1 Samuel 4:7

7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.

1 Samuel 4:7 in Other Translations

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.

7 they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!

7 The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before.

7 they panicked. "The gods have entered their camp!" they said. "Woe to us, nothing like this has 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 When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,

7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.

8 We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

Cross References

• 1. S Exodus 15:14

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "“Gods have" (see Septuagint)