Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 4:7
God is come into the camp - They took for granted, as did the Israelites, that his presence was inseparable from his ark or shrine. read more
サムエル記Ⅰ 4:3-9 Jcb
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 4:8
These mighty Gods - האדרים האלהים מיד 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? read more
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 4:9
Be strong , etc. - This was the address to the whole army, and very forcible it was. "If ye do not fight, and acquit yourselves like men, ye will be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; and you may expect that they will avenge themselves of you for all the cruelty you have exercised towards them." read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:1-11
Moral causes of disaster. Assuming that the first sentence properly belongs to the third chapter, and refers generally to the acceptance of Samuel as prophet by the whole nation, the section ( 1 Samuel 4:1-11 ) sets forth the following facts:— 1 . Israel, suffering from subjection to the Philistines, enters on war for the recovery of freedom and suffers defeat. 2 . Ordinary means failing, recourse is had to the ark of God in order to insure success. 3 . The visible presence... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:3
When the people were come into the camp. Before the battle Israel had entrenched itself, so that upon its defeat it had a place capable of defence into which to retire. We find also that their communications were open, so that they could send to Shiloh. The army is called the people because battles were not fought in those days by men specially trained, but by all the inhabitants of the country of the proper age. The question, Wherefore hath Jehovah smitten us? expresses surprise. The... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:4
Which dwelleth between the cherubims. Literally, "which sitteth, i.e. is enthroned, upon the cherubim." The idea is not that of Jehovah's habitation, but of his seat in state as Israel's King. In bringing the ark they brought to the camp the throne of Jehovah, as their theocratic Ruler; but the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark, representing the immorality of the nation, whose very priests were abandoned men. We are not to suppose that there was any fault in... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:6
But they, sure of its talismanic influence, shout for joy as they see its approach, and the Philistines ask the meaning of the great shout in the camp of the Hebrews. This name is constantly given to the Israelites by those not belonging to them, and probably has a certain amount of animosity in it, as showing that they were foreigners; literally, passers over, people who in the person of Abraham had come from the other side of the Euphrates, and having began as feeble immigrants, had... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:8
These mighty Gods. In Hebrew "Elohim, though plural, is used of the one true God, but in this sense has always the verb or adjective belonging to it in the singular. In 1 Samuel 4:7 the Philistines conform to this rule, and say, Elohim is come; but here the verb, pronoun, and adjective are all plural, i.e. they speak as heathen, to whom polytheism was natural. With all the plagues. Rather, "with every plague," i.e. with every kind of plague. In the wilderness. God did not... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:9
Be strong. But, as is often the case, despair served only to nerve them to bitter determination. The greatness of the danger—for as heathen the Philistines fully believed that the ark would act as a charm—and the fearful alternative of being servants , i.e. slaves to those who not so very long ago had been slaves to them, made them resolve to do their very utmost. The result was a complete victory. read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 4:5
All Israel shouted - Had they humbled themselves, and prayed devoutly and fervently for success, they would have been heard and saved. Their shouting proved both their vanity and irreligion. read more