1 Samuel 4:7

7 So [the] Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come to the camp." And they said, "Woe to us, {for this has never happened before!}

1 Samuel 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 4:7

And the Philistines were afraid
When the spies returned, and reported to them the reason of the shouting:

for they said, God is come into the camp;
into the camp of Israel, because the ark represented him, and was the symbol of his presence; and these Heathens might take the ark itself for an idol of the Israelites; the Targum is,

``the ark of God is come''

and they said, woe unto us;
it is all over with us, destruction and ruin will be our case, victory will go on their side now their God is among them:

for there hath not been such a thing heretofore;
if by this they meant that the ark had never been in the camp of Israel before, they were mistaken; and it is no great wonder they should, being not so well acquainted with the affairs of Israel, and their customs; or rather, it was not so yesterday, or three days ago, when they were defeated; there was no shouting then: or the state of the war is altered; before we fought with the men of Israel, but now we must fight with the God of Israel also.

1 Samuel 4:7 In-Context

5 Now when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh arrived at the camp, all Israel {let out a loud shout} so that the earth shook.

6 When [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.

7 So [the] Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come to the camp." And they said, "Woe to us, {for this has never happened before!}

8 Woe 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.

9 Take courage and be men, [you] Philistines, lest you end up serving the Hebrews just like they have served you. Be men and fight!"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "gods have come"
• [b]. Literally "it has not happened like this since yesterday and since the day before that"