1 Samuel 4:3

1 Samuel 4:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”

Context of 1 Samuel 4:3

1And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

1 Samuel 4:3 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֣א הָעָם֮ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֒ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָ֣מָּה נְגָפָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים נִקְחָ֧ה אֵלֵ֣ינוּ מִשִּׁלֹ֗ה אֶת־אֲרוֹן֙ בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וְיָבֹ֣א בְקִרְבֵּ֔נוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵ֖נוּ מִכַּ֥ף אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• were comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Wherefore hath the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• smittenנָגַףnâgaph · to strikeH5062
• us to dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• Let us fetchלָקַחlâqach · to take: bringH3947
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• out of Shilohשִׁלוֹshîylôh shilôh shîylô shilô · ShilohH7887
• amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• us, it may saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• us out of the handכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• of our enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 4:3

• Deuteronomy 29:24All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?”
• Psalms 74:1O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
• Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
• 1 Samuel 14:18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)
• Numbers 31:6Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
• Joshua 6:4Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
• 2 Samuel 15:25Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.
• Isaiah 1:11“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
• Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!”
• Matthew 3:9And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
• Numbers 10:33So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.
• Deuteronomy 31:26“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.
• Joshua 4:7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
• 1 Chronicles 17:1After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”
• Jeremiah 3:16In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 4:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Let us fetch the ark - They vainly supposed that the ark could save them, when the God of it had departed from them because of their wickedness. They knew that in former times their fathers had been beaten by their enemies, when they took not the ark with them to battle; as in the case of their wars with the Canaanites, Numbers 14:44, Numbers 14:45; and that they had conquered when they took this with them, as in the case of the destruction of Jericho…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3In the evening of the defeat of the Israelites the elders held a council, and resolved to send for the ark, which is described in full, as implying that in virtue of the covenant God could not but give them the victory (compare Numbers 10:35; Joshua 3:10).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The Israelites were often defeated in war because of the sin of one individual or the entire nation (Joshua 7). In this defeat, no one checked if sin was the reason. It seems no one asked the Lord if they should fight the Philistines in the first place (see 1 Chronicles 14:13–16). Instead, the Israelites used the ark, the most sacred symbol of the Lord’s presence, as a way to bring good luck. Bringing the ark into battle was not always wrong (see Joshua…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 4:3

• Aphek
• Ark
• Priest
• Superstition
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Philistines
• Shiloh
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Ark of the Covenant
• Ark
• Glory
• Mean
• Pain

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