house at Ramah." The expression "his house" does not mean his burial-place or family tomb, nor his native place, but the house in which he lived, with the court belonging to it, where Samuel was placed in a tomb erected…”