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The Army Sends for the Ark

Israel went to fight against the Philistines and camped near Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines organized their troops to meet Israel in battle. As the battle spread,[a] the Philistines defeated Israel and killed about 4,000 soldiers in the field.

When the troops came back to the camp, the leaders of Israel asked, “Why has Yahweh used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s promise from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies.” The troops sent some men who brought back the ark of the promise of Yahweh Tsebaoth—who is enthroned over the angels.[b] Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came along with Elohim’s ark. When Yahweh’s ark came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth rang with echoes.

As the Philistines heard the noise, they asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” The Philistines found out that Yahweh’s ark had come into the camp. Then they were frightened and said, “A god has come into their camp.” They also said, “Oh no! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We’re in trouble now! Who can save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the desert. Be strong, Philistines, and act like men, or else you will serve the Hebrews as they served you. Act like men and fight.”

The Ark Captured

10 The Philistines fought and defeated Israel. Every Israelite soldier fled to his tent. It was a major defeat in which 30,000 Israelite foot soldiers died. 11 The ark of Elohim was captured. Both of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the front line of the battle. He went to Shiloh that day with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.[c] 13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on a chair beside the road, watching. He was worried about the ark of Elohim. The man went into the city to tell the news. The whole city cried out. 14 Hearing the cry, Eli asked, “What is this commotion?” So the man went quickly to tell Eli the news. 15 (Eli was 98 years old, and his eyesight had failed so that he couldn’t see.)

16 The man told Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. I fled from the front line today.”

“What happened, son?” Eli asked.

17 “Israel fled from the Philistines,” the messenger answered. “Our troops suffered heavy casualties. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, also are dead, and the ark of Elohim has been captured.”

18 When the messenger mentioned the ark of Elohim, Eli fell from his chair backwards toward the gate. He broke his neck, and he died. (The man was old and heavy.) He had judged[d] Israel for 40 years.

19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant. When she heard the news that the ark of Elohim had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor prematurely and gave birth to a son. 20 As she was dying, the women helping her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer or pay attention.

21 She called the boy Ichabod [No Glory], saying, “Israel’s glory is gone,” because the ark of Elohim had been captured and because her father-in-law and her husband died. 22 “Israel’s glory is gone because the ark of Elohim has been captured,” she said.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 4:2 Hebrew meaning uncertain.
  2. 1 Samuel 4:4 Or “cherubim.”
  3. 1 Samuel 4:12 Tearing one’s clothes and throwing dirt on one’s head was a sign of mourning.
  4. 1 Samuel 4:18 Eli served as a God-appointed political/religious leader of Israel like the judges in the book of Judges.

And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer,(A) and the Philistines at Aphek.(B) The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why(C) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark(D) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,(E) so that he may go with us(F) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.(G) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout(H) that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew(I) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid.(J) “A god has[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck(K) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues(L) in the wilderness. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they(M) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated(N) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.(O)

Death of Eli

12 That same day a Benjamite(P) ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust(Q) on his head. 13 When he arrived, there was Eli(R) sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes(S) had failed so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

17 The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead,(T) and the ark of God has been captured.”(U)

18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led[b](V) Israel forty years.(W)

19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

21 She named the boy Ichabod,[c](X) saying, “The Glory(Y) has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The Glory(Z) has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”(AA)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 4:7 Or “Gods have (see Septuagint)
  2. 1 Samuel 4:18 Traditionally judged
  3. 1 Samuel 4:21 Ichabod means no glory.