1 Samuel 4:18

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

when he made: 1 Samuel 4:21, 1 Samuel 4:22, Psalms 26:8, Psalms 42:3, Psalms 42:10, Psalms 69:9, Lamentations 2:15-19

his neck: 1 Samuel 2:31, 1 Samuel 2:32, 1 Samuel 3:12, 1 Samuel 3:13, Leviticus 10:3, 1 Corinthians 11:30-32, 1 Peter 4:17, 1 Peter 4:18

And he had: "He seems to have been a judge to do justice only, and that in south-west Israel.

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:31 - when he 1 Samuel 1:3 - And the 1 Samuel 5:1 - took 1 Kings 13:21 - thou hast disobeyed 1 Kings 14:17 - when she came 1 Chronicles 10:6 - Saul Psalms 71:18 - Now Ecclesiastes 12:2 - the sun

Cross-References

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah:

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch was 65 years old, he had a son named Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

Genesis 5:21
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
Forsothe Enoth lyuede fyue and sixti yeer, and gendride Matusalem.

Genesis 5:21
And Enoch liveth five and sixty years, and begetteth Methuselah.

Genesis 5:21
When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God,.... Of the taking of that, it struck him to the heart, and killed him; the rest he bore tolerably well, the flight of Israel before the Philistines, the great slaughter made of them, the death of his two sons; but the taking of the ark was so dreadful to him, that he could not support under it:

that he fell from off the seat backward, by the side of the gate; which confirms the sense of 1 Samuel 4:13 though whether it was the gate of his own house, or of the tabernacle, or of the city is not certain; the latter is most probable: it seems the seat on which he sat had no back to it, and might be placed only for present convenience:

and his neck brake; the back part of it, the "vertebrae" of it, which has its name in Hebrew from the several joints in it:

and he died; not through the breaking of his neck, for it is very probable he died directly upon hearing the ark was taken, and which was the reason of his falling backward, and that brake his neck:

for he was an old man, and heavy; full of flesh, a very fat man, and so fell heavy, which occasioned the breaking of his neck:

and he had judged Israel forty years; had governed them in the capacity both of an high priest and judge, so that he must enter on his government when fifty eight years of age; the Septuagint version has it very wrongly twenty years. According to the Jews i, he died on the tenth of Ijar, answering to part of April and May, and his two sons and the ark taken; for which a fast was kept on it.

i Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A comparison of 2 Samuel 18:4, explains exactly the meaning of the “side of the gate,” and Eli’s position. His seat or throne, without a back, stood with the side against the jamb of the gate, leaving the passage through the gate quite clear, but placed so that every one passing through the gate must pass in front of him.

Forty years - This chronological note connects this book with that of Judges. (Compare Judges 3:11, etc.) It is an interesting question, but one very difficult to answer how near to the death of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the High Priest, Eli’s forty years of judgeship bring him. It is probable that at least one high priesthood intervened.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 4:18. When he made mention of the ark of God — Eli bore all the relation till the messenger came to this solemn word; he had trembled before for the ark, and now, hearing that it was captured, he was transfixed with grief, fell down from his seat, and dislocated his neck! Behold the judgments of God! But shall we say that this man, however remiss in the education of his children, and criminal in his indulgence towards his profligate sons, which arose more from the easiness of his disposition than from a desire to encourage vice, is gone to perdition? God forbid! No man ever died with such benevolent and religious feelings, and yet perished.

He had judged Israel forty years — Instead of forty years, the Septuagint has here εικοσι ετη, twenty years. All the other versions, as well as the Hebrew text, have forty years.