1 Samuel 4
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
7And 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.
8Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
15Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
20And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
21And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
22And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH347812× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- אָרוֹןʼârôwnH72712× in this chapter
a box
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH43011× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- הָיָהhâyâhH196110× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- אָמַרʼâmarH55910× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- פְּלִשְׁתִּיPᵉlishtîyH643010× in this chapter
a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth
- בּוֹאbôwʼH93510× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- אִישׁʼîyshH3769× in this chapter
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
- אֵלʼêlH4139× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- כִּיkîyH35888× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֵתʼêthH8538× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- עַלʻalH59217× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- עֵלִיʻÊlîyH59417× in this chapter
Eli, an Israelite highpriest
- בֵּןbênH11216× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- לָקַחlâqachH39476× in this chapter
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30685× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- מוּתmûwthH41915× in this chapter
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
- מַחֲנֶהmachănehH42645× in this chapter
an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts)
- בְּרִיתbᵉrîythH12854× in this chapter
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
- גָּדוֹלgâdôwlH14194× in this chapter
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
- כֹּלkôlH36054× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- לֹאlôʼH38084× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- מָהmâhH41004× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- מַעֲרָכָהmaʻărâkâhH46344× in this chapter
an arrangement; concretely, a pile; specifically a military array
- פִּינְחָסPîynᵉchâçH63724× in this chapter
Pinechas, the name of three Israelites
- קוֹלqôwlH69634× in this chapter
a voice or sound
- חׇפְנִיChophnîyH26523× in this chapter
Chophni, an Israelite
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יוֹםyôwmH31173× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- יָלַדyâladH32053× in this chapter
to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
- נָגַףnâgaphH50623× in this chapter
to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)
- נוּסnûwçH51273× in this chapter
to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
- עַםʻamH59713× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64403× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- שִׁילֹהShîylôhH78873× in this chapter
Shiloh, a place in Palestine
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80853× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
- שְׁנַיִםshᵉnayimH81473× in this chapter
two; also (as ordinal) twofold
- תְּרוּעָהtᵉrûwʻâhH86433× in this chapter
clamor, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clangorof trumpets, as an alarum
- גָּלָהgâlâhH15402× in this chapter
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
- גַּםgamH15712× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and