1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel · Chapter 4

1 Samuel 4:12

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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.And 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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he ranוַיָּ֤רָץvai-YA-rotzH7323G
to run: run

רוּץ (ruts) : run/runner/messenger 1) to run 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to run 1a2) runners (participle as subst) 1b) (Polel) to run swiftly, dart 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring or move quickly, hurry 1c2) to drive away from, cause to run away

[the] man ofאִישׁ־'ish-H0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

Benjaminבִּנְיָמִן֙bin-ya-MINH1144G
Ben-oni

בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (ben-o.ni) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18; son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354); brother of: Joseph (H3130); half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); …

from the battle lineמֵהַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔הme-ha-MA-'a-ra-KHAHH4634
army

מַעֲרָה (ma.a.rah) 1) army, battle-line 2) (TWOT) nakedness

and he cameוַיָּבֹ֥אvai-ya-VO'H0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

Shilohשִׁלֹ֖הshi-LOHH7887
Shiloh

שִׁלוֹ (shi.loh) Shiloh = "place of rest" a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up Also named: shi.lo.ni (שִׁילֹנִי "Shilonite" H7888)

on the dayבַּיּ֣וֹםbai-YOMH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

the thatהַה֑וּאha-HU'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

and garments hisוּמַדָּ֣יוu-ma-DAVH4055
garment

מַד (mad) 1) measure, cloth garment 1a) measure 1b) cloth, carpet 1c) garment (outer)

[were] tornקְרֻעִ֔יםke-ru-'IMH7167
to tear

קָרַע (qa.ra) 1) to tear, tear in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to tear, rend 1a2) to tear away or out 1a3) to tear, rend asunder 1a3a) to make wide or large (of eyes) 1a3b) to rend open (of heavens) 1a4) to tear, rend (of wild beasts) 1b) (Niphal) to be rent, be split asunder

and earthוַאֲדָמָ֖הva-'a-da-MAHH0127G
land: soil

אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) : soil 1) ground, land 1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance) 1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land 1c) earth substance (for building or constructing) 1d) ground as earth's visible surface 1e) land, territory, country 1f) whole inhabited earth 1g) city in Naphtali

[was] onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

head hisרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ro-SHOH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.