Revised Literal Translation
1 Samuel 4:3
3And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Yhwh smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Yhwh out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.1
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.”
- 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.”
Context of 1 Samuel 4:3
1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Yhwh smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Yhwh out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of Yhwh of Armies, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5And when the ark of the covenant of Yhwh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
Read all of 1 Samuel 41 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
- 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 Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 29:24Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath Yhwh done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
- Psalms 74:1O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
- Isaiah 50:1Thus saith Yhwh, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
- Isaiah 58:3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
- 1 Samuel 14:18And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
- Numbers 31:6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
- Joshua 6:4And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
- 2 Samuel 15:25And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of Yhwh, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:
- Isaiah 1:11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Yhwh: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
- Jeremiah 7:4Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Yhwh, The temple of Yhwh, The temple of Yhwh, are these.
- Matthew 3:9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
- Numbers 10:33And they departed from the mount of Yhwh three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of Yhwh went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
- Deuteronomy 31:26Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of Yhwh your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
- Joshua 4:7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yhwh; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
- 1 Chronicles 17:1Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of Yhwh remaineth under curtains.
- Jeremiah 3:16And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Yhwh, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yhwh: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 1 Samuel 4:3 fetch: Heb. take unto us. ↩
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries