1 Samuel 4:10
in 1 Samuel 4So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great—thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
KJV
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseTent - To his habitation, called by the ancient name of his tent. There fell - Before, they lost but four thousand, now in the presence of the ark, thirty thousand, to teach them that the ark and ordinances of God, were never designed as a refuge to impenitent sinners, but only for the comfort of those that repent.
This site's exposition
thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell
on 1 Samuel 4:10-11
The second battle is worse than the first: thirty thousand footmen fall, the army scatters to its own tents, and the ark itself is carried off by the enemy it was fetched to defeat. Hophni and Phinehas die in the same clash, and their deaths on one day complete the sign the man of God spoke at 2:34 word for word. Bringing the ark did not bring victory, and the narrator lets the bare numbers make the point without comment.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
12. The Philistines, that is, "those falling by the cup," fight when the doctors of the holy Church with the banner of the catholic faith confront the attacking Jews. But Israel is turned back, because in every disputation the cunning of the Jews is overcome. For to be turned back, for him, is to be unable to oppose with equal strength. But he who is turned back while fighting is indeed in battle, but fleeing — although lacking in strength, nevertheless not losing the desire to harm. For so it is with all of Israel when repulsed.
Therefore the Philistines fought, and Israel was slaughtered, etc. The adversaries of truth, whether men or their leaders, the unclean spirits, fought against the believers in Christ; by whom, either openly raging, or covertly persuading, or injecting examples of depravity, some were slaughtered either by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The ark in the camp will add nothing to its strength when there is an Achan in it. The ark itself was taken by the Philistines; and Hophni and Phinehas, who it is likely kept close to it, and when it was in danger ventured far in the defense of it, because by it they got their living, were both slain,
And the Philistines fought,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And the Philistines did wage war. And Israel was shattered, and they retreated, every man to his city.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלָּחֲמ֣וּ | vaiyilachamu | and they fought | H3898 → | 177 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וַיִּנָּ֤גֶף | vaiyinagef | and it was defeated | H5062 → | 49 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙ | vaiyanusu | and they fled | H5127 → | 159 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְאֹהָלָ֔יו | leohalav | to own tents his | H168 → | 345 times |
| וַתְּהִ֥י | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמַּכָּ֖ה | hamakah | the slaughter | H4347 → | 48 times |
| גְּדוֹלָ֣ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וַיִּפֹּל֙ | vaiyipol | and he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | miyisrael | of Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| אֶ֖לֶף | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| רַגְלִֽי׃ | ragli | foot soldier[s] | H7273 → |
וַיִּלָּחֲמ֣וּand they fought
vaiyilachamuH3898 →177 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
וַיִּנָּ֤גֶףand it was defeated
vaiyinagefH5062 →49 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙and they fled
vaiyanusuH5127 →159 times
אִ֣ישׁeach man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְאֹהָלָ֔יוto own tents his
leohalavH168 →345 times
וַתְּהִ֥יand it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
הַמַּכָּ֖הthe slaughter
hamakahH4347 →48 times
גְּדוֹלָ֣הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
מְאֹ֑דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
וַיִּפֹּל֙and he fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔לof Israel
miyisraelH3478 →2507 times
שְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
אֶ֖לֶףthousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
רַגְלִֽי׃foot soldier[s]
ragliH7273 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 28:25The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 23:46
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.
- Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a…
- Jeremiah 24:9
I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them.
- Deuteronomy 28:7
The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.
- Ezekiel 23:46
Through
Leviticus 26:17And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
it leads to
- Leviticus 17:10
If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
- Deuteronomy 28:25
The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to…
- Psalms 53:5
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.
- Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Leviticus 17:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.