Shmuel Alef 4:10

10 And the Pelishtim fought, and Yisroel was defeated, and they fled every ish into his ohel; and there was makkah gedolah me’od (a very great slaughter); for there fell of Yisroel shloshim elef foot soldiers.

Shmuel Alef 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 4:10

And the Philistines fought
With great ardour and spirit, quitted themselves like men of valour and courage, their case being desperate as they imagined, since God was in the camp of Israel:

and Israel was smitten:
were routed and beaten:

and they fled every man into his tent;
such of them as escaped the sword of the Philistines fled to their own houses in the several cities from whence they came; so the Targum,

``every man to his city''

so that their army was quite broken up:

and there was a very great slaughter
far greater than in the first battle:

For there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen;
their army chiefly, if not altogether, consisting of footmen, there being few horses in Israel; and if any cavalry now, these may be supposed to flee; before they lost only 4000, now 30,000; so that the ark was no security to them, which was suffered, to show their vain trust and confidence in it.

Shmuel Alef 4:10 In-Context

8 Oy lanu! Who shall save us out of the yad of these elohim ha’adirim (mighty g-ds)? These are the g-ds that struck the Mitzrayim with kol makkah (all the plagues) in the midbar.

9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like anashim, O ye Pelishtim (Philistines), that ye be not avadim unto the Ivrim (Hebrews), as they have been subject to you; conduct yourselves like anashim, and fight.

10 And the Pelishtim fought, and Yisroel was defeated, and they fled every ish into his ohel; and there was makkah gedolah me’od (a very great slaughter); for there fell of Yisroel shloshim elef foot soldiers.

11 And the Aron Elohim was captured; and the two Bnei Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, died.

12 And there ran an ish of Binyamin out of the ma’arakhah (battleground), and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn, and with adamah upon his rosh.