1 Samuel 4:7

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 all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake! 6“What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! 8Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. 9Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”

1 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 twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”
• Exodus 15:14The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
• Deuteronomy 32:30How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?

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

• Aphek
• Ark
• Armies

In the dictionaries

• God
• Philistines
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ark
• Glory
• Mean
• Pain
• Tabernacle
• Tumult
• Ark of the Covenant

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