Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 7:1

"And the men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah." — 1 Samuel 7:1 (ASV)

The ark of the Lord. —Kirjath-jearim, the home of the Ark for nearly fifty years, was probably selected as the resting-place for the sacred emblem because it was the nearest large city to Beth-shemesh then in the hands of the Israelites. It was neither a priestly nor a Levitical city, but it undoubtedly had preserved something of its ancient character of sanctity, even among the children of Israel. In earlier times, before the Hebrew invasion, it was a notable “high place” and a seat of Baal worship. This was also undoubtedly taken into account when it was decided to locate the Ark there. The words “in the hill” remind us that the old “high place” was still marked and, due to its sacred associations, was regarded as a fitting temporary resting-place for the sacred treasure of Israel.

Eleazar —It is most likely that this Abinadab was a Levite. The names Eleazar, Uzzah, and Ahio of the same family (2 Samuel 6:3) are Levitical names. Samuel—who, though not named in this transaction, was undoubtedly the director—would, of course, have endeavored to find a man of the tribe of Levi for the sacred trust. “This Eleazar was appointed not as a priest, but as a watchman at the grave of the Ark, by its corpse, until its future joyful resurrection.” —Hengstenberg, quoted in Lange. Here the Ark remained until King David brought it from “the house on the hill,” in the city of woods, first to the home of Obed-edom, and then to his own royal Zion (2 Samuel 6).