The Meaning of 1 Samuel 7:3 Explained

1 Samuel 7:3

KJV: And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

YLT: And Samuel speaketh unto all the house of Israel, saying, 'If with all your heart ye are turning back unto Jehovah -- turn aside the gods of the stranger from your midst, and Ashtaroth; and prepare your heart unto Jehovah, and serve Him only, and He doth deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'

Darby: And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye return to Jehovah with all your heart, put away the strange gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and apply your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

ASV: And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samuel  spake  unto all the house  of Israel,  saying,  If ye do return  unto the LORD  with all your hearts,  [then] put away  the strange  gods  and Ashtaroth  from among  you, and prepare  your hearts  unto the LORD,  and serve  him only: and he will deliver  you out of the hand  of the Philistines. 

What does 1 Samuel 7:3 Mean?

Study Notes

Ashtaroth
.
Ashtaroth, plural of Ashtoreth 1 Kings 11:5 were figures of Ashtoreth the Phoenician goddess (the Astarte of the Greeks), which were worshipped as idols during times of spiritual declension in Israel.; Judges 10:6 ; 1 Samuel 7:3 ; 1 Samuel 7:4 ; 1 Samuel 12:10 ; 1 Samuel 31:10 ; 1 Kings 11:5 ; 1 Kings 11:33 ; 2 Kings 23:13 . Jeremiah refers Jeremiah 44:18 ; Jeremiah 44:19 to Ashtoreth as the "queen of heaven."

Context Summary

1 Samuel 7:1-4 - Rashness Punished Reverence Blessed
The new cart, with its precious burden, must have come upon the men of Beth-shemesh like an apparition. The Ark was welcomed by them, after its seven months of absence, with great joy. But privilege entails responsibility; and their wanton curiosity and irreverence could not be permitted. Reverence for God Himself demanded the most careful behavior toward the Ark of His Presence, and when this was lacking, swift judgment ensued. See Numbers 1:50-51; Numbers 4:5; Numbers 4:16-30.
It is interesting to notice that when the Israelites were weaned from the Ark, their hearts lamented after the Lord, 1 Samuel 7:2. We cannot be permanently happy without God. Seasons of apathy and irreligion will sooner or later be succeeded by faith and love, as the frost of winter yields to the touch of spring. In this case, the revival was due to the patient labor of Samuel, and he did splendid service in urging the people to deal drastically with the idols of Canaan, which had cut them off from God as clouds hide the sun. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 7:3 mean?

And spoke Samuel to all the house of Israel saying if with all your heart you return Yahweh [then] put away - gods the foreign from among you and the Ashtoreths and prepare your hearts for Yahweh and serve Him only and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֶל־ כָּל־ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִם־ בְּכָל־ לְבַבְכֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם שָׁבִים֙ יְהוָ֔ה הָסִ֜ירוּ אֶת־ אֱלֹהֵ֧י הַנֵּכָ֛ר מִתּוֹכְכֶ֖ם וְהָעַשְׁתָּר֑וֹת וְהָכִ֨ינוּ לְבַבְכֶ֤ם אֶל־ יְהוָה֙ וְעִבְדֻ֣הוּ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְיַצֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיַּ֥ד פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹר֒  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לְבַבְכֶ֗ם  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
שָׁבִים֙  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָסִ֜ירוּ  [then]  put  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵ֧י  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַנֵּכָ֛ר  the  foreign 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵכָר  
Sense: foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign.
מִתּוֹכְכֶ֖ם  from  among  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
וְהָעַשְׁתָּר֑וֹת  and  the  Ashtoreths 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַשְׁתָּרֹת  
Sense: false goddesses in the Canaanite religion, usually related to fertility cult.
וְהָכִ֨ינוּ  and  prepare 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.
לְבַבְכֶ֤ם  your  hearts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְעִבְדֻ֣הוּ  and  serve  Him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
לְבַדּ֔וֹ  only 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
וְיַצֵּ֥ל  and  He  will  deliver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
מִיַּ֥ד  from  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.