1 Samuel 4:18

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

16He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.” “What happened, my son?” Eli demanded. 17“Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.” When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years. 19Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. 20She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.

1 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 named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead.
• Psalms 26:8I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells.
• Psalms 42:3Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”
• Psalms 69:9Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
• Lamentations 2:15All who pass by jeer at you. They scoff and insult beautiful Jerusalem, saying, “Is this the city called ‘Most Beautiful in All the World’ and ‘Joy of All the Earth’?”
• 1 Samuel 2:31The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.
• 1 Samuel 3:12I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.
• Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’” And Aaron was silent.
• 1 Corinthians 11:30That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
• 1 Peter 4:17For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?

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

• Ark
• Corpulency
• Eli
• Gates
• Israel
• Judge
• Judgments
• Parents
• Patriotism
• Priest
• Shiloh

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Old Man
• Eli
• 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