1 Samuel 4:14

14 And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and he said, What is the sound of this noise? (And Eli heard all the yelling, and he said, What is the meaning of this noise?) And the man hasted, and came, and told to Eli.

1 Samuel 4:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 4:14

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying
The shrieks of the men and women, which were very clamorous and terrible. Eli had his hearing, though not his sight; he could not see the distress in their countenances, but he heard the lamentations they made:

and said, what meaneth the noise of this tumult?
it seems the people ran about, wringing their hands, and making doleful shrieks; the noise of which Eli heard, and the meaning of which he inquired after, or what should be the cause of it:

and the man came in hastily, and told Eli;
or made haste, and came to him, and related all that is later expressed; for Eli was not in any house, but on a seat by the way side, and therefore could not be said to come "in" to him; but he came to him, where he was, being brought by some of the citizens Eli had inquired of what should be the meaning of this noise; and therefore without delay the man was hastened to give the whole account unto him, as it was highly proper he should, being the supreme magistrate.

1 Samuel 4:14 In-Context

12 And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle array, and came into Shiloh in that day, with his cloth rent, and with his head besprinkled with dust; (And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle array, and came into Shiloh that day, with his cloak torn, and with his head covered with dirt;)

13 and when he was come, Eli sat upon a seat, and beheld against the way; for his heart was dreading for the ark of the Lord (and when he arrived, Eli sat on a seat, looking toward the road; for his heart was fearing for the Ark of the Lord). And after that that man had entered, he told (what had happened) to the men of the city, and (then) all the city yelled.

14 And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and he said, What is the sound of this noise? (And Eli heard all the yelling, and he said, What is the meaning of this noise?) And the man hasted, and came, and told to Eli.

15 And Eli was of fourscore years and eighteen, and his eyes (had) dimmed/his eyes (had) darkened, and he might not see.

16 And the man said to Eli, I am he that came from the battle, and I am he that fled today from the battle array. To whom Eli said, My son, what is there done? (My son, what is done there?)