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1 Kings 9:12

They answered and said to them: He is: behold he is before you, make haste now: for he came today into the city, for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place.

Challoner: A sacrificeThe law did not allow of sacrifices in any other place, but at the tabernacle, or temple, in which the ark of the covenant was kept; but Samuel, by divine dispensation, offered sacrifices in other places. For which dispensation this reason may be alleged, that the house of God in Silo, having lost the ark, was now cast off; as a figure of the reprobation of the Jews, Ps. 77. 60, 67. And in Cariathiarim where the ark was, there was neither tabernacle, nor altar.-- Ibid.

Challoner: The high placeExcelsum. The excelsa, or high places, so often mentioned in scripture, were places of worship, in which were altars for sacrifice. These were sometimes employed in the service of the true God, as in the present case: but more frequently in the service of idols; and were called excelsa, which is commonly (though perhaps not so accurately) rendered high places; not because they were always upon hills, for the very worst of all, which was that of Topheth, or Geennom, (Jer. 19.) was in a valley; but because of the high altars, and pillars, or monuments, erected there, on which were set up the idols, or images of their deities.

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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine): Quæ respondentes, dixerunt illis : Hic est : ecce ante te, festina nunc : hodie enim venit in civitatem, quia sacrificium est hodie populi in excelso.
Septuagint (Swete): καὶ ἀπεκρίθη τὰ κοράσια αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτοῖς Ἔστιν, ἰδοὺ κατὰ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν· νῦν διὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἥκει εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι θυσία σήμερον τῷ λαῷ ἐν Βαμά.
Hebrew (WLC): וַתַּעֲנֶ֧ינָה אוֹתָ֛ם וַתֹּאמַ֥רְנָה יֵּ֖שׁ הִנֵּ֣ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ מַהֵ֣ר עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֤י הַיּוֹם֙ בָּ֣א לָעִ֔יר כִּ֣י זֶ֧בַח הַיּ֛וֹם לָעָ֖ם בַּבָּמָֽה

Haydock's commentary

A sacrifice. The law did not allow of sacrifices in any other place, but at the tabernacle, or temple, in which the ark of the covenant was kept; but Samuel, by divine dispensation, offered sacrifices in other places. For which dispensation this reason may be alleged, that the house of God in Silo, having lost the ark, was now cast off; as a figure of the reprobation of the Jews, Psalm lxxvii. 60, 67. And in Cariathiarim, where the ark was, there was neither tabernacle, nor altar. (Challoner)

At least that of Moses was in the tabernacle. See chap. vi. 21. (Haydock)

Samuel was just come up to the city, from a place called Naiot, where he instructed some of the prophets, chap. xix. 19. The maids point him out to Saul; and God, at the same time, reveals to his prophet, that the person who addressed him should be king. (Calmet)

The high place. Excelsum. The excelsa, or high places, so often mentioned in Scripture, were places of worship, in which were altars for sacrifice. These were sometimes employed in the service of the true God, as in the present case: but more frequently in the service of idols, and were called Excelsa, which is commonly (though perhaps not so accurately) rendered high places; not because they were always upon hills, for the very worst of all, which was that of Topheth, or Geennom, (Jeremias xix.) was in a valley; but because of the high altars, and pillars, or monuments erected there, on which were set up the idols, or images of their deities; (Challoner) so that they might be called "the high things." (Haydock)

Read on

Before Solomon built the temple, from the time that the tabernacle was deprived of the honour of having the ark, people immolated on such heights, 3 Kings iii. 2. (Menochius)

On one of these, at Ramatha, Samuel was going to offer a peace-offering, and to feast with the heads of the city, (Calmet) or perhaps of the nation, who were expecting the result of his consultation of the Lord, respecting their petition of a king. (Haydock)

Where a note speaks of the Jewish people, the Church teaches that the Passion cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).

From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.