EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Samuel 4:18
18Eli was sitting near the city's gate. He was old and fat. When the soldier spoke about God's Covenant Box, Eli fell back off his chair. His neck broke and he died. He had been a leader of Israel's people for 40 years.
1 Samuel 4:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
Context of 1 Samuel 4:18
16The soldier said to Eli, ‘I am the man who ran here today from the battle.’ Eli asked him, ‘What happened, my son?’ 17The soldier replied, ‘The Israelites ran away while the Philistines chased them. The Philistines killed many of our soldiers. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead. And the Philistines have taken away God's Covenant Box.’ Eli was sitting near the city's gate. He was old and fat. When the soldier spoke about God's Covenant Box, Eli fell back off his chair. His neck broke and he died. He had been a leader of Israel's people for 40 years. 19At that time, Phinehas' wife was pregnant. She was ready to give birth. She heard the news that the Philistines had taken away God's Covenant Box. She heard that her husband Phinehas and his father Eli were dead. When she heard this news, she started to give birth to her baby. But she had a lot of pain. 20She was dying. The women who were helping her said, ‘Do not be afraid. You have given birth to a son!’ But this did not make her happy. She did not answer them.
Read all of 1 Samuel 41 Samuel 4:18 word by word
וַיְהִ֞י כְּהַזְכִּיר֣וֹ׀ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים וַיִּפֹּ֣ל מֵֽעַל־הַ֠כִּסֵּא אֲחֹ֨רַנִּ֜ית בְּעַ֣ד׀ יַ֣ד הַשַּׁ֗עַר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֤ר מַפְרַקְתּוֹ֙ וַיָּמֹ֔ת כִּֽי־זָקֵ֥ן הָאִ֖ישׁ וְכָבֵ֑ד וְה֛וּא שָׁפַ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when he made mentionזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- of the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- that he fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- from off the seatכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throne: seatH3678
- backwardאֲחֹרַנִּית'ăchôrannîyth · backwardsH322
- byבַּ֫עַדbe‛ad · about/through/forH1157
- the sideיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
- of the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- and his neckמַפְרֶקֶתmiphreqeth · neckH4665
- brakeשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- and he diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- for he was an oldזָקֵןzâqên · be oldH2204
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and heavyכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- And he had judgedשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:18
- 1 Samuel 4:21She called the boy's name Ichabod, because she said, ‘God's glory has gone away from Israel.’ She said this because the Philistines had taken away God's Covenant Box, and because her husband and his father had died.
- Psalms 26:8Lord, I love the temple that is your house. It is the place where we clearly see your glory.
- Psalms 42:3All day and all night I weep. My tears are my only food! My enemies say to me all the time, ‘Where is your God?’
- Psalms 69:9My love for your house burns inside me like a fire. Anybody who insults you, is also insulting me!
- Lamentations 2:15Everyone who goes by laughs at you. They are happy because you are sad. They see how the enemy has destroyed everything in Jerusalem. ‘Surely this cannot be the city that men called most beautiful,’ they say. ‘People have said that this city is the best city on earth.’
- 1 Samuel 2:31So you and your family will soon come to an end. No one in your family will live to become old men.
- 1 Samuel 3:12When that day arrives, I will punish Eli and his family in all the ways that I have said. I will start at the beginning and I will continue to the end.
- Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord said, “People may come near to me. But those people must see that I am holy. All the people must give honour to me.” ’ Aaron did not reply.
- 1 Corinthians 11:30That is why many of you are weak and sick. Some of you have even died because of this.
- 1 Peter 4:17The time has come when God will start to judge people. He will first judge the people who belong to him. If he will start with his own people, what will happen to other people? They have refused to obey God's good news, so it will surely be very bad for them.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18When he made mention of the ark of God - Eli bore all the relation till the messenger came to this solemn word; he had trembled before for the ark, and now, hearing that it was captured, he was transfixed with grief, fell down from his seat, and dislocated his neck! Behold the judgments of God! But shall we say that this man, however remiss in the education of his children, and criminal in his indulgence towards his profligate sons, which arose more from…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18A comparison of 2 Samuel 18:4, explains exactly the meaning of the “side of the gate,” and Eli‘s position. His seat or throne, without a back, stood with the side against the jamb of the gate, leaving the passage through the gate quite clear, but placed so that every one passing through the gate must pass in front of him. Forty years - This chronological note connects this book with that of Judges. (Compare Judges 3:11, etc.) It is an interesting…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 The defeat of the army was very grievous to Eli as a judge; the tidings of the death of his two sons, to whom he had been so indulgent, and who, as he had reason to fear, died impenitent, touched him as a father; yet there was a greater concern on his spirit. And when the messenger concluded his story with, "The ark of God is taken," he is struck to the heart, and died immediately. A man may die miserably, yet not die eternally; may come to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Eli fell backward: This was possibly from shock or a heart attack when he heard the message. His deadly fall represents his family's loss of the priesthood and the end of the wrongdoing his sons started (1 Samuel 2:12–17). Eli had judged Israel: Being a priest and a judge was possible at the same time (compare Exodus 18:13–26; Deuteronomy 17:8–13). Samuel took over as Israel’s judge and provided the leadership Eli did not (see 1 Samuel 7:12–17). The…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1813-18. Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside--The aged priest, as a public magistrate, used, in dispensing justice, to seat himself daily in a spacious recess at the entrance gate of the city. In his intense anxiety to learn the issue of the battle, he took up his usual place as the most convenient for meeting with passers-by. His seat was an official chair, similar to those of the ancient Egyptian judges, richly carved, superbly ornamented, high, and…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:18
In the dictionaries
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
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