1 Samuel 4:20

1 Samuel 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer or pay attention.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she regard it.

Context of 1 Samuel 4:20

18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backwards by the side of the [city] gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years. 19Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant, and was about to give birth; so when she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, because her [labor] pains began. And about the time of her death [following the sudden birth] the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay any attention. 21And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has left Israel,” because the ark of God had been taken and because of [the deaths of] her father-in-law and her husband. 22She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.”

1 Samuel 4:20 word by word

וּכְעֵ֣ת מוּתָ֗הּ וַתְּדַבֵּ֙רְנָה֙ הַנִּצָּב֣וֹת עָלֶ֔יהָ אַל־תִּֽירְאִ֖י כִּ֣י בֵ֣ן יָלָ֑דְתְּ וְלֹ֥א עָנְתָ֖ה וְלֹא־שָׁ֥תָה לִבָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And about the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• of her deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• the women that stoodנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• by her saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto her, Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• not; for thou hast bornיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• But she answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• not, neither did she regardלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• not, neither did she regardשִׁיתshîyth · to set: considerH7896

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:20

• Genesis 35:17When she was in hard labor the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid; you now have another son.”
• John 16:21A woman, when she is in labor, has pain because her time [to give birth] has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has come into the world.
• Psalms 77:2In the day of my trouble I [desperately] sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out [in prayer] without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20But she answered not - She paid no attention to what the women had said concerning her having borne a son; that information she regarded not.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 The wife of Phinehas seems to have been a person of piety. Her dying regret was for the loss of the ark, and the departure of the glory from Israel. What is any earthly joy to her that feels herself dying? No joy but that which is spiritual and divine, will stand in any stead then; death is too serious a thing to admit the relish of any earthly joy. What is it to one that is lamenting the loss of the ark? What pleasure can we take in our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The name Ichabod includes the Hebrew word kabod, meaning glory (see Exodus 24:15–17). A similar word describes Eli in 1 Samuel 4:18 (Hebrew kabed, meaning heavy). The ark's disappearance mirrors the fall of Eli’s family. The Israelites lost divine glory and protection (compare Ezekiel 8–10; Luke 19:41–44; 21:20–24), but God's glorious presence would later return to them (1 Samuel 6:1–21; compare Ezekiel 43:1–8).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:20

• Ark
• Judgments
• Parents
• Patriotism

In the dictionaries

• Glory
• Ichabod
• Mean
• Pain
• Philistines
• Tabernacle
• Tumult
• Ark of the Covenant
• Exodus, the Book of
• God

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings