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1 Samuel
Chapter Four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 4
This
chapter is a narrative of a war between Israel and the Philistines
in the time
of Samuel
and of the consequences of it. In the first battle
the Philistines
had the better of the Israelites
which caused the latter to inquire into the
reason of it
and who proposed to fetch the ark of the Lord
and did
to repair
their loss
and prepare for a second battle
in which they hoped to succeed
and which struck a panic into their enemies
1 Samuel 4:1
who
yet encouraged and stirred up one another to behave in a courageous manner
and
victory a second time was on their side
a great number of the Israelites were
slain
among whom were Hophni and Phinehas
the two sons of Eli
and the ark of
God was taken
1 Samuel 4:8
the
news of which being brought to Eli
he fell back and died
1 Samuel 4:12 and
to his daughter-in-law
who upon it fell into labour
and died also
1 Samuel 4:19.
1 Samuel 4:1 And the word of
Samuel came to all Israel.[a] Now Israel
went out to battle against the Philistines
and encamped beside Ebenezer; and
the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
YLT
1And the word of Samuel is
to all Israel
and Israel goeth out to meet the Philistines for battle
and
they encamp by Eben-Ezer
and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel
.... Or was
"known"
as the Targum
the word of prophecy by him
which related to
what befell Eli and his family; this was spread throughout the land
and
everyone almost had knowledge of it
and which began to be fulfilled in the war
between Israel and the Philistines
later related; or the doctrine
instructions
and exhortations of Samuel to the people of Israel
were by the
means of others conveyed throughout the land; and yet they went into measures
which proved fatal and ruinous to them; or the word of Samuel
which was from
the Lord
came to Israel
to stir them up to go to war with the Philistines
whereby the punishment threatened to Eli's family would begin to have its
accomplishment:
now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle; according to
the word of Samuel
or of the Lord by him; though Ben Gersom thinks they did
this of themselves
which was their sin
and did not ask counsel of the Lord
nor of Samuel his prophet; but it seems as if the Philistines were the
aggressors
and first came forth to war against them
and they went out to meet
themF1לקראת "in occursum"
Pagninus
Montanus.
as the word is
and defend themselves as it became them:
this was forty years after the death of Samson
and at the end of Eli's
government
who judged Israel so many years
when they had recruited
themselves
and recovered their losses they sustained by Samson; and when they
perceived a new judge was raised up among the Israelites
who was likely to be
of great service to them
and to prevent their authority over them
and
therefore thought to begin with them as soon as possible:
and pitched beside Ebenezer; a place so called by
anticipation
and had its name from an later victory obtained
when Samuel set
up a stone between Mizpeh and Shen
and called it by this name
1 Samuel 7:12
it
signifies a stone of help:
and the Philistines pitched in Aphek; a city in the
tribe of Judah
bordering on the Philistines; see Gill on Joshua 12:18.
1 Samuel 4:2 2 Then
the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they
joined battle
Israel was defeated by the Philistines
who killed about four
thousand men of the army in the field.
YLT
2and the Philistines set
themselves in array to meet Israel
and the battle spreadeth itself
and Israel
is smitten before the Philistines
and they smite among the ranks in the field
about four thousand men.
And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel
.... Prepared
for battle
and put themselves in a posture for it; formed themselves in a line
of battle
and so invited and challenged the Israelites to fight them:
and when they joined battle; engaged with each other
the Israelites doing the same
putting themselves in a proper form and posture
for fighting; or "the battle was spread"
or "spread itself"F2ותטש המלחמה "et diffusum est
praelium"
Pagninus
Montanus
Drusius. ; that is
as the Targum
they
that made war were spread; the soldiers were placed in order for battle
to the
right and left
which took up on both sides a large space; though Abarbinel understands
this in a very different sense
and takes the word to have the same
signification as in Psalm 78:60
where
it has the sense of forsaking; and so here the Israelites forsook the battle
and fled
which brought on their destruction
flight being
as the Jews sayF3Misn.
Sotah
c. 8. sect. 6.
the beginning of fall or ruin
as it follows:
Israel was smitten before the Philistines; they had the
worst of it and were beaten:
and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men; so many fell
upon the spot
in the field.
1 Samuel 4:3 3 And
when the people had come into the camp
the elders of Israel said
“Why has the
Lord defeated us
today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to
us
that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”
YLT
3And the people cometh in
unto the camp
and the elders of Israel say
`Why hath Jehovah smitten us
to-day before the Philistines? we take unto us from Shiloh the ark of the
covenant of Jehovah
and it cometh into our midst
and He doth save us out of
the hand of our enemies.'
And when the people came into the camp
.... At
Ebenezer
where they pitched their tents
and from whence they went out to
battle
and whither they returned after their defeat:
the elders of Israel said
wherefore hath the Lord smitten us
today before the Philistines? they were right in ascribing it to the
Lord
who had suffered them to be defeated by their enemies
but it is strange
they should be so insensible of the cause of it; there was a reason ready at
hand
their sins and iniquities were the cause of it
the corruption of manners
among them
their neglect of bringing their offerings to the Lord
and the
idolatry that many of them were guilty of
at least secretly
1 Samuel 2:24 to
punish them for which
they were brought into this war
and smitten in it; and
yet they wonder at it
that so it should be
that they the people of God should
be smitten before Heathens and uncircumcised Philistines; and the rather
since
they went to battle with them according to the word of the Lord by Samuel; not
considering that they went into this war without humiliation for their sins
and without praying to God for success
and that it was intended as a
correction of them for their offences against God:
let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh
unto us; in which the law was
sometimes called the covenant between God
and them; and which was a symbol of the divine Presence
for want of which they
supposed they had not the presence of God with them
and so had not success;
and the rather they were encouraged to take this step and method
because that
formerly Israel had success against their enemies when the ark was with them
Numbers 31:6 though
no doubt in this there was an overruling providence of God
by which they were
led to take such a step as this
in order to bring the two sons of Eli into the
camp
that they might be slain in one day
according to the divine prediction:
that when it cometh among us
it may save us out of the hand of
our enemies; foolishly placing their confidence in an external symbol
and
not in the Lord himself; ascribing salvation to that
which only belongs to
him
whether of a temporal or spiritual kind: and such folly and vanity are men
guilty of when they seek to
make use of
and trust in anything short of Christ
for salvation; as in carnal descent; in the rituals of the law; in the
ordinances of the Gospel; in any religious exercises
private or public; or in
any works of righteousness done by them: in Christ alone is salvation from
spiritual enemies; and indeed from the Lord only is salvation and deliverance
from temporal enemies.
1 Samuel 4:4 4 So
the people sent to Shiloh
that they might bring from there the ark of the
covenant of the Lord
of hosts
who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli
Hophni and Phinehas
were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
YLT
4And the people sendeth to
Shiloh
and they take up thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of Hosts
inhabiting the cherubs
and there [are] two sons of Eli
with the ark of the
covenant of God
Hophni and Phinehas.
So the people sent to Shiloh
.... They liked the
proposal of the elders
took their advice
and joined with them in a message to
Eli the high priest at Shiloh:
that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the
Lord of hosts
which dwelleth between the cherubim; which
overshadowed the mercy seat that was upon the ark
and was the residence of the
divine Majesty; wherefore having this with them
they concluded they should
have the presence of God with them
and so success
see Psalm 53:1.
and the two sons of Eli
Hophni and Phinehas
were there with the
ark of the covenant of God; these
either with or without the leave of
Eli
took the ark out of the tabernacle
and carried it on their shoulders to
the camp
or however attended it there
being borne by other priests or
Levites; and by this means they were brought into the camp
and so to battle
to meet their doom there; according to BuntingF4Travels of the
Patriarchs
&c. p. 123.
it was carried by them forty two miles.
1 Samuel 4:5 5 And when the ark of the
covenant of the Lord
came into the camp
all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
YLT
5And it cometh to pass
at
the coming in of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto the camp
that all
Israel shout -- a great shout -- and the earth is moved.
And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp
.... Being
brought thither by the men that carried it:
all Israel shouted with a great shout
so that the
earth rang again; this they did as now sure of victory
because of the ark
and
to give spirit and courage to each other to go forth to battle
and to strike a
panic into their enemies.
1 Samuel 4:6 6 Now when the Philistines
heard the noise of the shout
they said
“What does the sound of this
great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that
the ark of the Lord
had come into the camp.
YLT
6And the Philistines hear
the noise of the shouting
and say
`What [is] the noise of this great shout in
the camp of the Hebrews?' and they perceive that the ark of Jehovah hath come
in unto the camp.
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout
.... For it
being so loud as to make the earth ring
it was heard in the camp of the
Philistines
which might not be at any great distance from the camp of Israel;
how far from each other were Aphek and Ebenezer is not certain:
they said
what meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp
of the Hebrews? they could not conceive what should be the reason of it
seeing
they had no occasion to shout for joy
having been lately defeated; and a shout
is made generally just before a battle is begun
and the onset made
or when
victory is obtained; neither of which was the case now:
and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the
camp: this they understood by spies
which they sent to find out the
meaning of the shout; which is more probable than that they came to the
knowledge of it by deserters; seeing it is not very likely that any Israelites
would desert to the Philistines.
1 Samuel 4:7 7 So the Philistines were
afraid
for they said
“God has come into the camp!” And they said
“Woe to us!
For such a thing has never happened before.
YLT
7And the Philistines are
afraid
for they said
`God hath come in unto the camp;' and they say
`Wo to
us
for there hath not been like this heretofore.
And the Philistines were afraid
.... When the spies
returned
and reported to them the reason of the shouting:
for they said
God is come into the camp; into the camp
of Israel
because the ark represented him
and was the symbol of his presence;
and these Heathens might take the ark itself for an idol of the Israelites; the
Targum is
"the ark of God is come"
and they said
woe unto us; it is all over with us
destruction and ruin will be our case
victory will go on their side now their
God is among them:
for there hath not been such a thing heretofore; if by this
they meant that the ark had never been in the camp of Israel before
they were
mistaken; and it is no great wonder they should
being not so well acquainted
with the affairs of Israel
and their customs; or rather
it was not so
yesterday
or three days ago
when they were defeated; there was no shouting
then: or the state of the war is altered; before we fought with the men of
Israel
but now we must fight with the God of Israel also.
1 Samuel 4:8 8 Woe to us! Who will
deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who
struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
YLT
8Wo to us
who doth deliver
us out of the hand of these honourable gods? these [are] the gods who are
smiting the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.
Woe unto us
who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty
gods?.... Of whom they spoke in an ironical and sneering manner; or if
seriously and through fear
they use their own Heathenish language
as if the
Israelites had many gods
as they had
though mightier than theirs; though the
Syriac and Arabic versions read in the singular
out of the hand of God
or the
most strong God; and so the Targum
out of the hand of the Word of the Lord:
these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues
in the wilderness: the ten plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians in the land of
Egypt
and not in the wilderness; wherefore the Philistines may be supposed to
be mistaken in this circumstance; which is not to be wondered at
since many
historians who have written of the affairs of the Jews have been mistaken in
them
as Justin
Tacitus
and others; nay
even Josephus himself in some
things: but perhaps respect is had to the drowning of Pharaoh and his host in
the Red sea
which had the wilderness of Etham on both sides of it; and this
stroke was the finishing one of the plagues on the Egyptians. R. Joseph Kimchi
supposes the word for wilderness has the signification of speech
as in Song of Solomon 4:3
and that the sense of the Philistines is
that God smote the Egyptians with all
the plagues he did by his word
his orders
and commands; but now he was come
in person
and would smite them by himself; this sense Abarbinel calls a
beautiful one.
1 Samuel 4:9 9 Be strong and conduct
yourselves like men
you Philistines
that you do not become servants of the
Hebrews
as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men
and fight!”
YLT
9Strengthen yourselves
and
become men
O Philistines
lest ye do service to Hebrews
as they have done to
you -- then ye have become men
and have fought.'
Be strong
and quit yourselves like men
O ye Philistines
.... Since
this was all they had to depend upon
their manly courage; if they did not
exert that it was all over with them; and seeing their case was desperate
having gods as well as men to fight with
it became them to exert themselves to
the uttermost; which did they
there was a possibility still of gaining
victory
and so immortal honour to themselves; these words seem to be spoken by
the generals and officers of the army of the Philistines to the common
soldiers:
that ye be not servants to the Hebrews
as they have been to you; that is
before and in the times of Samson; but it appears from hence that at this time
neither the Philistines ruled over the Israelites
nor the Israelites over
them; but as there was danger of their becoming subject to Israel
they had
better die gloriously in the field of battle than to be in the base state of
servitude:
quit yourselves like men
and fight; this is repeated to
animate them to battle
which they supposed was not far off by the shoutings of
the Israelites
and which they must prepare for.
1 Samuel 4:10 10 So the Philistines fought
and Israel was defeated
and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great
slaughter
and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
YLT
10And the Philistines fight
and Israel is smitten
and they flee each to his tents
and the blow is very
great
and there fall of Israel thirty thousand footmen;
And the Philistines fought
.... With great ardour
and spirit
quitted themselves like men of valour and courage
their case being
desperate as they imagined
since God was in the camp of Israel:
and Israel was smitten: were routed and beaten:
and they fled every man into his tent; such of them
as escaped the sword of the Philistines fled to their own houses in the several
cities from whence they came; so the Targum
"every man to his city'so that
their army was quite broken up:
and there was a very great slaughter far greater
than in the first battle:
For there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen; their army
chiefly
if not altogether
consisting of footmen
there being few horses in
Israel; and if any cavalry now
these may be supposed to flee; before they lost
only 4000
now 30
000; so that the ark was no security to them
which was
suffered
to show their vain trust and confidence in it.
1 Samuel 4:11 11 Also the ark of God was
captured; and the two sons of Eli
Hophni and Phinehas
died.
YLT
11and the ark of God hath
been taken
and the two sons of Eli have died
Hophni and Phinehas.
And the ark of God was taken
.... By the Philistines;
which was suffered partly as a punishment to the Israelites
for fetching it
from the tabernacle without the will of God
and for their vain confidence in it;
and partly that the Philistines might have an experiment of the power and might
of God
as Procopius Gazaeus observes
by what they would suffer through having
it among them; some have thought that this was an emblem of Christ being
delivered into the hands of the Gentiles
and of the Gospel being translated
from the Jews to them: and the two sons of Eli:
Hophni and Phinehas
were slain; which
fulfilled the prophecy of the man of God
that they should both die in one day
1 Samuel 2:34. It
is very probable they stood fast by the ark
and chose rather to die than to
give it up freely; having received a charge from their father
that if the ark
was taken
not to desire life
nor ever dare to come into his presence more
as
JosephusF1Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 2. relates.
1 Samuel 4:12 12 Then a man of Benjamin ran
from the battle line the same day
and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and
dirt on his head.
YLT
12And a man of Benjamin
runneth out of the ranks
and cometh into Shiloh
on that day
and his long
robes [are] rent
and earth on his head;
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army
.... Out of
the rank in which he was
before the whole army was quite broken up. This was a
young man as JosephusF2Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 3. says
which is
highly probable; though not at all to be depended on is what the JewsF3Shalshalet
Hakabala. fol. 8. 1. Jarchi in loc. say
that this was Saul
later king of
Israel:
and came to Shiloh the same day; which
according to
BuntingF4Travels of the Patriarchs
&c. p. 123.
was forty two
miles from Ebenezer
near to which the battle was fought; and that it was a
long way is pretty plain by the remark made
that this messenger came the same
day the battle was fought; though not at such a distance as some Jewish writers
say
some sixty
some one hundred and twenty milesF5Midrash Schemuel
apud Abarbinel in loc. ; which is not at all probable:
with his clothes rent
and earth upon his head; which were
both tokens of distress and mourning
and showed that he was a messenger of bad
tidings from the army; See Gill on Joshua 7:6.
1 Samuel 4:13 13 Now when he came
there
was Eli
sitting on a seat by the wayside watching
[b] for his
heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told
it
all the city cried out.
YLT
13and he cometh in
and lo
Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way
watching
for his heart
hath been trembling for the ark of God
and the man hath come in to declare
[it] in the city
and all the city crieth out.
And when he came
.... To Shiloh; he either passed by Eli
who
being blind could not see him
1 Samuel 4:15 or he
came in at another gate of the city on the other side of it
as Abarbinel
thinks; though the former seems more likely by what follows
he not choosing to
deliver the bad news to Eli first
whom he knew it would very much grieve
and
therefore slipped by him into the city:
lo
Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: by the
"hand" of the way
as the marginal reading
and which we follow; it
seems to be a place where two ways or more met
and where was a way post
erected
with an hand directing what places they led to. The text is
"he"
or "it smote"
as if his heart smote him for letting
the ark go; so KimchiF6Vid. David de Pomis
Lexic. fol. 47. 1. ;
here Eli had a seat placed
which
as the Targum says
was at the ascent of the
way to the gate; and so the Septuagint has it
at the gate; and JosephusF7Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 3.) says it was at one of the gates; either
of his own house
or of the tabernacle
or rather of the city; here he was
watching for news
to hear what he could
and as soon as he could
how it fared
with the army
with his sons
and especially with the ark:
for his heart trembled for the ark of God; not so much
for his sons
whose death he might expect from the divine prediction
but for
the ark
about which he was doubtful; fearing lest it should fall into the
hands of the uncircumcised Philistines
who would triumph upon it
and which
would make sad the heart of every true Israelite
and reflect much dishonour on
the God of Israel; and very probably he might tremble the more when he
reflected on his own sin and folly in suffering his sons to take it with them.
Eli here may represent a good man in pain for the church of God
and the
interest of religion in declining times
both with respect to ministers of the
word
and members of churches: as when Gospel ministers are removed by death
few raised up in their stead
and those that do appear in the ministry
either
unregenerate
as it may be feared; or have not gifts and abilities qualifying
them for it; or are of immoral lives and conversations
or propagate false
doctrines
errors
and heresies: and also when among professors of religion and
members of churches there is a great decay of powerful godliness; and they are
got into a drowsy
sleepy
frame of spirit
are become lukewarm and indifferent
to spiritual exercises
want zeal for the Gospel and cause of Christ; are
careless about the honour and interest of religion
unstable and inconstant in
doctrine and worship
and in their affections to one another
and the ministers
of the word; and their conversation not as becomes their profession:
and when the man came into the city
and told it; how that the
army of Israel was beaten
what a number of men was killed
among whom were the
two sons of the high priest
and the ark was taken:
all the city cried out; that is
all the
inhabitants of the city
having most of them perhaps relations and friends in
the army
for whom they were concerned
fearing their lives were lost; but
especially the loss of the ark was insupportable by them
it being of so much
advantage to that city particularly
both with respect to things temporal and
spiritual; wherefore
upon hearing this bad news
there was a general shriek
and cry throughout the whole city.
1 Samuel 4:14 14 When Eli heard the noise
of the outcry
he said
“What does the sound of this tumult mean?”
And the man came quickly and told Eli.
YLT
14And Eli heareth the noise
of the cry
and saith
`What -- the noise of this tumult!' And the man hasted
and cometh in
and declareth to Eli.
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying
.... The
shrieks of the men and women
which were very clamorous and terrible. Eli had
his hearing
though not his sight; he could not see the distress in their
countenances
but he heard the lamentations they made:
and said
what meaneth the noise of this tumult? it seems the
people ran about
wringing their hands
and making doleful shrieks; the noise
of which Eli heard
and the meaning of which he inquired after
or what should
be the cause of it:
and the man came in hastily
and told Eli; or made
haste
and came to him
and related all that is later expressed; for Eli was
not in any house
but on a seat by the way side
and therefore could not be
said to come "in" to him; but he came to him
where he was
being
brought by some of the citizens Eli had inquired of what should be the meaning
of this noise; and therefore without delay the man was hastened to give the
whole account unto him
as it was highly proper he should
being the supreme
magistrate.
1 Samuel 4:15 15 Eli was ninety-eight years
old
and his eyes were so dim that he could not see.
YLT
15And Eli is a son of ninety
and eight years
and his eyes have stood
and he hath not been able to see.
Now Eli was ninety eight years old
.... Which is very
properly observed
he being now come to the end of his days
and which also
accounts for his blindness after mentioned:
and his eyes were dim
that he could not see; could not see
the messenger
and read in his countenance
and perceive by his clothes rent
and earth on his head
that he was a bringer of bad tidings; or his eyes each
of them "stood"F8קמה
"stetit"
Montanus; "stabant"
Tigurine version. ; were
fixed and immovable
as the eyes of blind men be. In 1 Samuel 3:2 it is
said
"his eyes began to wax dim"; but here that they
"were" become dim; and there might be some years between that time
and this
for Samuel then was very young
but now more grown up: though
Procopius Gazaeus thinks that Eli was then ninety eight years of age
and that
the affair there related was just before his death; but it rather appears to be
some time before.
1 Samuel 4:16 16 Then the man said to Eli
“I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle
line.” And he said
“What happened
my son?”
YLT
16And the man saith unto Eli
`I [am] he who hath come out of the ranks
and I out of the ranks have fled
to-day;' and he saith
`What hath been the matter
my son?'
And the man said unto Eli
I am he that came out of the army
.... It is
very probable that the people Eli inquired of told him there was a messenger
come from the army
though they did not choose to relate to him the news he
brought:
and I fled today out of the army; so that as he was an
eyewitness of what was done in the army
the account he brought was the
earliest that could be had
in bringing which he had made great dispatch
having ran perhaps all the way:
and he said
what is there done
my son? has a battle
been fought? on which side is the victory? is Israel beaten
or have they
conquered? how do things go? he uses the kind and tender appellation
my son
to engage him to tell him all freely and openly.
1 Samuel 4:17 17 So the messenger answered
and said
“Israel has fled before the Philistines
and there has been a great
slaughter among the people. Also your two sons
Hophni and Phinehas
are dead;
and the ark of God has been captured.”
YLT
17And he who is bearing
tidings answereth and saith
`Israel hath fled before the Philistines
and also
a great slaughter hath been among the people
and also thy two sons have died
-- Hophni and Phinehas -- and the ark of God hath been captured.'
And the messenger answered and said
.... He delivered his
account gradually
beginning with generals
and then proceeding to particulars
and with what he thought Eli could better bear the news of
and so prepared him
for the worst; in which he acted a wise part:
Israel is fled before the Philistines; they have
given way and retreated
and which might possibly be done without great loss
and which
though it was bad news
might not be so very bad:
and there hath also been a great slaughter among the people; this is worse
news still; however
the number of the slain is not given
nor any mention of
particular persons that were killed: so that
for any thing yet said
his own
sons might be safe: but then it follows:
and thy two sons also
Hophni and Phinehas
are dead; the news of
which must be very affecting to him
and strike him closely; though he might
expect and be prepared for it by what both the man of God and Samuel from the
Lord had related to him:
and the ark of God is taken; the thing he feared
and
his heart trembled before for it; this was the closing and cutting part of the
account; the messenger foresaw that this would the most affect him
and
therefore referred it to the last.
1 Samuel 4:18 18 Then it happened
when he
made mention of the ark of God
that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side
of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died
for the man was old and
heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
YLT
18And it cometh to pass
at
his mentioning the ark of God
that he falleth from off the throne backward
by
the side of the gate
and his neck is broken
and he dieth
for the man [is]
old and heavy
and he hath judged Israel forty years.
And it came to pass
when he made mention of the ark of God
.... Of the
taking of that
it struck him to the heart
and killed him; the rest he bore
tolerably well
the flight of Israel before the Philistines
the great
slaughter made of them
the death of his two sons; but the taking of the ark
was so dreadful to him
that he could not support under it:
that he fell from off the seat backward
by the side of the gate; which
confirms the sense of 1 Samuel 4:13
though whether it was the gate of his own house
or of the tabernacle
or of
the city is not certain; the latter is most probable: it seems the seat on
which he sat had no back to it
and might be placed only for present
convenience:
and his neck brake; the back part of it
the
"vertebrae" of it
which has its name in Hebrew from the several
joints in it:
and he died; not through the breaking of his neck
for it is very probable he
died directly upon hearing the ark was taken
and which was the reason of his
falling backward
and that brake his neck:
for he was an old man
and heavy; full of flesh
a very
fat man
and so fell heavy
which occasioned the breaking of his neck:
and he had judged Israel forty years; had governed
them in the capacity both of an high priest and judge
so that he must enter on
his government when fifty eight years of age; the Septuagint version has it
very wrongly twenty years. According to the JewsF9Schulchan Aruch
par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.
he died on the tenth of Ijar
answering to part of
April and May
and his two sons and the ark taken; for which a fast was kept on
it.
1 Samuel 4:19 19 Now his daughter-in-law
Phinehas’s wife
was with child
due to be delivered; and when she heard
the news that the ark of God was captured
and that her father-in-law and her
husband were dead
she bowed herself and gave birth
for her labor pains came
upon her.
YLT
19And his daughter-in-law
wife of Phinehas
[is] pregnant
about to bear
and she heareth the report of
the taking of the ark of God
that her father-in-law and her husband have died
and she boweth
and beareth
for her pains have turned upon her.
And his daughter in law
Phinehas's wife
was with child
near to
be delivered
.... Was near her time
as it is commonly expressed. Ben Gersom
derives the word from a root which signifies to complete and finishF11כלה "absolvere
consummare
perficere"
Buxtorf.
; denoting that her time to bring forth was completed and filled up; though
JosephusF12Ut supra
(Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3.) sect. 4. says that it was
a seven months' birth
so that she came two months before her time; the margin
of our Bibles is
"to cry out"F13ללת
"ad ululandum"
Montanus; so some in Munster; "ad
ejulandum"
as some in Vatablus. ; and so Moses Kimchi
as his brother
relates
derives the word from a root which signifies to howl and lament
and
so is expressive of a woman's crying out when her pains come upon her:
and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken: which is
mentioned first
as being the most distressing to her:
and that her father in law and her husband were dead; her father-in-law
Eli is put first
being the high priest of God
and so his death gave her the
greatest concern
as the death of an high priest was always matter of grief to
the Israelites; and next the death of her husband
who should have succeeded
him in the priesthood; for though he was a bad man
yet not so bad as Hophni
as Ben Gersom observes; and therefore the priesthood was continued in his line
unto the reign of Solomon; and no notice is taken by her of the death of her
brother-in-law:
she bowed herself
and travailed; put herself in a posture
for travailing; perceiving she was coming to it
she fell upon her knees
as
the word used signifies; and we are toldF14Ludolph. Hist. Aethiop.
l. 1. c. 14.
that the Ethiopian women
when they bring forth
fall upon their
knees
and bear their young
rarely making use of a midwife
and so it seems it
was the way of the Hebrew women:
for her pains came upon her; sooner it is very
probable than otherwise they would
which is sometimes the case
when frights
seize a person in such circumstances: or were "turned upon her"F15נהפכו "versae erant"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; they
ceased
so that she could not make the necessary evacuations after the birth
which issued in her death; some render it
"her doors were turned"F16"Quoniam
inversi sunt super eam eardines ejus"
Munster; so Jarchi; Vid. T. Bab.
Becorot
fol. 45. 1.
or changed; the doors of her womb
as in Job 3:10
though
these had been opened for the bringing forth of her child
yet were reversed
changed
and altered
so as to prevent the after birth coming away
which
caused her death
as follows.
1 Samuel 4:20 20 And about the time of her
death the women who stood by her said to her
“Do not fear
for you have borne
a son.” But she did not answer
nor did she regard it.
YLT
20And at the time of her
death
when the women who are standing by her say
`Fear not
for a son thou
hast borne
' she hath not answered
nor set her heart [to it];
And about the time of her death
.... Which quickly came
on after she was brought to bed:
the women that stood by her; who were called to her
labour
and assisted at it:
said unto her
fear not
for thou hast born a son; perceiving
that she was very low spirited
endeavoured to cheer and comfort her
by
observing to her that the worst was over; and besides she had brought forth a
man child
which was usually matter of joy to a family
and particularly to the
woman that bears it
which causes her to forget the sorrows and pains she has
gone through in bearing it
John 16:21 but she
answered not
neither did she regard it; said not one word in answer to them
nor was the least affected with joy and pleasure at what they related to her;
being not only a dying woman
on the borders of another world
and so had no
relish for temporal enjoyments
but also overcome with grief with what had
happened
not only to her family
but more especially to the ark of God.
1 Samuel 4:21 21 Then she named the child
Ichabod
[c] saying
“The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured
and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
YLT
21and she calleth the youth
I-Chabod
saying
`Honour hath removed from Israel
' because of the taking of
the ark of God
and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
And she named the child Ichabod
.... Which some render
"where is the glory?" as in the margin of our Bibles; but it
signifies "no glory"
as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; her husband
being dead
she gives her child its name; the reason for which name follows:
saying
the glory is departed from Israel: the God of
glory
or the glorious Lord
was departed from Israel; the ark
the symbol of
his presence
being taken from them
and carried captive by the enemy; see Psalm 78:61.
because the ark of God was taken
and because of her father in
law
and her husband; who were dead; these are the words either of the writer of this
book
or
as Abarbinel thinks
of the women that assisted at her labour; who
interpreted the name of the child
and suggested what were her intentions in
giving this name
which she had only expressed in general terms; the
particulars of which they thought fit to give
agreeably to her meaning
as
they supposed; which were the taking of the ark
and the death of her
father-in-law
and of her husband; but according to the same writer she before
her death corrected the sense they put upon her intention in thus naming the
child; showing that it was not on the account of the death of her father and
husband that she supposed the glory to be departed
and therefore named her
child Ichabod: but solely and alone because the ark was taken
as in the next
verse.
1 Samuel 4:22 22 And she said
“The glory
has departed from Israel
for the ark of God has been captured.”
YLT
22And she saith
`Honour hath
removed from Israel
for the ark of God hath been taken.'
And she said
.... Repeating what she had said before
for
the confirmation of it
or as correcting what the women had said; and so may be
rendered:
but she said; giving her own and only reason for the name
of the child:
the glory is departed from Israel
for the ark of God is taken; so when the
word
worship
and ordinances of God are removed from a people
the glory is
gone from them; the God of glory is no more seen among them
who is so glorious
in his nature
perfections
and works; and Christ
the Lord of life and glory
is no more held forth unto them in the glories of his person
offices
and
grace; and the glorious Gospel of Christ is no more preached unto them
so full
of glorious doctrines and promises; and the glorious ordinances of it no more
administered: and
when this is the case
the glory is departed from a people;
and which is owing to their formality
lukewarmness
unfruitfulness
negligent
attendance on the worship of God
contempt of the word and ordinances
and an
unbecoming walk and conversation.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)