1 Samuel 4
4
The Battle of Aphek
1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2The Philistines lined up for the battle to meet Israel, and the battle was prolonged#Or “drawn out” until Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who#Literally “and they” killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.#Literally “in the battle line in the field” 3When the army#Or “people” came back to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to us from Shiloh so that it may come into our midst and deliver#Or “save” us from the hand of our enemies.” 4So the army sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts who sits between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5Now when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh arrived at the camp, all Israel let out a loud shout#Literally “shouted a great shout” so that the earth shook.
6When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What is the noise of this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they learned that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp. 7So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come#Or “gods have come” to the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us, for this has never happened before!#Literally “it has not happened like this since yesterday and since the day before that” 8Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the same gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert. 9Take courage and be men, you Philistines, lest you end up serving the Hebrews just like they have served you. Be men and fight!” 10So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated and each man fled to his tent, for the slaughter was very great. Thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell. 11Furthermore, the ark of God was captured,#Or “taken” and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day, and his clothes were torn and earth was on his head. 13When he came, there was#Literally “look” Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road#Literally “by the hand of the road” watching, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. Now the man had come to give his report#Literally “to tell” in the city, and all the city cried out. 14When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What is the noise of this commotion?” Then the man came quickly#Literally “hastened and came” and told Eli. 15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old#Literally “a son of ninety and eight years” and his eyes stayed fixed ahead#Literally “were standing” and he was not able to see. 16And the man said to Eli, “I am the one who has come from the battle line! I have fled today from the battle line!” And he said, “What exactly happened,#Literally “what is the thing/matter” my son?” 17Then the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines. There has been a great defeat among the troops. Also, your two sons have died, Hophni and Phinehas, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18Just as he mentioned the ark of God, he#That is, Eli fell from his chair backwards against the side of the gate. He broke his neck and died, because the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
19Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news concerning the capture of the ark of God and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she went into labor#Literally “bowed down” and gave birth, because her labor pains came upon her. 20Just before the time of her death, those attending her#Literally “standing over her” said, “Do not fear, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer, or pay any attention.#Literally “set her heart” 21She called the boy Ichabod,#The name “Ichabod” means “no glory” saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and concerning her father-in-law and husband. 22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was captured.”#Or “taken”
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1 Samuel 4
4
The Capture of the Covenant Box
1At that time the Philistines gathered to go to war against Israel, so#4.1: One ancient translation the Philistines … so; Hebrew does not have these words. the Israelites set out to fight them. The Israelites set up their camp at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Aphek. 2The Philistines attacked, and after fierce fighting they defeated the Israelites and killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3When the survivors came back to camp, the leaders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let the Philistines defeat us today? Let's go and bring the Lord's Covenant Box from Shiloh, so that he#4.3: he; or it. will go with us and save us from our enemies.” 4#Ex 25.22 So they sent messengers to Shiloh and got the Covenant Box of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned above the winged creatures.#4.4: winged creatures: See Word List. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came along with the Covenant Box.
5When the Covenant Box arrived, the Israelites gave such a loud shout of joy that the earth shook. 6The Philistines heard the shouting and said, “Listen to all that shouting in the Hebrew camp! What does it mean?” When they found out that the Lord's Covenant Box had arrived in the Hebrew camp, 7they were afraid, and said, “A god has come into their camp! We're lost! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before! 8Who can save us from those powerful gods? They are the gods who slaughtered the Egyptians in the desert! 9Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men, or we will become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they were our slaves. So fight like men!”
10The Philistines fought hard and defeated the Israelites, who went running to their homes. There was a great slaughter: thirty thousand Israelite soldiers were killed. 11God's Covenant Box was captured, and Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were both killed.
The Death of Eli
12A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran all the way from the battlefield to Shiloh and arrived there the same day. To show his grief, he had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head. 13Eli, who was very worried about the Covenant Box, was sitting in his seat beside the road, staring. The man spread the news throughout the town, and everyone cried out in fear. 14Eli heard the noise and asked, “What is all this noise about?” The man hurried to Eli to tell him the news. ( 15Eli was now ninety-eight years old and almost completely blind.) 16The man said, “I have escaped from the battle and have run all the way here today.”
Eli asked him, “What happened, my son?”
17The messenger answered, “Israel ran away from the Philistines; it was a terrible defeat for us! Besides that, your sons Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and God's Covenant Box was captured!”
18When the man mentioned the Covenant Box, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He was so old and fat that the fall broke his neck, and he died. He had been a leader in Israel for forty years.
The Death of the Widow of Phinehas
19Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, and it was almost time for her baby to be born. When she heard that God's Covenant Box had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she suddenly went into labor and gave birth. 20As she was dying, the women helping her said to her, “Be brave! You have a son!” But she paid no attention and did not answer. 21She named the boy Ichabod,#4.21: Ichabod: This name in Hebrew means “no glory.” explaining, “God's glory has left Israel”—referring to the capture of the Covenant Box and the death of her father-in-law and her husband. 22“God's glory has left Israel,” she said, “because God's Covenant Box has been captured.”
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