1 Samuel 4:1-6

1 Israel went to fight against the Philistines and camped near Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

2 The Philistines organized their troops to meet Israel in battle. As the battle spread, the Philistines defeated Israel and killed about 4,000 soldiers in the field.

3 When the troops came back to the camp, the leaders of Israel asked, "Why has the LORD used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let's get the ark of the LORD's promise from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies."

4 The troops sent some men who brought back the ark of the promise of the LORD of Armies--who is enthroned over the angels. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came along with God's ark.

5 When the LORD's ark came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth rang with echoes.

6 As the Philistines heard the noise, they asked, "What's [all] this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" The Philistines found out that the LORD's ark had come into the camp.

1 Samuel 4:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 4

This chapter is a narrative of a war between Israel and the Philistines, in the time of Samuel, and of the consequences of it. In the first battle, the Philistines had the better of the Israelites, which caused the latter to inquire into the reason of it, and who proposed to fetch the ark of the Lord, and did, to repair their loss, and prepare for a second battle, in which they hoped to succeed, and which struck a panic into their enemies, 1Sa 4:1-7, who yet encouraged and stirred up one another to behave in a courageous manner, and victory a second time was on their side, a great number of the Israelites were slain, among whom were Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, and the ark of God was taken, 1Sa 4:8-11, the news of which being brought to Eli, he fell back and died, 1Sa 4:12-18 and to his daughter-in-law, who upon it fell into labour, and died also, 1Sa 4:19-22.