New English Translation
1 Samuel 4:7
7The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. They said, “Too bad for us! We’ve never seen anything like this!
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of 1 Samuel 4:7
5When the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the ground shook. 6When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp. The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. They said, “Too bad for us! We’ve never seen anything like this! 8Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! 9Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like 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 14:25He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving, and the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from Israel, for the Lord fights for them against Egypt!”
- Exodus 15:14The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
- Deuteronomy 32:30How can one man chase a thousand of them, and two pursue ten thousand; unless their Rock had delivered them up, and the Lord had handed them over?
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
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