Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 7:17

"And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar unto Jehovah." — 1 Samuel 7:17 (ASV)

Raman. —The same Ramah “of the Watchers” where Elkanah and Hannah had dwelt. After the destruction of Shiloh, Samuel seems to have fixed his abode in his father’s city.

And there he built an altar. —Thus following the old custom of the patriarchs. It must be remembered that at this period there was no national sanctuary, no formal seat of worship, where the high priest and his attendant priests and Levites served. The Ark, we know, was in safe keeping in the “city of woods,” Kirjath-jearim, but it was in private custody; and we hear of no priests and Levites, of no ritual or religious observances, in connection with the long sojourn of the holy Ark in that place. It is probable that the sacred vessels and furniture had been saved from the destruction of Shiloh by Samuel. These were, very likely, in the prophet-judge’s safe keeping at Ramah.