1 Samuel 4:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp,

NIV: Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, "What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,

NASB: And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, 'What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?' Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.

CSB: The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, "What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?" When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp,

NLT: 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,

KJV: And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

NKJV: Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.

The Israelites had sent for the ark of the covenant to be brought to their camp. When it arrived, the tens of thousands gathered there let out a mighty shout (1 Samuel 4:5), revealing how confident they were that the Lord would give them victory over the Philistines. Their confidence, unfortunately, is not because of faith in the Lord, but a superstitious belief that the physical presence of the ark will make their army stronger.

The celebratory yell was so loud that the Philistines, perhaps a half-hour's march away, in their own camp, heard the shout. It may have sounded like the roar heard in a football stadium after a goal has been scored. The Philistines were disturbed. They had won their first skirmish with the Israelite army decisively, killing many soldiers. What could the Hebrews possibly have to cheer about?

Philistine use of the word "Hebrews"—'ibrîm—may have been derogatory at the time, though that is not clear. What is clear is that the Philistines were troubled about the arrival of the ark of God. Perhaps not as worried as the Israelites were excited (1 Samuel 4:7–9) but concerned all the same.

First Samuel 4:1–11 mentions Samuel's new role delivering God's Word to Israel. It then describes a battle between Israel and the Philistines. After losing an initial skirmish, the elders of Israel bring the ark of the covenant to the battlefield. This briefly terrifies the Philistines but doesn't stop them. The Israelites are defeated, losing many men. In a humiliating blow, the ark of the covenant is captured. Eli's sons are killed, and every survivor of the battle runs for home.

Israel amasses an to fight against the Philistines. After losing badly in the first battle, the elders send for the ark of God to be brought from Shiloh. They seem to assume the mere presence of the ark will act like a lucky charm or talisman. The Philistines are terrified at the idea of fighting Israel's deity, but they still defeat the Israelites, slaughtering many soldiers and capturing the ark. A runner delivers the news to Eli that his sons are dead and the ark is captured. He dies, and his daughter-in-law goes into premature labor. Before she dies, she names the baby Ichabod, saying that the glory has departed from Israel.

First Samuel 4 begins a new section of 1 Samuel. The young prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1—3) disappears from the story for several chapters. Israel brings the ark of the covenant to a battle with the Philistines, but they are wiped out anyway. The Philistines rout the army and capture the ark. A runner delivers the news to Eli that his sons are dead and the ark is taken. Eli dies, as does his daughter-in-law after giving birth to a son she names Ichabod. She declares that the glory has departed from Israel because the ark has been captured. Despite this, the Philistines will soon learn the ark is not a mere trophy (1 Samuel 5).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.