1 Samuel 4:1-11 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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1 Samuel 4:1 b. Now Israel. 1 Samuel 4:1 (E). From Ancient History of the Ark (cf. above, p. 273).

1 Samuel 4:1 b - 1 Samuel 4:11. The Israelites, Defeated by the Philistines, Fetch the Ark. They are again Defeated.

1 Samuel 4:1. Philistines: pp. 56f., 66f. Eben-ezer: Stone of Help (cf. 1 Samuel 7:12). Sites of Eben-ezer and Aphek (1 Kings 20:26 *) not known, probably NW. of Jerusalem, either near the city, or on the inland edge of the Maritime Plain.

1 Samuel 4:3. ark of the covenant of the Lord: cf. 1 Samuel 3:3. Deuteronomic title of the Ark; covenant is equivalent to the stone tables of the Ten Commandments which Deuteronomy 10:2; Deuteronomy 10:5 place in the Ark. In this History of the Ark the title was originally either A. of Yahweh or A. of God. our, etc. God; the additional words in the titles having been added by editors. Here read A. of our God, with LXX. that it may become: perhaps read that He, etc. The Ark is a talisman or Palladium, identified with Yahweh, or carrying His presence with it (2 Samuel 11:11 *).

1 Samuel 4:4. which sitteth upon the cherubim: editorial addition (see above). The Ark is thought of as the throne of Yahweh. cherubim: see Genesis 3:24.

1 Samuel 4:4 f. Lord. God. Lord: note variation of Divine Names; it has been suggested that this is an indication of compilation from two sources, but this view is not generally adopted. At present there is no satisfactory explanation of this use of the Divine Names; possibly it is due to partial revision: originally the same name was used throughout.

1 Samuel 4:6. Hebrews: the name for Israelites used by foreigners.

1 Samuel 4:8. in the wilderness: the plagues were in Egypt and not in the wilderness; apparently either the author or an annotator got confused; unless we read and with pestilence, which would require only a very slight change in the Hebrew.

1 Samuel 4:10. thirty thousand: probably an exaggeration, even if it was a contemporary guess.

Related Commentaries of 1 Samuel 4:1

1 Samuel 4:1-11

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joineda battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetchb the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

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 the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

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.

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 heretofore.c

8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and quitd yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.e