Tree of Life Version
1 Samuel 4:18
18As soon as he mentioned of the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the town gate. His neck broke and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel 40 years.
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
16Then the man said to Eli, “I am one coming from the battlefield—I escaped from the battlefield today.” “What is happening, my son?” he asked. 17And the messenger answered and said, “Israel fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons died—Hophni and Phinehas—and the ark of God was captured.” As soon as he mentioned of the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the town gate. His neck broke and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel 40 years. 19Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child and about to deliver. When she heard the report that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she crouched down and gave birth because she was seized with her labor pains. 20As she was dying, the women attending her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have brought forth a son!” But she did not respond or take it to heart.
Read all of 1 Samuel 41 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 4:21Then she named the child Ichabod saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
- Psalms 26:8Adonai, I love the House where You live, the place where Your glory dwells.
- Psalms 42:3My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and appear before God?
- Psalms 69:9I have become a stranger to my brothers, a foreigner to my mother’s children.
- Lamentations 2:15All who pass your way clap their hands at you. They hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. “Is this the city of which they said, ‘The perfection of beauty,’ ‘the joy of the whole earth’?”
- 1 Samuel 2:31Behold, the days are coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your household will reach old age.
- 1 Samuel 3:12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
- Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Adonai spoke of, saying: To those who are near Me I will show myself holy. Upon the faces of all the people I will be glorified.” Then Aaron kept silent.
- 1 Corinthians 11:30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few have died.
- 1 Peter 4:17For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God. If judgment begins with us first, what will be the end for those who disobey the Good News of God?
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
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
Tree of Life Version — © 2015 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Commentaries