English Standard Version
1 Samuel 4:7
7the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
1 Samuel 4:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
- New Living Translation (NLT)they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!
Context of 1 Samuel 4:7
5As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight."
Read all of 1 Samuel 41 Samuel 4:7 word by word
וַיִּֽרְאוּ֙ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ בָּ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיֹּאמְרוּ֙ א֣וֹי לָ֔נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֥א הָיְתָ֛ה כָּזֹ֖את אֶתְמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
- were afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- for they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- is comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
- unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretoforeשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032
- unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretoforeאֶתְמוֹל'ethmôl 'ithmôl 'ethmûl · previouslyH865
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:7
- Exodus 14:25clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians."
- Exodus 15:14The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
- Deuteronomy 32:30How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up?
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7God is come into the camp - They took for granted, as did the Israelites, that his presence was inseparable from his ark or shrine.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Like the Israelites, the Philistines saw the ark as a powerful charm (see 1 Samuel 4:2–3). They believed it would lead to their defeat in battle.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-93-9. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us--Strange that they were so blind to the real cause of the disaster and that they did not discern, in the great and general corruption of religion and morals (1Sa 2:22-25; 7:3; Psa 78:58), the reason why the presence and aid of God were not extended to them. Their first measure for restoring the national spirit and energy ought to have been a complete reformation--a universal…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:7
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries