7:1 Kirjath-jearim. Kirjath-jearim was a city belonging to Benjamin (Joshua 18:21,28), as also were Ramah and Mizpeh (note I Samuel 7:6,17). However, Eleazar was presumably qualified to be a priest and, since he and all the house of Abinadab treated the ark reverently, no harm resulted to Abinadab and his household during the years the ark remained there.

7:2 twenty years. The ark was not removed from Abinadab’s house until well after the long judgeship of Samuel, the forty-year reign of Saul, and at least eight years of David’s reign (I Samuel 7:1; Acts 13:21; II Samuel 5:5). The twenty years mentioned in this verse probably represents the time until Samuel called the people together at Mizpeh, followed by their repentance and subsequent victory over the Philistines (I Samuel 7:3-13).