Samuel I_Chapter 4

The Israelites went out to war with the Philistines and camped in Ezer. The Philistines camped in Aph.

The Philistines set themselves in formation against the Israelites. When the two armies fought, the Israelites were defeated before the Philistines. The Philistines killed about four thousand soldiers on the battlefield.

When the people returned to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord caused us to be defeated before the Philistines today?”? Why don’t we bring the ark of the Lord from Shiloh to us, so that we may be saved from the hands of the enemy among us.

So the people sent messengers to Shiloh and brought the ark of the Lord of hosts, who was sitting on the two cherubims. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the Ark of God.

When the Ark of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted loudly and the earth trembled.

The Philistines heard the sound of cheering and said, “What is the reason for the loud cheering in the Hebrew camp?”? Then it was known that the Ark of the Lord had entered the camp.

The Philistines were afraid and said, God has come to their camp. And he said, we are in trouble. There has never been such a thing before.

We are in trouble. Who can save us from the hands of these mighty gods? These are the gods who once struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

O Philistines, be strong and be great men, so that you may not be slaves to the Hebrews, just as they were your slaves. Be great men and fight against them.

The Philistines went to war with the Israelites, and they were defeated. They fled every household, and a large number of people were killed. Israel’s infantry fell thirty thousand.

The Ark of God was taken captive, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed.

On that day, a Benjamin man fled from the battle line, tore his clothes and covered his head with dust, and came to Shiloh.

When they arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the roadside, watching and worrying about the Ark of God. The man went into the city to report, and all the people in the city shouted out.

Eli heard the shouting and asked, “What is the reason for this commotion?”? The person hurriedly came to report to Eli.

At that time, Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were straight, unable to see.

The man said to Eli, “I came out of the battle, and today I have fled back from the battle.”. Eli said, My son, what’s going on.

The messenger replied, “The Israelites fled before the Philistines, and a large number of them were killed among the people.”. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have also died, and the Ark of God has been taken captive.

As soon as he lifted up the ark of God, Eli fell backwards from his throne, broke his neck by the door, and died. Because he is old and heavy. Eli judged Israel for forty years.

Eli’s daughter-in-law, Phinehas’s wife, was about to give birth when she heard that the Ark of God had been taken captive, and her father-in-law and husband had died. She suddenly felt pain and bent over to give birth.

When she was about to die, the women standing next to her said, “Don’t be afraid.”. You have given birth to a boy. She didn’t answer or take it to heart.

She named the child Igabob and said, Glory has departed from Israel. This is because the Ark of God was taken captive, and because her father-in-law and husband died.

She also said, Glory has departed from Israel, because the Ark of God has been taken captive.