And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the
army,
&c.] It is very probable that the people Eli inquired of told
him there was a messenger come from the army, though they did not
choose to relate to him the news he brought:
and I fled today out of the army;
so that as he was an eyewitness of what was done in the army, the
account he brought was the earliest that could be had, in
bringing which he had made great dispatch, having ran perhaps all
the way:
and he said, what is there done, my son?
has a battle been fought? on which side is the victory? is Israel
beaten, or have they conquered? how do things go? he uses the
kind and tender appellation, my son, to engage him to tell him
all freely and openly.
