1 Samuel 4 – “When God Lets You Down”

by Nate Wilson, delivered 02 Jan. 2000 to Sangre de Cristo Seminary Chapel,
& 23 Aug. 2020 at Christ the Redeemer Church of Manhattan KS

Have you ever had a time when God let you down? I have.

It was the late 1990’s, when I was a missionary based in the Denver area. I was sure of my calling to that ministry. I was living on faith-support, trusting God to provide all my needs. I was being extremely frugal in my spending – never wasting a dime. I was serving the Lord with all my heart, helping Christian leaders all over the world. I was praying daily for God to provide my needs. I had every reason to expect God’s blessing.

But God was not providing us with enough money to even rent a place for my family to live in. We eventually packed our belongings in our ramshackle Toyota van and went around asking church friends to let us stay in their extra bedrooms and basements for a couple weeks at a time. Whenever I would ask them to financially support us so that we could afford to rent our own place, they would tell me to leave the ministry and get a real job and that they just couldn’t spare the money – these were people with six-digit incomes! I tell you, I really felt like God had let me down. I spent a lot of time asking God, “Why have you beaten us up like this?”

That’s a question that the leaders of Israel asked in the passage I want to focus on today, 1 Samuel 4. Let me read it to you:

So Samuel’s message was for all of Israel. {Now, there was a war-effort during those days}, and Israel went out to encounter the Philistines for war, and posted [themselves] at Ebenezer while the Philistines posted [themselves] in Apheq. So the Philistines formed ranks to encounter Israel. Then the war got out of control, and Israel was routed by the Philistines’ front, and about 4,000 men in the army were struck down in the field. Then the people went to the encampment, and the elders of Israel said, “Why did Yahweh rout us today before the Philistines' front? Let’s take the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to ourselves from Shiloh, and let it come into our midst and save us from the grasp of our enemies!” So the people sent a commission to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of Yahweh who sits [with] the cherubim. And both of the sons of Eli (Hophni and Phinehas), were with the ark of the covenant of God. So it was that, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the encampment, then all Israel cheered [with] great fanfare such that the ground vibrated! Now, the Philistines heard the sound of this fanfare, and they said, “Why is there this sound of great fanfare in the encampment of the Hebrews?” Then they gained intelligence that the ark of Yahweh had come into the encampment. So the Philistines became afraid, “Because,” they said, “a god has come into their encampment!” And they said, “We’re in trouble, because it hasn’t happened like this the last time [or] the time before! We are in trouble! Who will deliver us from the agency of these majestic gods? These gods are the ones who plagued Egypt with every plague in the wilderness! Philistines, strengthen yourselves and be manly, otherwise y’all will become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to y’all. So y’all be manly and fight!” [Samuel must have heard this part of the story from a Philistine. It would be interesting to find out how that happened!] Then the Philistines fought, and, to a man, Israel was routed such that each fled toward his tent. So it was a really big blow, and 30,000 footsoldiers from Israel were struck down, and the ark of God was taken, and both of the sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas – died. Now, a man of Benjamin ran [some 20 miles¹] from the ranks and came to Shiloh on that day with his uniform [armor] torn and mud on his head. And when he came, there was Eli, sitting on his seat beside the road, keeping watch, because his heart was trembling over the ark of God. So the man came into the town to relate the news, and the whole town cried out. And Eli heard the sound of the outcry and said, “Why is there the sound of this commotion?” And the man hurried and came and related the news to Eli. [It is curious that Eli is asking the same question that the Philistines were asking. He is now watching from the sidelines and in the dark about what’s going on.] (Now, Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes had cataracts, so he was not able to see.) And the man said to Eli, “I myself am the one who came from the ranks; indeed it is I who have fled from the ranks there today!” Then he said, “What is this thing that happened, my son?” And the herald answered saying, “Israel fled before the Philistine front, and our people experienced a massive rout, and, what’s more, both of your sons – Hophni and Phinehas – died, and the ark of God was taken.” Now it happened, as he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward behind the side of the gate, and his neck was broken, and the man died, because he was old and heavy. So as for him, he judged Israel for 40 years. [In order to fall backward, it seems to me that Eli must have shifted from the leaning-forward position of listening to the messenger to instead turn his face upward toward heaven in prayer. In that posture of addressing God, his weight could have been leaned back, so that a silent prayer may have been the last thing Eli did in this life.] Now, his daughter-in-law was pregnant [enough] to give birth, and she heard the hearsay concerning the ark of God being taken and her father-in-law and her husband dying, and she bent over and gave birth as her contractions overcame her. And around the time of her death, those who were attending to her said, “Don’t worry, for it’s a son that you’ve given birth to!” But she did not respond or put her heart into it. Then she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “Glory is removed from Israel,” concerning the ark of God being taken - and concerning her father-in-law and her husband. And they said, “Glory is removed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been taken.

(Sketch map.) The situation was that the Philistine nation was cutting the nation of Israel in half by marching an army in through the Jezreel valley. Classic “divide and conquer” strategy.

This was a serious national threat to Israel! They had every right to fight a defensive war to protect their country. In fact, they went out to fight because Samuel the prophet had told them to in verse 1! They were well-prepared with a good army. They wanted to be right with God and they sought the Lord’s blessing by bringing out the ark like Joshua and Moses had done before in battle. They had every reason to expect that God would bless them, right?

But they lost. 34,000 men were killed! That’s like if every human being in out town were slaughtered and Manhattan was suddenly a ghost town with tens of thousands of dead bodies lying everywhere. The heathen Philistines now had a stranglehold on God’s people. Even Shiloh was apparently overrun, and the priests had to beat a retreat to Nob with what they could salvage of the tabenacle. “The tribe of Ephraim, which had for 340 years been blessed with the presence of the ark in it, lost the honour (Ps. 78:67)” ~Matthew Henry

WHY? Why would God do such a thing? How could he let His people get hurt like that? How could He let His holy ark get desecrated by getting carried off as a war trophy by a bunch of evil pagans? Why?

Have you ever felt like that in your life? Are you in a position where it looks like everything is going wrong and you’re saying, “Why, God? WHY?”

It is part of God's fathership, I guess. As Lord and King, He can do whatever He wants and has the authority and ability to make all His children triumphant, healthy, and rich. But as Father, He won't spoil us by giving us everything we want. He uses hardship to punish us for sin and also to make us more holy. He lets us suffer some of the consequences of our sin–although the consequence of hell is waived, others are not. David's firstborn son died because he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Suffering is also given to us for refining (See James and I Peter).

Let me suggest three reasons why God “lets us down,” based on the results of this calamity in First Samuel.

1) Perhaps You weren’t His to begin with!

If you go back a chapter or two, you’ll see that this calamity came upon Israel in part because of some men in Israel who did not love God and who were profaning His name.

1 Samuel 2:27 Now, a certain man of God went to Eli and said, "Thus says Yahweh ‘...Why would you push back on my sacrificial-system and on my offering-system which I commanded on-location and honor your sons instead of me to make yourselves fat off of the top of all the food-offerings of Israel for my people?' Therefore, {thus} says Yahweh, the God of Israel, '...Look, days are coming when I will chop off your arm and the arm of your forefather's house [from there being an old man in your house... And this will be the sign for you which will come to both of your sons - to Hophni and Phinehas – on one day both of them will die.’” (NAW)

1 Samuel 4 tells us specifically that Hophni & Phineas, died on the same day in the battle with the Philistines. This was God’s judgment against two men who weren’t His to begin with, who were posing as priests and making a mockery of the worship of God.

Eli was more concerned for the wooden box called the ark than he was for his sons at his death. As for Eli's descendants, no mention is ever made of Hophni or his descendants through the rest of the Bible, so apparently he never had any children and his line died with him. Phineas, Eli's other son, had a son named Ahitub (I Sam 14:3) before he had Ichabod. Ichabod is never mentioned again in the Bible, but his son Ahitub had a son named Ahimelech who helped David when David was fleeing from Saul. As punishment, Saul ordered the death of Ahimelech and everyone related to him, so 85 of them were killed (I Sam 22). That pretty much wiped out what was left of Phineas' offspring. None of Eli's descendants are mentioned in the geneaologies later on in Chronicles and Ezra, so we can assume that their lines all died out.

So, our first RESPONSE when God “lets us down” is to ask, “Am I one of God’s people? Do I have any right to God’s blessing?” If you are not His to begin with, you have no right to expect God to bless you! To become one of God’s people, you must ask God to forgive you for living in rebellion to Him and believe that God’s son, Jesus, died on the cross to forgive you of your rebellion against God and to reconcile you to God.

2) God has other people to whom He wants to reveal Himself!

1 Samuel 5:1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. 2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah… ; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven… (ASV)

Can you imagine the impact that this had on the nation of the Philistines? Here they had put the ark of the covenant next to their idol of the fish-God, Dagon, as if to say, “Our God has beat Yahweh!” They wake up the next day to find that Yahweh has beat Dagon! God was revealing Himself in new ways to the Philistines! These were people who in chapter 4 v.8 didn’t even know if the Hebrew God was one god or several gods. Chapter 5 also describes a plague of mice that ruined the Philistine crops and an epidemic disease, which some people think was the Bubonic plague, that killed many Philistines. And it says that these Philistines started crying out to heaven – to Jehovah-God! They even offered a sacrifice to God, acknowledging their sin against Him! This is hugely significant! God was at work through this calamity to make His glory known among the surrounding nations!

So, our RESPONSE, as we consider why God has let us down should be, not only to examine ourselves to see if we are really His people, but also to open our eyes to new directions God might be moving to make Himself known in the world! For instance:

the terrorism in the Middle East has turned millions of Muslims into refugees, turning them off to hard-core Islam and moving them into places where there is more opportunity to encounter Christians. Lebanon, which was recently rocked by that huge explosion, is the only country in the Middle East with official recognition of Christianity in its government, and it is full of Muslim refugees from Syria, and Christians are just about the only ones helping those refugees.
In the U.S.A., the heated animosity between political progressives and political conservatives during the Obama and Trump administrations, coupled with the isolation and unemployment caused by public health restrictions is creating a spiritual hunger of historic proportions which just might be what is needed for the revival we hope for.
Keep your eyes peeled for how God may be using disappointments!

3) Perhaps God is calling you to get right with Him!

The ark of God is mentioned 11 times in chapter 4; it is the most important thread throughout the whole story: v3 The elders said, "Let’s take the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to ourselves from Shiloh, and let it come into our midst and save us from the grasp of our enemies!” 4 So the people sent a commission to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of Yahweh who sits [with] the cherubim. And both of the sons of Eli (Hophni and Phinehas), were with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 So it was that, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the encampment, then all Israel cheered... v6 Then ...the Philistines... gained intelligence that the ark of Yahweh had come into the encampment... they fought hard... v11 and the ark of God was taken... Meanwhile... v.13 there was Eli ... trembling over the ark of God... v17 And the herald announces ".... the ark of God was taken.” v19 Then the daughter-in-law... heard ... about the ark of God being taken... v21 and she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “Glory is removed from Israel,” concerning the ark of God being taken… Israel clung to this token of their father's faith. They spoke of the "Lord Almighty, Who is enthroned between the cherubim." But it sounds like a bit of irony in verse four to hear God described in this way in the context of being summoned by an army as a magic charm.

We Christians cling to religious tokens which God established with our Christian forefathers, such as Sunday morning church services and prayers, but is our HEART really there? Is it truly devotion to God, or is it carrying on traditions? Or worse yet, is it for the reason the Israelites employed God's ark and His priests–for selfish, human interests? Rather than being concerned for God's glory to be made known among the nations, they were just trying to save their necks. Rather than falling on their faces before God and asking Him to save, they relied initially upon men (the elders 4:3), and then tacked God onto their plans later. Again, how prevalent this is today! I pray that we would be entirely devoted–wholeheartedly – to the Lord and run to Him first when He places trials in our lives.

The problem with the Israelites was that they were still double-minded. They wanted to serve God and also hang onto their other idols.

1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served Jehovah only. 5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto Jehovah. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. (ASV)

Well, the Philistines heard that the Israelites were gathered for a religious holiday and said, “Hey, let’s go finish ‘em off!” But God’s people had come in line with His kingdom purposes; His people had confessed their sin and put away the things that distracted them from single-hearted devotion to Him. And now God came through for them! He “thundered with a great thunder” against the Philistines and routed them!

I think that the world – even the anti-Christian leaders of this world – probably share the kind of fear that the Philistines had in vs 7-8 of the one true God – so does Satan, for that matter! They know our God is awesome and sovereign, yet they will conquer their fears and all the more vigourously attack. We must never consider ourselves as shrimps before them. We are with God, and He will do as He pleases – He isn't daunted by them! We Christians sometimes feel like we're so small and powerless in the face of what is happening in the world, but in truth, the world is a little afraid of us – and well they should be, for we stand behind JESUS!

Not only was God judging men that did not belong to Him. Not only was God making His glory known outside Israel’s comfort zone. God was calling His people to get right with Him and serve Him alone -- without distraction. Is this what God is calling you to do?

Conclusion

It was for me. When I was living like a tramp in Denver amidst a church full of rich people and feeling indignant that God was not blessing me, God was calling me to line up with His kingdom purposes. Like #2, He was calling me in a new direction outside my comfort zone – He was calling me to go to seminary, something I had never wanted to do before. God also brought me to the point where I had to confess the sin of my bad attitudes toward the people around me. Only when I began lining up with God’s kingdom purposes did I begin to experience God’s blessing again. My experience at the seminary was a tremendous blessing to me and to my family.

From this story in First Samuel, we can learn how to respond when God seems to let us down – when everything seems to be going wrong. We must align ourselves with His kingdom purposes.

First, examine yourself to see if you really are one of His people,
then open your eyes for new things God may be doing to make Himself known to the world,
and finally, confess your sin to Him and put away the distractions so you can serve Him with your whole heart!

Dear God, please forgive us of all the distractions we have allowed into our lives. Please forgive us for paying attention to other things besides You. We have sinned, and we want get back in line with You. It is by Your grace and the blood of Jesus that we come before You as Your people. Please give us Your grace to see the new directions You are moving in the coming year so that we can join with you in Your kingdom purposes. “It’s not about us, as if You should do things our way. You alone are God, and we surrender to Your ways.” Lord, we dedicate our lives to you. Amen.

1 Samuel 4- Side-by side comparison of versions^{^A}

LXX	Brenton (LXX)	DRB (Vulgate)	KJV	NAW	Masoretic Txt
3:21 ... καὶ [ἐπιστεύθη] Σαμουηλ ~~προφήτης~~ γενέσθαι [τῷ κυρίῳ] εἰς πάντα Ισραηλ... 4:1 Καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ συναθροίζονται ἀλλόφυλοι εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ Ισραηλ· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ισραηλ εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῖς εἰς πόλεμον καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν ἐπὶ Αβενεζερ, καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι παρεμβάλλουσιν ἐν Αφεκ.	3:21 ...Samuel [was accredited] to all Israel as a ~~prophet~~ [to the Lord]... 4:1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together [against Israel] to war; and Israel went out to meet [them] and encamped at Abenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.	3:21 ...And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel. 1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight: and Israel went out X to war against the [Philistines], and camped by the Stone of help. And the Philistines came to Aphec,	1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out ~~against^B~~ the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.	1 So Samuel’s message was for all of Israel. {Now, there was a war-effort during those days}, and Israel went out to encounter the Philistines for war, and posted [themselves] at Ebenezer while the Philistines posted [themselves] in Apheq.	(א) ^Cוַיְהִי דְבַר שְׁמוּאֵל לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל^D וַיֵּצֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים לַמִּלְחָמָה וַיַּחֲנוּ עַל הָאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר וּפְלִשְׁתִּים חָנוּ בַאֲפֵק.
2 καὶ παρατάσσ-ονται οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ Ισραηλ· καὶ ἔκλινεν ὁ πόλεμος, καὶ ἔπταισεν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ἐνώπιον ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἐπλήγησαν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει ἐν ἀγρῷ τέσσαρες χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν.	2 And the Philistines prepare to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them; and the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and there were smitten in the battle in the field four thousand men.	2 And put [their army] in array against Israel. And when they had joined battle, Israel turned their backs to the Philistines: and there were slain in that fight, [here & there] in the field[s], about four thousand men.	2 And the Philistines put [themselves] in array^E against Israel: and when ~~they~~ joined^F battle, Israel was smitten^G before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.	2 So the Philistines formed ranks to encounter Israel. Then the war got out of control, and Israel was routed by the Philistines’ front, and about 4,000 men in the army were struck down in the field.	ב וַיַּעַרְכוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתִּטֹּשׁ הַמִּלְחָמָה וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכּוּ^H בַמַּעֲרָכָה בַּשָּׂדֶה כְּאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ.
3 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, καὶ εἶπαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ισραηλ Κατὰ τί ἔπταισεν ἡμᾶς κύριος σήμερον ἐνώπιον ἀλλοφύλων; λάβωμεν X τὴν κιβωτὸν X τοῦ θεοῦ [ἡμῶν] ἐκ Σηλωμ, καὶ ἐξελθέτω ἐν μέσῳ ἡμῶν καὶ σώσει ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν.	3 And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord [caused] us to fall this day before the Philistines? let us take X the ark of X [our] God out of Selom, and let it proceed ~~from~~ the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.	3 And the people returned to the camp: and the ancients of Israel said: Why hath the Lord defeated us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch unto us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Silo, and let it come in the midst of us, that it may save us from the hand of our enemies.	3 And [when] the people were come into the camp, X the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us^I, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.	3 Then the people went to the encampment, and the elders of Israel said, “Why did Yahweh rout us today before the Philistines’ front? Let’s take the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to ourselves from Shiloh, and let it come into our midst and save us from the grasp of our enemies!”	ג) וַיָּבֹא הָעָם אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה נְגָפָנוּ יְהוָה הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים נִקְחָה אֵלֵינוּ מִשִּׁלֹה אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהוָה וְיָבֹא בְקִרְבֵּנוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ מִכַּף אֹיְבֵינוּ.
4 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ λαὸς εἰς Σηλωμ, καὶ αἴρουσιν ἐκεῖθεν τὴν κιβωτὸν κυρίου καθημένου χερουβιμ· καὶ ἀμφότεροι οἱ υἱοὶ Ηλι μετὰ τῆς κιβωτοῦ, Οφνι καὶ Φινεες.	4 And the people sent to Selom, and they take thence the ark of the Lord who dwells [between] the cherubs: and both the sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark.	4 So the people sent to Silo, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, sitting [upon] the cherubims: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark of the covenant of God.	4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between^J the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.	4 So the people sent a commission to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of Yahweh who sits [with] the cherubim. And both of the sons of Eli (Hophni and Phinehas), were with the ark of the covenant of God.	(ד) וַיִּשְׁלַח הָעָם שִׁלֹה וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם אֵת אֲרוֹן^K בְּרִית יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים וְשָׁם^L שְׁנֵי בְנֵי עֵלִי עִם אֲרוֹן בְּרִית^M הָאֱלֹהִים חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס.
5 καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἦλθεν κιβωτὸς κυρίου εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, καὶ ἀνέκραξεν πᾶς Ισραηλ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, καὶ ἤχησεν ἡ γῆ.	5 And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out [with] a loud voice, and the earth resounded.	5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come into the camp, all Israel shouted [with] a great shout, and the earth rang again.	5 And when^N the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted [with] a great^O shout, so that the earth rang again.	5 So it was that, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the encampment, then all Israel cheered [with] great fanfare such that the ground vibrated!	(ה) וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהוָה אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּרִעוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וַתֵּהֹם הָאָרֶץ.
6 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τῆς κραυγῆς, καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι Τίς ἡ κραυγὴ ἡ μεγάλη αὕτη ἐν παρεμβολῇ τῶν Εβραίων; καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι κιβωτὸς κυρίου ἥκει εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.	6 And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What is this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews: and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.	6 And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said: What is this noise of a great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.	6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.	6 Now, the Philistines heard the sound of this fanfare, and they said, “Why is there this sound of great fanfare in the encampment of the Hebrews?” Then they gained intelligence that the ark of Yahweh had come into the encampment.	ו וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת קוֹל הַתְּרוּעָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֶה קוֹל הַתְּרוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת בְּמַחֲנֵה הָעִבְרִים וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה בָּא אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה.^P
7 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ εἶπον [Οὗτοι] οἱ θεοὶ ἥκασιν [πρὸς αὐτοὺς] εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν· X X οὐαὶ ἡμῖν· [ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς, κύριε, σήμερον], ὅτι οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη ἐχθὲς [καὶ] τρίτην.	7 And the Philistines feared, and said, [These are] the Gods that are come [to them] into the camp. 8 X X Woe to us, [O Lord, deliver us to-day] for such a thing has not happened aforetime:	7 And the Philistines were afraid, saying: God is come into the camp. And [sighing,] they said: 8 Woe to us: for there was no such [great joy] yesterday, [and] the day before:	7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing^Q heretofore.	7 So the Philistines became afraid, “Because,” they said, “a god has come into their encampment!” And they said, “We’re in trouble, because it hasn’t happened like this the last time [or] the time before!	ז וַיִּרְאוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי^R אָמְרוּ בָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אוֹי לָנוּ^S כִּי לֹא הָיְתָה כָּזֹאת אֶתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם^T.
8 οὐαὶ ἡμῖν· τίς ἐξελεῖται ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν θεῶν τῶν στερεῶν τούτων; οὗτοι οἱ θεοὶ οἱ πατάξαντες τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐν πάσῃ πληγῇ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.	woe to us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.	Woe to us. Who shall deliver us from the hand of these high Gods? these are the Gods that struck Egypt with all the plagues in the desert.	8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand^U of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all^V the plague[s] in the wilderness.	8 We are in trouble! Who will deliver us from the agency of these majestic gods? These gods are the ones who plagued Egypt with every plague in the wilderness!	(ח) אוֹי לָנוּ מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה אֵלֶּה הֵם הָאֱלֹהִים הַמַּכִּים אֶת מִצְרַיִם בְּכָל מַכָּה בַּמִּדְבָּר^W.
9 κραταιοῦσθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς ἄνδρας, ἀλλόφυλοι, μήποτε δουλεύσητε τοῖς Εβραίοις, καθὼς ἐδούλευσαν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἔσεσθε εἰς ἄνδρας καὶ πολεμήσατε ~~αὐτούς~~.	9 Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be ye men and fight ~~with them~~.	9 Take courage, and behave like men, ye Philistines: lest you come to be servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you: take courage and fight.	9 Be strong^X, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants^Y unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.	9 Philistines, strengthen yourselves and be manly, otherwise y’all will become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to y’all. So y’all be manly and fight!”	(ט) הִתְחַזְּקוּ וִהְיוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים פְּלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן תַּעַבְדוּ לָעִבְרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ לָכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים וְנִלְחַמְתֶּם^Z.
10 καὶ ἐπολέμησαν [αὐτούς]· καὶ πταίει [ἀνὴρ] Ισραηλ, καὶ ἔφυγεν ἕκαστος εἰς σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐγένετο πληγὴ μεγάλη σφόδρα, καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐξ Ισραηλ τριάκοντα χιλιάδες ταγμάτων.	10 And they fought [with them]; and the [men] of Israel fall, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men.	10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was overthrown, and every man fled to his own dwelling: and there was an exceeding great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.	10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent^AA: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.	10 Then the Philistines fought, and, to a man, Israel was routed such that each fled toward his tent. So it was a really big blow, and 30,000 footsoldiers from Israel were struck down,	י וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ^AB פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּנֻסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וַתְּהִי הַמַּכָּה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד וַיִּפֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רַגְלִי.
11 καὶ κιβωτὸς θεοῦ ἐλήμφθη, καὶ ἀμφότεροι υἱοὶ Ηλι ἀπέθανον, Οφνι καὶ Φινεες.	11 And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Heli, Ophni, and Phinees, died.	11 And the ark of God was taken: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were slain.	11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.	11 and the ark of God was taken, and both of the sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas – died.	יא) וַאֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים נִלְקָח וּשְׁנֵי בְנֵי עֵלִי מֵתוּ חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס^AC.
12 Καὶ ἔδραμεν ἀνὴρ Ιεμιναῖος ἐκ τῆς παρατάξεως καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Σηλωμ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ διερρηγότα, καὶ γῆ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ.	12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Selom on that day: and his clothes were rent, and earth was upon his head.	12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Silo the same day, with his clothes rent, and his head strewed with dust.	12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with [his] clothes rent, and [with] earth^AD upon his head.	12 Now, a man of Benjamin ran from the ranks and came to Shiloh on that day with his uniform torn and mud on his head.	יב וַיָּרָץ אִישׁ בִּנְיָמִן מֵהַמַּעֲרָכָה וַיָּבֹא שִׁלֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וּמַדָּיו^AE קְרֻעִים וַאֲדָמָה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ.
13 καὶ ἦλθεν, καὶ ἰδοὺ Ηλι ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ δίφρου παρὰ [τὴν πύλην σκοπεύων] τὴν ὁδόν, ὅτι ἦν ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἐξεστηκυῖα^AF περὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπαγγεῖλαι, καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ἡ πόλις.	13 And he came, and behold, Heli was upon the seat [by the gate] looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God: and the man entered into the city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.	13 And when he was come, Heli sat upon a stool over against the way, watching. For his heart was fearful for the ark of God. And when the man was come into the city, he told it: and all the city cried out.	13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: 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.	13 And when he came, there was Eli, sitting on his seat beside the road, keeping watch, because his heart was trembling over the ark of God. So the man came into the town to relate the news, and the whole town cried out.	(יג) וַיָּבוֹא וְהִנֵּה עֵלִי יֹשֵׁב עַל הַכִּסֵּא יך^AG דֶּרֶךְ מְצַפֶּה כִּי הָיָה לִבּוֹ חָרֵד עַל אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְהָאִישׁ בָּא לְהַגִּיד בָּעִיר וַתִּזְעַק כָּל הָעִיר.
14 καὶ ἤκουσεν Ηλι τὴν φωνὴν τῆς βοῆς καὶ εἶπεν Τίς ἡ βοὴ τῆς φωνῆς ταύτης; καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος σπεύσας εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Ηλι.	14 And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? and the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.	14 And Heli heard the noise of the cry, and he said: What meaneth the noise of this uproar? But he made haste, and came, and told Heli.	14 And when Eli heard the noise^AH of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult^AI? And the man came in hastily, and told X Eli.	14 And Eli heard the sound of the outcry and said, “Why is there the sound of this commotion?” And the man hurried and came and related the news to Eli.	יד וַיִּשְׁמַע עֵלִי אֶת קוֹל הַצְּעָקָה וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה קוֹל^AJ הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה וְהָאִישׁ מִהַר וַיָּבֹא וַיַּגֵּד לְעֵלִי.
15 καὶ Ηλι υἱὸς ἐνενήκοντα ἐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπανέστησαν, καὶ οὐκ X ἔβλεπεν· [καὶ εἶπεν Ηλὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν τοῖς περιεστηκόσιν αὐτῷ Τίς ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἤχους τούτου;]	15 Now Heli was ninety years old, and his eyes were fixed, and he X saw not. 16 [And Heli said to them that stood round about him, What is the voice of this sound?]	15 Now Heli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see.	15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim^AK, that he could not see.	15 (Now, Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes had cataracts so he was not able to see.)	(טו) וְעֵלִי בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה וְעֵינָיו קָמָה^AL וְלֹא יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת.
16 καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ [σπεύσας προσῆλθεν] πρὸς Ηλι [καὶ] εἶπεν [αὐτῷ] Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἥκων ἐκ τῆς ~~παρεμβολῆς~~, κἀγὼ πέφευγα ἐκ τῆς παρατάξεως σήμερον. καὶ εἶπεν Τί τὸ γεγονὸς ῥῆμα, τέκνον X;	And the man [hasted and advanced] to Heli, and said to him, I am he that is come out of the ~~camp~~, and I have fled from the battle to-day: and [Heli] said, What is the ~~even~~, my son?	16 And he X said to Heli: I am he that came from the battle, and have fled out of the ~~field~~ this day. And he said to him: What X X is there done, my son?	16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army^AM, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What X X is there done^AN, my son?	16 And the man said to Eli, “I myself am the one who came from the ranks; indeed it is I who have fled from the ranks there today!” Then he said, “What is this thing that happened, my son?”	(טז) וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ אֶל עֵלִי אָנֹכִי הַבָּא מִן הַמַּעֲרָכָה וַאֲנִי מִן הַמַּעֲרָכָה נַסְתִּי הַיּוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּנִי.
17 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη τὸ παιδάριον καὶ εἶπεν Πέφευγεν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ἐκ προσώπου ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἐγένετο πληγὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῷ λαῷ, καὶ ἀμφότεροι οἱ υἱοί σου τεθνήκασιν, καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλήμφθη.	17 And they young man answered and said, The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both thy sons are dead, and the ark of God is taken.	17 And he that brought the news answered, and said: Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter of the people: moreover thy two sons, Ophni and Phinees, are dead: and the ark of God is taken.	17 And the messenger^AO answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.	17 And the herald answered, saying, “Israel fled before the Philistine front, and our people experienced a massive rout, and, what’s more, both of your sons – Hophni and Phinehas – died, and the ark of God was taken.”	(יז) וַיַּעַן הַמְבַשֵּׂר וַיֹּאמֶר נָס יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי^AP פְלִשְׁתִּים וְגַם מַגֵּפָה גְדוֹלָה הָיְתָה בָעָם וְגַם שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ מֵתוּ חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים נִלְקָחָה.
18 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐμνήσθη τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ δίφρου ὀπισθίως ἐχόμενος τῆς πύλης, καὶ συνετρίβη ὁ νῶτος^AQ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν, ὅτι πρεσβύτης ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ βαρύς· καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινεν τὸν Ισραηλ ~~εἴκοσι~~ ἔτη.	18 And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy: and he judged Israel ~~twenty~~ years.	18 And when he had named the ark of God, he fell from his stool backwards by the door, and broke his neck and died. For he was an old man, and far advanced in years: And he judged Israel forty years.	18 And it came to pass^AR, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off^AS the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.	18 Now it happened as he made mention of the ark of God that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward behind the side of the gate, and his neck was broken, and the man died because he was old and heavy. So as for him, he judged Israel for 40 years.	יח) וַיְהִי כְּהַזְכִּירוֹ אֶת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַכִּסֵּא אֲחֹרַנִּית בְּעַד יַד הַשַּׁעַר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר מַפְרַקְתּוֹ וַיָּמֹת כִּי זָקֵן הָאִישׁ וְכָבֵד וְהוּא שָׁפַט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה.
19 Καὶ νύμφη αὐτοῦ γυνὴ Φινεες συνειληφυῖα τοῦ τεκεῖν^AT· καὶ ἤκουσεν τὴν ἀγγελίαν ὅτι ἐλήμφθη ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ πενθερὸς αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, καὶ ὤκλασεν καὶ ἔτεκεν, ὅτι ἐπεστράφησαν^AU ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν ὠδῖνες αὐτῆς.	19 And his daughter-in-law the wife of Phinees was with child, about to bring forth; and she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon her.	19 And his daughter in law, the wife of Phinees, was big with child, and near her time: and hearing the news that the ark of God was taken, and her father in law, and her husband, were dead, she bowed herself and fell in labour: for her pains came upon her on a sudden.	19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken^AV, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed^AW; for her pains came upon her^AX.	19 Now, his daughter-in-law was pregnant [enough] to give birth, and she heard the hearsay concerning the ark of God being taken and her father-in-law and her husband dying, and she bent over and gave birth as her contractions overcame her.	(יט) וְכַלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת פִּינְחָס הָרָה לָלַת^AY וַתִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַשְּׁמֻעָה אֶל הִלָּקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וּמֵת חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ וַתִּכְרַע וַתֵּלֶד כִּי נֶהֶפְכוּ עָלֶיהָ צִרֶיהָ.
20 καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ αὐτῆς ἀποθνῄσκει^AZ, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῇ αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ παρεστηκυῖαι αὐτῇ Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι υἱὸν τέτοκας· καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐνόησεν ἡ καρδία αὐτῆς.	20 And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her, said to her, Fear not, for thou hast born a son: but she answered not, and her heart did not regard it.	20 And when she was upon the point of death, they that stood about her said to her: Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. She answered them not, nor gave heed to them.	20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by^BA her said ~~unto~~ her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard^BB it.	20 And around the time of her death, those who were attending to her said, “Don’t worry, for it’s a son that you’ve given birth to!” But she did not respond or put her heart into it.	(כ) וּכְעֵת מוּתָהּ וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה הַנִּצָּבוֹת עָלֶיהָ אַל תִּירְאִי כִּי בֵן יָלָדְתְּ וְלֹא עָנְתָה וְלֹא שָׁתָה לִבָּהּ^BC.
21 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν^BD τὸ παιδάριον Οὐαὶ βαρχαβωθ ὑπὲρ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πενθεροῦ αὐτῆς καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς.	21 And she called the child Uaebarchaboth, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband.	21 And she called the child Ichabod, saying: The glory is gone from Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and for her father in law, and for her husband:	21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.	21 Then she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “Glory is removed from Israel,” concerning the ark of God being taken - and concerning her father-in-law and her husband.	כא וַתִּקְרָא לַנַּעַר אִי כָבוֹד לֵאמֹר גָּלָה כָבוֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הִלָּקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶל חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ.
22 καὶ εἶπαν Ἀπῴκισται δόξα Ισραηλ ἐν τῷ λημφθῆναι τὴν κιβωτὸν κυρίου.	22 And they said, The glory of Israel is departed, forasmuch as the ark of the Lord is taken.	22 And she said: The glory is departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken.	22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.	22 And they said, “Glory is removed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been taken.	(כב) וַתֹּאמֶר גָּלָה כָבוֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כִּי נִלְקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים.

1According to Tsumura. Gill quoted Bunting's estimate (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 3) of 42miles and Midrash Schemuel apud Abarbinel in loc at 60 to 120 miles.

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use ~~strikeout~~. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing any part of 1 Samuel 2 is 4Q51Samuel^a, which contains fragments of vs. 1-10 and 16-36 (highlighted in purple), and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS supports the LXX with text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English.

B NASB = to meet (like the LXX), ESV and NIV omit this word.

CThe LXX text and some other Hebrew manuscripts have different readings with more words, but no new information. The DSS is too obliterated at this point for comparison.

DThe oldest-known manuscripts (the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate) have the additonal words “in those days” as well as a verb having to do with “gathering together”

E NIV = “deployed [their forces]” NASB “drew up in [battle] array” ESV “drew up in line”

F NASB, NIV, ESV = “the battle spread”

G NASB, NIV, ESV = “was defeated”

H The oldest-known manuscripts (LXX & Vulgate) have this verb in the passive. It doesn’t change the story, though.

I ESV = “~~here~~”

J NASB = “sits above,” NIV/ESV = “is enthroned [between/on]”

KAlthough the DSS is obliterated at this point, there is only enough room on the line for “ark of the Lord” instead of the MT’s “ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts.” Cf. Septuagint

L Septuagint omits this word, and the DSS word spacing doesn’t allow room for this word either.

MThis adjective describing the ark is not in the LXX or in some Hebrew manuscripts, but word spacing of the DSS seems to support its inclusion.

N NASB = “as” ESV= “as soon as”

O ESV = “~~mighty~~”

P This segment of the account from the perspective of the Philistines must have been related to Samuel by a Philistine.

Q NASB, NIV, ESV = “nothing like this has happened before”

RLXX adds extra words “These [are]… to them.” It doesn’t change the story, though. The Vulgate does not contain these words, and the DSS is unreadable at this point.

SThe LXX has a few extra words, and the Vulgate has one extra word here, so it’s possible that the MT has been edited here for brevity. There is not legible DSS of this verse for comparison.

TThese two words form an idiom found also in Gen. 31:2, 5; Exod. 4:10; 5:14; 21:29, 36; Deut. 4:42; 19:4, 6; Jos. 3:4; 4:18; 20:5; Ruth 2:11; 1 Sam. 4:7; 10:11; 14:21; 19:7; 21:6; 2 Sam. 3:17; 5:2; 2 Ki. 13:5; and 1 Chr. 11:2.

U ESV = “power”

V NASB & NIV/ESV add “[kinds/sorts of]”

WAndrew Willet: “in the ouerthrow of the Egyptians in the red sea, which joyned to the desert of Etham, there was a consummation of all the former plagues” But K&D’s explanation is: “even when Israel was in Goshen they dwelt on the border of the desert”

X “take courage” NASB/ESV

Y ESV/NASB/NIV lest/or you will become slaves/subject”

ZThe Mem suffix at the end of this Hebrew word which was part of the 2mp imperfect form must have been mistaken as a 3mp pronominal ending by the LXX, but the meaning is no different either way.

AA ESV = “~~home~~”

ABAlthough obliterated at this point, the DSS has enough space between legible text to support the two extra words of the LXX and too much space to support the MT.

ACThe DSS is obliterated at this point, but there is not enough space between what exists of the verse before and the verse after to support all the words in the MT. It has been suggested that the names of the two sons were omitted from the DSS, but since they are in the LXX and Vulgate, I’m keeping the names.

AD NASB/NIV = dust, ESV = dirt

AEThis word is not used in the sense of clothing in the Prophets or Poetry books; it is used once in the Penteteuch to refer to a priest’s uniform (Lev. 6:3), and all but one of the six instances of the word in the History books refers to armor (Jdg. 3:16; 5:10 – this is the one; 1 Sam. 4:12; 17:38-39; 18:4; 2 Sam. 20:8).

AF A= ekpeplhgmenh (“having been dumbstruck”), S = ekqamboV (“astonishment”)

AGThe Qere is יד "hand” (Note visual similarity to the Ketib.) and the Greek and Latin and English versions (as well as multiple Hebrew manuscripts) agree with the Qere.

AH NIV omits, ESV = sound

AI NASB = commotion, NIV = uproar

AJThe parallel between Eli’s question and the Philistine’s earlier question seems intentional. Both are in the dark as to God’s doings.

AK NASB, NIV, ESV = set

AL Cf 3:2, when Eli’s eyes ‎ הֵחֵלּוּ כֵהוֹת “began to dim” K&D support my hypothesis of this “stiffness” being “black cataracts.”

AM NASB, NIV = battle line, ESV = battle

AN NASB = "How did X thing[s] go...” (cf. ESV), NIV = "What X X happened...”

AO NASB/NIV “the one/man who brought the news”

APThe LXX reads the way several other Hebrew manuscripts do with the preposition -m (“from”) instead of -ל (“before”) but this is no real change of meaning.

AQ A= tenwn S= sponduloV

AR NASB/NIV/ESV omit

AS ESV = “over”

AT S= epitokoV hn “It was upon giving birth”

AU Q= epepeson “fell upon”

AV NIV/ESV = “captured” also in vs.21 & 22

AW NASB/NIV = “kneeled down/went into labor and gave birth” The historical norm for the final push to birth is squatting with chin down.

AX NIV = “she was overcome by” interpreting the Niphal as passive, matching use in Jonah 3:4

AY The only other time these two words appear together as a unit is Isaiah 26:17, which adds a word in the middle: רָה תַּקְרִיב לָלֶדֶת “a pregnant woman comes near to giving birth”

AZ S = en de tw kairw tou apoqnhskein authn “but during the time of her dying”

BA NIV/ESV = “attending”

BB NASB/NIV/ESV = “pay attention”

BC These two words form a unit also in Exod. 7:23; 2 Sam. 13:20; Job 7:17; Ps. 48:14; 62:11; Prov. 22:17; 24:32; 27:23; and Jer. 31:21.

BD A= ekamyen. S= wklasen.

1 Samuel 4 – “When God Lets You Down”

1) Perhaps You weren’t His to begin with!

2) God has other people to whom He wants to reveal Himself!

3) Perhaps God is calling you to get right with Him!

Conclusion

1 Samuel 4 - Side-by side comparison of versionsA

7 And the Philis­tines feared, and said, [These are] the Gods that are come [to them] into the camp. 8 X X Woe to us, [O Lord, deliver us to-day] for such a thing has not hap­pened aforetime:

15 Now Heli was ninety years old, and his eyes were fixed, and he X saw not.

1 Samuel 4- Side-by side comparison of versions^{^A}

7 And the Philistines feared, and said, [These are] the Gods that are come [to them] into the camp. 8 X X Woe to us, [O Lord, deliver us to-day] for such a thing has not happened aforetime: