1 Samuel 4:20

1 Samuel 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
• New International Version (NIV)As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer or pay attention.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she regard it.

Context of 1 Samuel 4:20

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. As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention. 21She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”

1 Samuel 4:20 word by word

וּכְעֵ֣ת מוּתָ֗הּ וַתְּדַבֵּ֙רְנָה֙ הַנִּצָּב֣וֹת עָלֶ֔יהָ אַל־תִּֽירְאִ֖י כִּ֣י בֵ֣ן יָלָ֑דְתְּ וְלֹ֥א עָנְתָ֖ה וְלֹא־שָׁ֥תָה לִבָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And about the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• of her deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• the women that stoodנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• by her saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto her, Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• not; for thou hast bornיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• But she answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• not, neither did she regardלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• not, neither did she regardשִׁיתshîyth · to set: considerH7896

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:20

• Genesis 35:17When her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.”
• John 16:21When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world.
• Psalms 77:2In my time of trouble I sought the Lord. I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night. I refused to be comforted.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20But she answered not - She paid no attention to what the women had said concerning her having borne a son; that information she regarded not.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 The wife of Phinehas seems to have been a person of piety. Her dying regret was for the loss of the ark, and the departure of the glory from Israel. What is any earthly joy to her that feels herself dying? No joy but that which is spiritual and divine, will stand in any stead then; death is too serious a thing to admit the relish of any earthly joy. What is it to one that is lamenting the loss of the ark? What pleasure can we take in our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The name Ichabod includes the Hebrew word kabod, meaning glory (see Exodus 24:15–17). A similar word describes Eli in 1 Samuel 4:18 (Hebrew kabed, meaning heavy). The ark's disappearance mirrors the fall of Eli’s family. The Israelites lost divine glory and protection (compare Ezekiel 8–10; Luke 19:41–44; 21:20–24), but God's glorious presence would later return to them (1 Samuel 6:1–21; compare Ezekiel 43:1–8).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 4:20

• Ark
• Judgments
• Parents
• Patriotism

In the dictionaries

• Glory
• Ichabod
• Mean
• Pain
• Philistines
• Tabernacle
• Tumult
• Ark of the Covenant
• Exodus, the Book of
• God

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