1 Samuel 4:1

1 Samuel 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
• New International Version (NIV)And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

Context of 1 Samuel 4:1

Samuel spoke the Lord's messages to all the Israelites. The Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelite army put up their tents near the place called Ebenezer. The Philistine army put up their tents at Aphek. 2The Philistines went to attack the Israelites. As the battle continued, the Philistines won the fight and they killed about 4,000 Israelites. 3The Israelite soldiers returned to their tents. The leaders of Israel said to each other, ‘Why did the Lord let the Philistines win against us today? We should bring the Lord's Covenant Box here from Shiloh. We will take it with us into the battle. Then it will save us from our enemies.’

1 Samuel 4:1 word by word

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּצֵ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ לִקְרַ֨את פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים לַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ עַל־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָעֵ֔זֶר וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים חָנ֥וּ בַאֲפֵֽק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• came to all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• to battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• and pitchedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• beside Eben–ezerאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר'eben hâ‛êzer · EbenezerH72
• in Aphekאֲפֵק'ăphêq 'ăphîyq · AphekH663

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:1

• 1 Samuel 3:11Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to me. I am ready to do something great among the Israelite people. When people hear about it, they will shake with fear.
• 1 Samuel 5:1When the Philistines took God's Covenant Box, they took it from Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
• 1 Samuel 7:12After that, Samuel took a stone. He fixed it in the ground between Mizpah and Shen. He called the stone Ebenezer. He said, ‘The Lord has helped us all this way.’
• Joshua 15:53Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
• 1 Samuel 29:1The Philistine army put up their tents at Aphek. The Israelites made their camp near the spring of water at Jezreel.
• Joshua 19:30Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. They received 22 towns and their villages.
• 1 Kings 20:30The other soldiers ran back to Aphek. When they went into the city, the city wall fell on 27,000 of them. King Ben-Hadad also ran into the city. He hid in a room at the back of a house.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The 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 העזר האבן haeben haezer, the "Stone of Help," was erected by Samuel in the place which was afterwards from this circumstance, called Eben-ezer…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Some attach the opening words to the close of 1 Samuel 7:5.) But this is not the natural interpretation of the words, which seem clearly to belong to what went before. The mention of the Philistines connects the narrative with Judges 13:1, and seems to have terminated in the days of Samuel 1 Samuel 7:13-14 in about the 20th year of his judgeship 1 Samuel 7:2; and since it had already begun before the birth of Samson Judges 13:5, and Samson judged Israel…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Israelites overcome by the Philistines. (1-9) The ark taken. (10-11) The death of Eli. (12-18) The birth of Ichabod. (19-22) Verses 1-9 Israel is smitten before the Philistines. Sin, the accursed thing, was in the camp, and gave their enemies all the advantage they could wish for. They own the hand of God in their trouble; but, instead of submitting, they speak angrily, as not aware of any just provocation they had given him. The foolishness of man…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1the Philistines: See “The Philistines” Profile. The exact location of Ebenezer is unknown. It was likely just east of Aphek (see also 1 Samuel 7:12 and 1 Samuel 7:12). Aphek was west of Shiloh, far inland and north of Philistine territory. By camping there, the Philistines might have been trying to take more Israelite land.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-111Sa 4:1-11. Israel Overcome by the Philistines. 1. the word of Samuel came to all Israel--The character of Samuel as a prophet was now fully established. The want of an "open vision" was supplied by him, for "none of his words were let fall to the ground" (1Sa 3:19); and to his residence in Shiloh all the people of Israel repaired to consult him as an oracle, who, as the medium of receiving the divine command, or by his gift of a prophet, could inform…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:1

• Aphek
• Israel
• Samuel

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Philistines
• Samuel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Eben-Ezer
• Aphik
• Glory
• Mean
• Pain

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