1 Samuel 4

Seeking the Ark's presence 1 Samuel 4:3–4

³Verse 3. When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.” ⁴Verse 4. So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

The Ark's arrival and Israel's shout 1 Samuel 4:5–6

⁵Verse 5. When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. ⁶Verse 6. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that Yahweh’s ark had come into the camp.

Philistines' fear and renewed resolve 1 Samuel 4:7–10

⁷Verse 7. The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before. ⁸Verse 8. Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹Verse 9. Be strong, and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!” ¹⁰Verse 10. The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.

The disastrous outcome 1 Samuel 4:11–12

¹¹Verse 11. God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. ¹²Verse 12. A man of Benjamin ran out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with dirt on his head.

Eli learns of the tragedy 1 Samuel 4:13–18

¹³Verse 13. When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out. ¹⁴Verse 14. When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli. ¹⁵Verse 15. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see. ¹⁶Verse 16. The man said to Eli, “I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.” He said, “How did the matter go, my son?”

¹⁷Verse 17. He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured.” ¹⁸Verse 18. When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

The birth of Ichabod 1 Samuel 4:19–22

¹⁹Verse 19. His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her. ²⁰Verse 20. About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid; for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it. ²¹Verse 21. She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”; because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

²²Verse 22. She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”