1 Samuel 4:13

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 on his head. ¹² A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. 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. ¹² That same day a man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battle. He tore his clothes and put dust on his head to show his great sadness. ¹² On that day a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head. 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. ¹² There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his head. ¹²Now a man [from the tribe] of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as signs of mourning over the disaster]. ¹² A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. ¹² Sotheli a man of Beniamyn ran fro the scheltrun, and cam in to Silo in that dai, with his cloth torent and his heed bispreynt with dust; and whanne he was comen,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sat upon: 1 Samuel 1:9

his heart: Joshua 7:9, Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah 1:4, Psalms 26:8, Psalms 79:1-8, Psalms 137:4-6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 30:4 - lifted up 2 Samuel 18:24 - between Esther 4:3 - great mourning Jeremiah 48:19 - ask Micah 1:12 - waited carefully

Cross-References

Job 15:22
They dare not go out into the darkness for fear they will be murdered.

Job 15:22
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword:

Job 15:22
He does not believe that he shall return out of darkness, And he is destined for the sword.

Job 15:22
Evil people give up trying to escape from the darkness; it has been decided that they will die by the sword.

Job 15:22
He does not expect to escape from darkness; he is marked for the sword;

Job 15:22
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for by the sword.

Job 15:22
He doesn't believe that he shall return out of darkness, He is waited for by the sword.

Job 15:22
"He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered], And he is destined for the sword [of God's vengeance].

Job 15:22
He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword.

Job 15:22
He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when he came,.... To Shiloh; he either passed by Eli, who being blind could not see him, 1 Samuel 4:15 or he came in at another gate of the city on the other side of it, as Abarbinel thinks; though the former seems more likely by what follows, he not choosing to deliver the bad news to Eli first, whom he knew it would very much grieve, and therefore slipped by him into the city:

lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: by the "hand" of the way, as the marginal reading, and which we follow; it seems to be a place where two ways or more met, and where was a way post erected, with an hand directing what places they led to. The text is, "he", or "it smote", as if his heart smote him for letting the ark go; so Kimchi f; here Eli had a seat placed, which, as the Targum says, was at the ascent of the way to the gate; and so the Septuagint has it, at the gate; and Josephus g says it was at one of the gates; either of his own house, or of the tabernacle, or rather of the city; here he was watching for news, to hear what he could, and as soon as he could, how it fared with the army, with his sons, and especially with the ark;

for his heart trembled for the ark of God; not so much for his sons, whose death he might expect from the divine prediction, but for the ark, about which he was doubtful; fearing lest it should fall into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines, who would triumph upon it, and which would make sad the heart of every true Israelite, and reflect much dishonour on the God of Israel; and very probably he might tremble the more when he reflected on his own sin and folly in suffering his sons to take it with them. Eli here may represent a good man in pain for the church of God, and the interest of religion in declining times, both with respect to ministers of the word, and members of churches: as when Gospel ministers are removed by death, few raised up in their stead, and those that do appear in the ministry, either unregenerate, as it may be feared; or have not gifts and abilities qualifying them for it; or are of immoral lives and conversations, or propagate false doctrines, errors, and heresies: and also when among professors of religion and members of churches there is a great decay of powerful godliness; and they are got into a drowsy, sleepy, frame of spirit, are become lukewarm and indifferent to spiritual exercises, want zeal for the Gospel and cause of Christ; are careless about the honour and interest of religion, unstable and inconstant in doctrine and worship, and in their affections to one another, and the ministers of the word; and their conversation not as becomes their profession:

and when the man came into the city, and told it; how that the army of Israel was beaten, what a number of men was killed, among whom were the two sons of the high priest, and the ark was taken:

all the city cried out; that is, all the inhabitants of the city, having most of them perhaps relations and friends in the army, for whom they were concerned, fearing their lives were lost; but especially the loss of the ark was insupportable by them, it being of so much advantage to that city particularly, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual; wherefore, upon hearing this bad news, there was a general shriek and cry throughout the whole city.

f Vid. David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 47. 1. g Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 3.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 4:13. 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?