1 Samuel 4:17

1 Samuel 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
• New International Version (NIV)The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)He who brought the news answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.”

Context of 1 Samuel 4:17

15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; he was unable to see. 16The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli asked, “How did things go, my son?” The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!” 18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years. 19His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her.

1 Samuel 4:17 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַן הַֽמְבַשֵּׂ֜ר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָ֤ס יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַ֛ם מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה הָיְתָ֣ה בָעָ֑ם וְגַם־שְׁנֵ֨י בָנֶ֜יךָ מֵ֗תוּ חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣ינְחָ֔ס וַאֲר֥וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נִלְקָֽחָה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the messengerבָּשַׂרbâώar · to bear tidingsH1319
• answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• is fledנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• and there hath been also a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• slaughterמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046
• among the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and thy twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• also, Hophniחׇפְנִיchophnîy · HophniH2652
• and Phinehasפִּינְחָסpîynechâs · PhinehasH6372
• are deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• is takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:17

• 1 Samuel 4:10So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle.
• 1 Samuel 3:11The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And the messenger answered - Never was a more afflictive message, containing such a variety of woes, each rising above the preceding, delivered in so few words. 1. Israel is fled before the Philistines. This was a sore evil: that Israel should turn their backs upon their enemies, was bad; and that they should turn their backs on such enemies as the Philistines, was yet worse; for now they might expect the chains of their slavery to be strengthened and…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. 1-22The crisis with the ark of the covenant showed Israel needed Samuel's leadership. It also fulfilled prophecies about Eli and his sons (1 Samuel 3:11–14).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 4:17

• Ark
• Eli
• Hophni
• Judgments
• Parents
• Patriotism

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Philistines
• Phinehas
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Hophni and Phinehas
• Eli
• Glory

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