1 Samuel 4:8
in 1 Samuel 4Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
KJV
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThese mighty Gods - מיד האלהים האדרים miyad haelohim haaddirim, from the hand of these illustrious Gods. Probably this should be translated in the singular, and not in the plural: Who shall deliver us from the hand of this illustrious God?
This site's exposition
The gods have entered their camp
on 1 Samuel 4:7-9
The Philistines speak of Israel's God in the plural, “these mighty gods” who “struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues”, remembering the exodus by report generations later. Their fear names the real danger, the presence of God, while Israel carries the ark as a weapon. Their dread drives them to fight harder, and verse 9 turns it into resolve: “Take courage and be men”.
This site's exposition
Woe to us! Who will deliver us
The Philistines remember the exodus in a confused form. Matthew Henry observed that the plagues fell on Egypt before the ark was made and before Israel entered the wilderness. John Wesley read the wilderness here as the Red Sea, where Pharaoh's army perished.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For he selected this one nation to teach the knowledge of God to all the others.… The Philistines also testified to this. They feared the presence of the ark and said to one another, "This is the God who struck Egypt. Woe to us Philistines." …
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
9. And it should be noted that by the title of "gods," those are mocked who, departing from the faith of the ancient Fathers, trust that they stand in the truth of faith and are counted among the number of the sons of God. They claim that those proclamations of divine praise were spoken concerning themselves, which the Lord pronounces through the Prophet, saying: 'I said, you are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High' (Psalm 81:6).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Wilderness - They mention the wilderness, not as if all the plagues of the Egyptians came upon them in the wilderness, but because the last and sorest of all, which is therefore put for all, the destruction of Pharaoh and all his host, happened in the wilderness, namely, in the Red- sea, which having the wilderness on both sides of it, may well be said to be in the wilderness.
Here they were as much out in their history as in their divinity: the plagues of Egypt were inflicted before the ark was made and before Israel came into the wilderness; but some confused traditions they had of wonders wrought by or for Israel when this ark was carried before them, which they attributed, not to Jehovah, but to the ark.
Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods?....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The name of the God of Israel was formidable even to those that worshipped other gods, and some apprehensions even the infidels had of the danger of contending with them. Natural conscience suggests this, that those are in a woeful condition who have God against them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
In short, the shout raised in the Hebrew camp, on the arrival of the ark, indicated very plainly the prevalence among the Israelites at this time of a belief in national deities--whose influence was local, and whose interest was especially exerted in behalf of the people who adored them.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This is a remarkable testimony on the part of the Philistines to the truth of the events which are recorded in the Pentateuch. The Philistines would of course hear of them, just as Balak and the people of Jericho did Num 22:5; Jos 2:10. With all the plagues ... - Rather, “with every kind of plague” equivalent to “with utter destruction.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| א֣וֹי | ʾo | woe! | H188 → | |
| לָ֔נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יַצִּילֵ֔נוּ | yatzilenu | will he deliver us | H5337 → | 212 times |
| מִיַּ֛ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֥ים | haelohim | the gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאַדִּירִ֖ים | haadirim | <the> mighty | H117 → | |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אֵ֧לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| הֵ֣ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | [are] the gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הַמַּכִּ֧ים | hamakim | who struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִצְרַ֛יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַכָּ֖ה | makah | plague | H4347 → | 48 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
א֣וֹיwoe!
ʾoH188 →
לָ֔נוּto <the> us
lanu
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
יַצִּילֵ֔נוּwill he deliver us
yatzilenuH5337 →212 times
מִיַּ֛דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֥יםthe gods
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הָאַדִּירִ֖ים<the> mighty
haadirimH117 →
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
אֵ֧לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
הֵ֣םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים[are] the gods
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הַמַּכִּ֧יםwho struck
hamakimH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִצְרַ֛יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
בְּכָל־with every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מַכָּ֖הplague
makahH4347 →48 times
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃in the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 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
Exodus 7:5And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”
it leads to
- Exodus 14:18
The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
- Exodus 8:22
But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I,…
- Exodus 7:17
This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will…
- Exodus 14:4
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the…
- Exodus 3:20
So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.
- Exodus 14:18
Through
Exodus 9:14Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
it leads to
- Exodus 8:10
“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.
- 1 Chronicles 17:20
O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.
- 1 Kings 8:38
then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple—
- Exodus 8:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE 10.49-50.