1 Samuel 4:20

20 As she was dying,[a] the women taking care of her said, "Don't be afraid. You've given birth to a son!"[b] But she did not respond, and did not pay attention.

1 Samuel 4:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 4:20

And about the time of her death
Which quickly came on after she was brought to bed:

the women that stood by her;
who were called to her labour, and assisted at it:

said unto her, fear not, for thou hast born a son;
perceiving that she was very low spirited, endeavoured to cheer and comfort her, by observing to her that the worst was over; and besides she had brought forth a man child, which was usually matter of joy to a family, and particularly to the woman that bears it, which causes her to forget the sorrows and pains she has gone through in bearing it, ( John 16:21 ) but she answered not, neither did she regard it; said not one word in answer to them, nor was the least affected with joy and pleasure at what they related to her; being not only a dying woman, on the borders of another world, and so had no relish for temporal enjoyments, but also overcome with grief with what had happened, not only to her family, but more especially to the ark of God.

1 Samuel 4:20 In-Context

18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel 40 years.
19 Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God's ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her.
20 As she was dying, the women taking care of her said, "Don't be afraid. You've given birth to a son!" But she did not respond, and did not pay attention.
21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," referring to the capture of the ark of God and to [the deaths of] her father-in-law and her husband.
22 "The glory has departed from Israel," she said, "because the ark of God has been captured."

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. LXX reads And in her time of delivery, she was about to die
  • [b]. Gn 35:16-19
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