1 Samuel 4:1-11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
Defeat of the Israelites.[a] 1 At that time, the Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.”(A)
Loss of the Ark. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.[b] The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the ark of God.(B) 5 When the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. 6 The Philistines, hearing the uproar, asked, “What does this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were frightened, crying out, “Gods have come to their camp. Woe to us! This has never happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?[c] These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with various plagues in the desert. 9 Take courage and act like soldiers, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. Fight like soldiers!” 10 The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; everyone fled to their own tents.[d] It was a disastrous defeat; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were dead.(C)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 4:1–7:1 The Ark Narrative: A striking indication that this is an independent narrative is the absence of any mention of Samuel. The Philistines: one of the Sea Peoples, of Aegean origin, who occupied the coastal plain of Palestine and threatened the Israelites who settled the inland hills.
- 4:4 Enthroned upon the cherubim: this divine title first occurs in the Old Testament at the sanctuary at Shiloh (cf. 2 Sm 6:2); God is represented seated upon a throne borne through the heavens by cherubim, creatures partly human being, partly beast (cf. Ez 1 and 10).
- 4:8 These mighty gods: the Philistines, who were polytheists, presume that the Israelites also honored several gods.
- 4:10 To their own tents: the defeat is so catastrophic that the soldiers abandon the army for home; cf. 2 Sm 18:17.
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