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

18As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged Israel forty years. 19Now Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news of the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth, for her labor pains overtook her. As she was dying, the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay any heed. 21And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed. 22“The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “for the ark of God has been captured.”

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

• Asעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• she was dyingמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• the women attendingנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• to herעַל‛al · uponH5921
• saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• Do notאַל'al · notH408
• be afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• forכִּיkîy · forH3588
• you have given birth toיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• But she did notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• respondעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• or pay any heedשִׁיתshîyth · to set: considerH7896
• or pay any heedלֵבlêb · heartH3820

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:20

• Genesis 35:17During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”
• John 16:21A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
• Psalms 77:2In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; 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