Year of the Bible
1 Samuel 4
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Commentary on The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 4:
The next plotline of 1 Samuel begins with a troublesome event: the Israelite army is defeated by enemy Philistines. The people’s solution to this problem is to bring the Ark of the Covenant, housed in the Tabernacle for worship as God’s throne, to the battlefield. Although this action brings jubilation to the army, it backfires as the Philistines think the Israelites are preparing to attack. The subsequent battle ends in disaster: 30,000 Jewish soldiers die, Eli’s unfaithful sons die, and the Ark is captured by the Philistines. When Eli hears the news of the Ark’s capture, he dies, and his daughter-in-law names her newborn son Ichabod, meaning “glory is not,” for God’s glory left the nation when the Ark was captured.
The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 4:
1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid; for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and acquit yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; acquit yourselves like men and fight.”
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 And the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
Death of Eli
12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head. 13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hastened and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the tidings answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people; your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phin-ehas, was with child, about to give birth. And when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth; for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Fear not, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or give heed. 21 And she named the child Ichabod,* saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Lots of loss in this chapter, including the capture of the Arc of the Covenant, Eli dying, and Eli's daughter about to die after giving birth. However, in the midst of that we hear words of hope..."Do not be afraid, you have given birth to a son." Lord, how does this way of seeing hope in the midst of strife fit with my life and our Catholic faith in this season?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Y la palabra de Samuel llegaba a
todo Israel.
En aquellos días los filisteos se preparaban
para la guerra. Israel salió a enfrentarse
con ellos y acamparon junto
a Eben-Ha-Ézer mientras que los filisteos
habían acampado en Afec. 2 Éstos
formaron en orden de combate frente a
Israel. Se entabló la batalla e Israel fue
derrotado a manos de los filisteos: murieron
en el campo de batalla, dispersos
por todas partes, cerca de cuatro mil
hombres. 3 Cuando el pueblo volvió al
campamento, los ancianos de Israel dijeron:
–¿Por qué nos ha afligido hoy el
Señor con la derrota ante los filisteos?
Traigamos desde Siló el arca de la alianza
del Señor y llevémosla con nosotros
para que nos salve de nuestros enemigos.
4 Entonces el pueblo mandó una embajada
a Siló para que trajeran de allí el
arca de la alianza del Señor de los ejércitos
que está sentado sobre los querubines.
Los dos hijos de Elí, Jofní y Pinjás,
vinieron con el arca de la alianza, 5 y
cuando entró el arca de la alianza del
Señor en el campamento todos los israelitas
lanzaron un fuerte grito de guerra
y la tierra tembló. 6 Oyeron los filisteos
el estruendo de los gritos y dijeron:
–¿Qué significa ese alboroto tan
grande en el campamento de los hebreos?
Y supieron que el arca del Señor estaba
en el campamento.
7 Los filisteos tuvieron miedo y decían:
–Ha venido su Dios al campamento.
8 ¡Ay de nosotros! Nunca había sucedido
tal cosa. ¿Quién nos librará de la
mano de este Dios tan poderoso? Éste
es el que hirió en el desierto a los egipcios
con toda clase de plagas. 9 ¡Tened
ánimo y portaos como hombres, filisteos!
¡No sirváis a los hebreos como
ellos os sirvieron a vosotros! ¡Sed hombres
y luchad!
10 Los filisteos se lanzaron a la batalla
y derrotaron a los israelitas que salieron
huyendo cada uno a su tienda. Fue una
gran derrota: cayeron unos treinta mil
de la infantería de Israel, 11 el arca del Señor
fue capturada, y murieron los dos
hijos de Elí, Jofní y Pinjás.
12 Un hombre de Benjamín vino corriendo
desde el campo de batalla y llegó
aquel mismo día a Siló con los vestidos
desgarrados y la cabeza cubierta de
polvo. 13 Cuando llegó, Elí estaba sentado
en el estrado, junto a la puerta, mirando
al camino porque su corazón estaba
inquieto por el arca de Dios. Entró,
pues, aquel hombre pregonando la noticia
por la ciudad, y todos comenzaron a
gritar. 14 Oyó Elí el griterío y preguntó:
–¿Qué significa este tumulto?
Entonces el hombre se acercó deprisa
y se lo contó a Elí. 15 Elí tenía ya noventa
y ocho años, sus ojos estaban inmóviles
y no podía ver. 16 El hombre dijo
a Elí:
–Acabo de llegar huyendo hoy mismo
del campo de batalla.
Elí le preguntó:
–¿Qué ha pasado, hijo mío?
17 El mensajero respondió:
–Los israelitas han huido ante los filisteos;
ha sido una gran derrota para el
pueblo. Además, han muerto tus dos hijos,
Jofní y Pinjás, y el arca de Dios ha
sido capturada.
18 Al mencionar el arca de Dios, Elí
cayó de su estrado hacia atrás, hacia la
puerta, se desnucó y murió porque era
muy viejo y estaba débil. Había sido
juez de Israel durante cuarenta años.
19 Su nuera, la mujer de Pinjás, que
estaba encinta y próxima a dar a luz,
cuando oyó que el arca de Dios había
sido capturada y que habían muerto su
suegro y su marido, se encorvó y dio a
luz porque le sobrevinieron los dolores
de parto. 20 Estando a punto de morir, las
que la atendían le dijeron:
–No temas, que has dado a luz un
niño.
Pero ella no respondió ni prestó
atención. 21 Al niño le puso el nombre de
Icabod, diciendo: «La gloria de Israel ha
sido desterrada», refiriéndose a la captura
del arca, a su suegro y a su marido.
22 Y decía:
–La gloria de Israel ha sido desterrada
porque ha sido capturada el arca de
Dios.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).