John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:6
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout ,.... For it being so loud as to make the earth ring, it was heard in the camp of the Philistines, which might not be at any great distance from the camp of Israel; how far from each other were Aphek and Ebenezer is not certain: they said, what meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews ? they could not conceive what should be the reason of it, seeing they had no occasion to shout for joy, having been lately... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 4:1-9
The first words of this paragraph, which relate to Samuel, that his word came to all Israel, seem not to have any reference to the following story, as if it was by any direction of his that the Israelites went out against the Philistines. Had they consulted him, though but newly initiated as a prophet, his counsel might have stood them in more stead than the presence of the ark did; but perhaps the princes of Israel despised his youth, and would not have recourse to him as an oracle, and he... read more