1 Samuel 4:13
in 1 Samuel 4When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
KJV
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 4
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The calamities announced to Samuel as about to fall upon the family of Eli [1Sa 2:34] were now inflicted in the death of his two sons, and after his death, by that of his daughter-in-law, whose infant son received a name that perpetuated the fallen glory of the church and nation [1Sa 4:19-22]. The public disaster was completed by the capture of the ark.
This site's exposition
with his clothes torn and dirt on his head
on 1 Samuel 4:12-14
A Benjamite runs from the battle line to Shiloh “with his clothes torn and dirt on his head”, the signs of disaster. Eli sits by the road watching “because his heart trembled for the ark of God”, which older writers read as a rightly ordered fear despite his failure as a father. The city's outcry reaches Eli before the messenger does, so he asks about the noise first.
This site's exposition
When he arrived, there was Eli
The runner reaches the city with Eli watching at the roadside, and the whole city cries out before Eli learns why. Matthew Henry heard in that cry the word of 3:11, that the ears of all who hear it will tingle. The ark never returned to Shiloh.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
And when that man arrived, Eli was sitting, etc. When the teacher of the New Testament appeared in Judea, having torn the garment of the letter, the old priesthood still sat on the chair of Moses, although it had lost its light; but against Christ, …
But when that man had entered, he announced to the city, etc. The teacher evangelized, and the listener repented. For upon hearing the crime they had committed in the slaughter of the Savior, the Jews were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
15. But when the humility of the ecclesiastical preacher is commended, the pride of the Jewish teacher is likewise expressed, because Eli is said to sit upon a seat. In this passage, Eli represents not the priests but the lawyers of the Synagogue. And what does it mean that he sits upon a seat, except that he is proudly exalted because of his learning? And what does it mean that he watches facing the road, except that while he receives the Scriptures proudly, he contradicts the One through whom he ought to have traveled to the eternal homeland?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And well they might, for beside that this was a calamity to all Israel, it was a particular loss to Shiloh; for the ark never returned thither. Their candlestick was removed out of its place, and the city sunk and came to nothing.
His careful thoughts represented to him what a dishonour it would be to God, and what an irreparable loss to Israel, if the ark should fall into the Philistines' hands, with what profane triumphs the tidings would be told in Gath and published in the streets of Ashkelon. He also apprehended what imminent danger there was of it.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), but the messenger was loth to tell him first, and therefore passed him by, and told it in the city, with all the aggravating circumstances; and now both the ears of every one that heard it tingled, as was foretold, ch. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when he came,....
What a fatal blow it was to old Eli. With what fear he expected the tidings. Though old, and blind, and heavy, yet he could not keep his chamber when he was sensible the glory of Israel lay at stake, but placed himself by the way-side, to receive the first intelligence; for his heart trembled for the ark of God,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
His heart trembled for the ark of God - He was a most mild and affectionate father, and yet the safety of the ark lay nearer to his heart than the safety of his two sons. Who can help feeling for this aged, venerable man?
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
By the road looking out. By the side of the road, he was anxiously waiting. 6 He wanted to be situated in a place where a messenger would have to pass him first, and thus give him the news.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
A Binyaminite man. This was Shaul, 5 Perhaps the reason for Scripture not revealing that it was Shaul, was to protect the honor of his kingship being that he was responsible in part for Eili’s death.—Da’as Sofrim who grabbed the Tablets from the hands of Golyas and fled.
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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּב֗וֹא | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עֵ֠לִי | ʾeli | Eli | H5941 → | 33 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֨ב | yoshev | [was] sitting | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכִּסֵּ֜א | hakise' | the seat | H3678 → | 135 times |
| יַ֥ד | yach | [the] side of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ | derekh | [the] road | H1870 → | 707 times |
| מְצַפֶּ֔ה | metzapeh | watching | H6822 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָיָ֤ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לִבּוֹ֙ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| חָרֵ֔ד | chared | trembling | H2730 → | |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְהָאִ֗ישׁ | vehaish | and the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בָּ֚א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְהַגִּ֣יד | lehagid | to tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| בָּעִ֔יר | bair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַתִּזְעַ֖ק | vatizak | and it cried out | H2199 → | 73 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעִֽיר׃ | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
וַיָּב֗וֹאand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
וְהִנֵּ֣הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עֵ֠לִיEli
ʾeliH5941 →33 times
יֹשֵׁ֨ב[was] sitting
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַכִּסֵּ֜אthe seat
hakise'H3678 →135 times
יַ֥ד[the] side of
yachH3027 →1618 times
דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙[the] road
derekhH1870 →707 times
מְצַפֶּ֔הwatching
metzapehH6822 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָיָ֤הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
לִבּוֹ֙heart his
liboH3820 →595 times
חָרֵ֔דtrembling
charedH2730 →
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְהָאִ֗ישׁand the man
vehaishH376 →1663 times
בָּ֚אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
לְהַגִּ֣ידto tell
lehagidH5046 →370 times
בָּעִ֔ירin the city
bairH5892 →1090 times
וַתִּזְעַ֖קand it cried out
vatizakH2199 →73 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעִֽיר׃the city
hairH5892 →1090 times
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
1 Samuel 1:9So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 3:3
Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
- Psalms 27:4
One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the…
- 1 Samuel 3:3
Through
Psalms 26:8O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides.
it leads to
- Psalms 84:10
For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
- John 2:14–17
In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.
- Psalms 27:4–6
One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the…
- Psalms 122:9
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
- Psalms 84:10
Through
1 Samuel 4:18As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 4:21–22
And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.
- 1 Peter 4:17–18
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
- 1 Samuel 4:21–22
Where this verse is studied
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About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).