1 Samuel 4:10

10 The P'lishtim fought, Isra'el was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. It was a terrible slaughter - 30,000 of Isra'el's foot soldiers fell.

1 Samuel 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 4:10

And the Philistines fought
With great ardour and spirit, quitted themselves like men of valour and courage, their case being desperate as they imagined, since God was in the camp of Israel:

and Israel was smitten:
were routed and beaten:

and they fled every man into his tent;
such of them as escaped the sword of the Philistines fled to their own houses in the several cities from whence they came; so the Targum,

``every man to his city''

so that their army was quite broken up:

and there was a very great slaughter
far greater than in the first battle:

For there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen;
their army chiefly, if not altogether, consisting of footmen, there being few horses in Israel; and if any cavalry now, these may be supposed to flee; before they lost only 4000, now 30,000; so that the ark was no security to them, which was suffered, to show their vain trust and confidence in it.

1 Samuel 4:10 In-Context

8 We're lost! Who will rescue us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that completely overthrew the Egyptians in the desert.

9 Be strong; and behave like men, you P'lishtim; so that you won't become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Behave like men, and fight!"

10 The P'lishtim fought, Isra'el was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. It was a terrible slaughter - 30,000 of Isra'el's foot soldiers fell.

11 Moreover, the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of 'Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, died.

12 One of the soldiers, a man from Binyamin, ran and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and earth on his head [as a sign of mourning].