Psalms 78:60

78:56-72 After the Israelites were settled in Canaan, the children were like their fathers. God gave them his testimonies, but they turned back. Presumptuous sins render even Israelites hateful to God's holiness, and exposed to his justice. Those whom the Lord forsakes become an easy prey to the destroyer. And sooner or later, God will disgrace his enemies. He set a good government over his people; a monarch after his own heart. With good reason does the psalmist make this finishing, crowning instance of God's favour to Israel; for David was a type of Christ, the great and good Shepherd, who was humbled first, and then exalted; and of whom it was foretold, that he should be filled with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. On the uprightness of his heart, and the skilfulness of his hands, all his subjects may rely; and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Every trial of human nature hitherto, confirms the testimony of Scripture, that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, and nothing but being created anew by the Holy Ghost can cure the ungodliness of any.

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh.... The tabernacle which Moses built in the wilderness by the command of the Lord, and according to the pattern showed him; and which, when the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, was set up in Shiloh; see Joshua 18:1 , and here it was in the times of Eli and Samuel, which are here referred to: the tent which he placed among men; it was as a tent moveable from place to place, and was to continue at longest but for a while, as the whole tabernacle worship and service was to do; here the divine Majesty dwelt, and among men, vile, sinful, wicked, and ungrateful men; which was a wonderful instance of his condescension and goodness, 1 Kings 8:27, but when their iniquities grew to such a degree as were intolerable, he forsook it and removed it elsewhere; see Jeremiah 7:12, rather the words may be rendered, "the tent", or "tabernacle, which he had fixed in Adam"; as they are by Doctor Lightfoot (q); that is, in the city Adam, which was in the centre of the parting of the waters of Jordan, and where was the station of the tabernacle and ark of the covenant, when Israel entered into them, and passed through them; which is mentioned as a wonderful circumstance, both with respect to the tabernacle and to the people of Israel. (q) See his Works, vol. 2. p. 82.

Psalm 78:60-61 . So he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh — The tabernacle which then was placed in Shiloh, from whence, as the Israelites fetched the ark, so God withdrew himself. This relates to that part of the Jewish history which is recorded 1 Samuel 4. For upon the Israelites sending for the ark of God, from the tabernacle in which it was deposited in Shiloh, God suffered the Philistines to smite them, and to take the ark. And so true it is, that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, that he never returned to it again. The tent which he placed among men — Whereby he insinuates both God’s wonderful condescension and favour to such worthless and wretched creatures; and their stupendous folly and wickedness, in despising and sinning away so glorious a privilege. And delivered his strength — Namely, the ark, called God’s strength, ( 1 Chronicles 16:11 ,) and the ark of his strength, ( Psalm 132:8 ,) because it was the sign and pledge of his strength and power exerted in behalf of his people; and his glory — So the ark is called, as being the monument and seat of God’s glorious presence, and an instrument of his glorious works; into the enemy’s — Namely, the Philistines’ hand, or power.

Verse 60. - So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh. The "tabernacle of the congregation" was first set up under Joshua ( Joshua 18 .) at Shiloh, a city of Ephraim, and here the national sanctuary continued throughout the period of the Judges ( Judges 18:31 ; Judges 21:19 ; 1 Samuel 1:3, 24 ; 1 Samuel 2:14 ; 1 Samuel 3:21 ; 1 Samuel 4:4 , etc.). God was regarded as having "forsaken" this sanctuary, when he allowed the ark of the covenant, its chief treasure, to be taken ( 1 Samuel 4:11-22 ). Subsequently, but at what exact time is unknown, the tabernacle was removed from Shiloh to Nob ( 1 Samuel 21:1 ), and later on to Gibson ( 1 Kings 3:4 ). The tent which he pitched among men . (On the form and materials of the tabernacle, see Exodus 26:1-37 , and compare Mr. Fergusson's article on the subject in Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' vol. 3. pp. 1451-1455.) Psalm 78:60

The tabernacle of Shiloh; which then was placed in Shiloh, from whence, as the Israelites fetched the ark, so God withdrew himself. Which he placed among men; whereby he insinuates both God’s wonderful condescension and favour to such worthless and wretched creatures, and their stupendous folly and wickedness in despising and sinning away so glorious a privilege.

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh - The tabernacle or tent which had been erected at Shiloh. He forsook that as a place where he was to be worshipped; that is, he caused his tabernacle, or his place of worship, to be erected in another place, to wit, on Mount Zion. See Psalm 78:68 . The name Shiloh means properly a place of rest, and seems to have been given to this place as such a place, or as a place where the ark might abide after its migrations. Shiloh was a city within the limits of the tribe of Ephraim, on a mountain north of Bethel. Here the ark of God remained for many years after it came into the promised land. Joshua 18:1 ; Judges 18:31 ; Judges 21:12 , Judges 21:19 ; 1 Samuel 1:3 , 1 Samuel 1:24 ; 1 Samuel 2:14 ; 1 Samuel 4:3-4 . The ark, after it was taken by the Philistines, was never returned to Shiloh, but was deposited successively at Nob 1 Samuel 21:1-6 , and at Gibeon 1 Kings 3:4 , until David pitched a tabernacle for it on Mount Zion 1 Chronicles 15:1 . The meaning here is, that in consequence of the sins of the people, the place of worship was finally and forever removed from the tribe of Ephraim, within whose limits Shiloh was, to the tribe of Judah, and to Mount Zion. The tent which he placed among men - It was the place which he selected as his abode on earth.

The rejection of Shiloh and of the people worshipping there, but later on, when the God of Israel is again overwhelmed by compassion, the election of Judah, and of Mount Zion, and of David, the king after His own heart. In the time of the Judges the Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh ( Joshua 18:1 ); there, consequently, was the central sanctuary of the whole people, - in the time of Eli and Samuel, as follows from 1 Samuel 1:1 , it had become a fixed temple building. When this building was destroyed is not known; according to Judges 18:30 ., cf. Jeremiah 7:12-15 , it was probably not until the Assyrian period. The rejection of Shiloh, however, preceded the destruction, and practically took place simultaneously with the removal of the central sanctuary to Zion; and was, moreover, even previously decided by the fact that the Ark of the covenant, when given up again by the Philistines, was not brought back to Shiloh, but set down in Kirjath Jearm ( 1 Samuel 7:2 ). The attributive clause שׁכּן בּאדם uses שׁכּן as השׁכּין is used in Joshua 18:1 . The pointing is correct, for the words to not suffice to signify "where He dwelleth among men" (Hitzig); consequently שׁכּן is the causative of the Kal, Leviticus 16:16 ; Joshua 22:19 . In Psalm 78:61 the Ark of the covenant is called the might and glory of God (ארון עזּו, Psalm 132:8 , cf. כבוד, 1 Samuel 4:21 .), as being the place of their presence in Israel and the medium of their revelation.

Nevertheless, in the battle with the Philistines between Eben-ezer and Aphek, Jahve gave the Ark, which they had fetched out of Shiloh, into the hands of the foe in order to visit on the high-priesthood of the sons of Ithamar the desecration of His ordinances, and there fell in that battle 30,000 footmen, and among them the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests ( 1 Samuel 4 ). The fire in Psalm 78:63 is the fire of war, as in Numbers 21:28 , and frequently. The incident mentioned in 1 Samuel 6:19 is reasonably (vid., Keil) left out of consideration. By לא הוּלּלוּ (lxx erroneously, οὐκ ἐπένθησαν equals הוללוּ equals הילילוּ) are meant the marriage-songs (cf. Talmudic הלּוּלא, the nuptial tent, and בּית הלוּלים the marriage-house). "Its widows (of the people, in fact, of the slain) weep not" (word for word as in Job 27:15 ) is meant of the celebration of the customary ceremony of mourning ( Genesis 23:2 ): they survive their husbands (which, with the exception of such a case as that recorded in 1 Samuel 14:19-22 , is presupposed), but without being able to show them the last signs of honour, because the terrors of the war ( Jeremiah 15:8 ) prevent them. With Psalm 78:65 the song takes a new turn. After the punitive judgment has sifted and purified Israel, God receives His people to Himself afresh, but in such a manner that He transfers the precedence of Ephraim to the tribe of Judah. He awakes as it were from a long sleep (Psalm 44:24, cf.