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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

1 Samuel 4:14

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said: 'What meaneth the noise of this tumult?' And the man made haste, and came and told Eli.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ark;   Eli;   Judgments;   Parents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Eli;   Philistines;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Lord's Name Taken in Vain;   Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Eli;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Philistines, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Heart;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hophni ;   Phinehas ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Eli;   Hophni;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ichabod;   Iyyar;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 30;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” The man quickly came and reported to Eli.
Hebrew Names Version
When `Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man hurried, and came and told `Eli.
King James Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Lexham English Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What is the noise of this commotion?" Then the man came quickly and told Eli.
English Standard Version
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.
New Century Version
Eli heard the crying and asked, "What's all this noise?" The Benjaminite ran to Eli and told him what had happened.
New English Translation
When Eli heard the outcry, he said, "What is this commotion?" The man quickly came and told Eli.
Amplified Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he asked, "What is the noise of this uproar?" And the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
New American Standard Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he sayd, What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? and the man came in hastily, and tolde Eli.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Eli heard the noise of the outcry, and he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" So the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
Contemporary English Version
He was ninety-eight years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, "What's all that noise?" The soldier hurried over and told Eli,
Complete Jewish Bible
On hearing the cries, ‘Eli asked, "What does this uproar mean?" So the man hurried, came to ‘Eli and told him.
Darby Translation
And Eli heard the noise of the crying, and said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man came hastily, and told Eli.
Easy-to-Read Version
Eli was 98 years old. He was blind, so he could not see what was happening, but he could hear the loud noise of the people crying. Eli asked, "Why are the people making this loud noise?" The Benjamite man ran to Eli and told him what happened.
George Lamsa Translation
And when Eli heard the noise of crying, he said, What is this noise of tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli.
Good News Translation
Eli heard the noise and asked, "What is all this noise about?" The man hurried to Eli to tell him the news.
Literal Translation
And Eli heard the noise of the cry, and said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried and came and reported to Eli.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan Eli herde ye noyse of the cryege, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli.
American Standard Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted, and came and told Eli.
Bible in Basic English
And Eli, hearing the noise and the cries, said, What is the reason of this outcry? And the man came quickly and gave the news to Eli.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he saide: What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? And the man came in hastyly, and tolde Eli.
King James Version (1611)
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, hee said; What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? and the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.
English Revised Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted and came and told Eli.
Berean Standard Bible
Eli heard the outcry and asked, "Why this commotion?" So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Heli herde the soun of cry, and seide, What is this sown of this noise? And he hastide, and cam, and telde to Heli.
Young's Literal Translation
And Eli heareth the noise of the cry, and saith, `What -- the noise of this tumult!' And the man hasted, and cometh in, and declareth to Eli.
Update Bible Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried, and came and told Eli.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What [meaneth] the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
World English Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
New King James Version
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the sound of this tumult mean?" And the man came quickly and told Eli.
New Living Translation
"What is all the noise about?" Eli asked. The messenger rushed over to Eli,
New Life Bible
When Eli heard the noise in the city, he said, "What does this noise mean?" Then the man came in a hurry and told Eli.
New Revised Standard
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man came quickly and told Eli.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said - What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Heli heard the noise of the cry, and he said: What meaneth the noise of this uproar? But he made haste, and came, and told Heli.
Revised Standard Version
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man hastened and came and told Eli.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.

Contextual Overview

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat 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. 14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said: 'What meaneth the noise of this tumult?' And the man made haste, and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see. 16 And the man said unto Eli: 'I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army.' And he said: 'How went the matter, my son?' 17 And he that brought the tidings answered and said: 'Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.' 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What meaneth: 1 Samuel 4:6

Reciprocal: Esther 4:3 - great mourning Jeremiah 48:19 - ask

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:6
And the LORD said unto Cain: 'Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:11
And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.
Genesis 4:12
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.'
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said unto the LORD: 'My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Genesis 4:14
Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.'
Genesis 4:15
And the LORD said unto him: 'Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
Genesis 4:16
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Genesis 4:20
And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.
Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying,.... The shrieks of the men and women, which were very clamorous and terrible. Eli had his hearing, though not his sight; he could not see the distress in their countenances, but he heard the lamentations they made:

and said, what meaneth the noise of this tumult? it seems the people ran about, wringing their hands, and making doleful shrieks; the noise of which Eli heard, and the meaning of which he inquired after, or what should be the cause of it:

and the man came in hastily, and told Eli; or made haste, and came to him, and related all that is later expressed; for Eli was not in any house, but on a seat by the way side, and therefore could not be said to come "in" to him; but he came to him, where he was, being brought by some of the citizens Eli had inquired of what should be the meaning of this noise; and therefore without delay the man was hastened to give the whole account unto him, as it was highly proper he should, being the supreme magistrate.


 
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