But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
The ark of the covenant of the Lord ... departed not out of the camp. The shrines of the pagan deities were, among idolatrous people, carried in the van of their armies. In like manner, the ark of God, though it had no image in it, was carried on the shoulders of the priests during the exodus (Joshua 3:14), and also in their early battles. The occasion referred to, therefore, was exceptional. But the practice was discontinued after the settlement in Canaan (1 Samuel 4:7). The entreaties of their prudent and pious leaders, who represented to them that their enemies, scaling the other side of the valley, would post themselves on the top of the hill before them, were disregarded. How strangely perverse the conduct of the Israelites, who, shortly before, were afraid that, though their Almighty King was with them, they could not get possession of the land; and yet now they act still more foolishly in supposing that, though God were not with them, they could expel the inhabitants by their unaided efforts! The consequences were such as might have been anticipated. The Amalekites and Canaanites, who had been lying in ambuscade expecting their movement, rushed down upon them from the heights, and became the instruments of punishing their guilty rebellion.