God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 4:18
18When the messenger mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell from his chair backwards toward the gate. He broke his neck, and he died. (The man was old and heavy.) He had judged Israel 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 man told Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. I fled from the front line today.” “What happened, son?” Eli asked. 17“Israel fled from the Philistines,” the messenger answered. “Our troops suffered heavy casualties. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, also are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” When the messenger mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell from his chair backwards toward the gate. He broke his neck, and he died. (The man was old and heavy.) He had judged Israel for 40 years. 19His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor prematurely and gave birth to a son. 20As she was dying, the women helping her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer or pay attention.
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 Ichabod [No Glory], saying, “Israel’s glory is gone,” because the ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and her husband ⌞died⌟.
- Psalms 26:8O Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
- Psalms 42:3My tears are my food day and night. People ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 69:9Indeed, devotion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
- Lamentations 2:15Everyone who walks along the road shakes a fist at you. They hiss and shake their heads at Jerusalem’s people: ‘Is this the city they used to call absolutely beautiful, the joy of the whole world?’
- 1 Samuel 2:31The time is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that no one will grow old in your family.
- 1 Samuel 3:12On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end.
- Leviticus 10:3Moses said to Aaron, “This is exactly what the Lord said: ‘I will show my holiness among those who come to me. I will show my glory to all the people.’ ” Aaron was speechless.
- 1 Corinthians 11:30This is the reason why many of you are weak and sick and quite a number ⌞of you⌟ have died.
- 1 Peter 4:17The time has come for the judgment to begin, and it will begin with God’s family. If it starts with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to obey the Good News of God?
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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