1 Samuel 4:1

CHAPTER IV

A battle between Israel and the Philistines, in which the former

are defeated, with the loss of four thousand men, 1, 2.

They resolve to give the Philistines battle once more, and bring

the ark of the Lord, with Hophni and Phinehas the priests, into

the camp, 3, 4.

They do so, and become vainly confident, 5.

At this the Philistines are dismayed, 6-9.

The battle commences; the Israelites are again defeated, with

the loss of thirty thousand men; Hophni and Phinehas are among

the slain; and the ark of the Lord is taken, 10, 11.

A Benjamite runs with the news to Eli; who, hearing of the

capture of the ark, falls from his seat, and breaks his neck,

12-18.

The wife of Phinehas, hearing of the death of her husband, and

father-in-law, and of the capture of the ark, is taken in

untimely travail, beings forth a son, calls him I-chabod, and

expires, 19-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. IV

Verse 1 Samuel 4:1. The word of Samuel came to all Israel] This clause certainly belongs to the preceding chapter, and is so placed by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic.

Pitched beside Eben-ezer] This name was not given to this place till more than twenty years after this battle, see 1 Samuel 7:12; for the monument called האבן העזר haeben haezer, the "Stone of Help," was erected by Samuel in the place which was afterwards from this circumstance, called Eben-ezer, when the Lord had given the Israelites a signal victory over the Philistines. It was situated in the tribe of Judah, between Mizpeh and Shen, and not far from the Aphek here mentioned. This is another proof that this book was compiled after the times and transactions which it records, and probably from memoranda which had been made by a contemporary writer.