1 Samuel 4
Summary for 1Sam 4:1-22: 4:1b–7:2 a The crisis surrounding the Ark of the Covenant demonstrated Israel’s need for Samuel’s leadership and fulfilled prophecies about Eli and his sons (3:11-14 b). 4:1b c the Philistines: See profile for The Philistines at end of chapter.• The exact location of Ebenezer is unknown. It was probably just east of Aphek (see also 1 Sam 7:12 d and corresponding study note).
• Aphek was west of Shiloh, well inland and well north of Philistine territory. By camping there, the Philistines might have been trying to seize more Israelite territory.
4:3 e The Israelites were often defeated in war because of the sin of one individual or the entire nation (Josh 7 f). In this defeat, no one inquired whether sin was the cause; apparently no one had even asked the Lord whether they should engage the Philistines in the first place (cp. 1 Chr 14:13-16 g). Instead, the Israelites treated the Ark, the most sacred symbol of the Lord’s presence, as a charm to ward off misfortune. Carrying the Ark into battle was not necessarily wrong (cp. Josh 6:2-21 h), but neither would this act ensure God’s blessing and victory.
4:4 i Lord of Heaven’s Armies: See study note on 1:3.
• enthroned between the cherubim: A representation of God’s glorious presence hovered over the Ark in the Most Holy Place (God’s “throne room”).
• The involvement of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, foreshadows the disaster that ensued (see 3:11-14 j).
Summary for 1Sam 4:6-7: 4:6-7 k Like the Israelites, the Philistines regarded the Ark as a powerful talisman (see 4:2-3 l) and believed that its presence in battle would mean sure disaster for them.
4:8 m the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians: The Philistines, who worshiped many gods, knew of the Lord’s power. Yet they knew nothing of his nature as the one true God.
• destroyed ... with plagues: The Lord later showed his power against the Philistines similarly (see 5:6–6:6 n).
4:10 o 30,000 was more than seven times as many as haddied previously without the Ark (4:2 p). The Israelites learned the hard way that the Ark was not a talisman to ward off misfortune.
4:11 q That the Ark ... was captured was devastating to the Israelites (4:12-22 r).
• The deaths of Hophni and Phinehas fulfilled the Lord’s word to Eli (2:34 s). Although they are the only casualties named, they were not the only Israelites who had sinned (see 7:3-6 t).
4:12 u had torn his clothes and put dust on his head: This description indicates grief and loss (e.g., Josh 7:6 v; 2 Sam 1:2 w; 15:32 x; Job 2:12 y).
4:15 z blind: See 3:2 aa and corresponding study note.
4:18 ab Eli fell backward: Either he was startled or he had a heart attack when he heard the message. Eli’s fatal fall symbolizes his family’s fall from the priesthood and the end of the abomination that his sons began (2:12-17 ac).
• Israel’s judge: Priesthood and judgeship were not incompatible (cp. Exod 18:13-26 ad; Deut 17:8-13 ae). Samuel replaced Eli as Israel’s judge and provided leadership that Eli had failed to provide (see 1 Sam 7:12-17 af).
• The phrase for forty years incorporates Eli’s career into the conceptual and temporal framework of the book of Judges (cp. Judg 3:11 ag; 5:31 ah; 8:28 ai; 13:1 aj).
Summary for 1Sam 4:20-21: 4:20-21 ak The name Ichabod contains the Hebrew word kabod (glory; see Exod 24:15-17 al). A similar word is used to describe Eli in 1 Sam 4:18 am (Hebrew kabed, “heavy”). The disappearance of the Ark parallels the demise of Eli’s house. Although the Israelites experienced a stunning loss of divine glory and protection (cp. Ezek 8–10 an; Luke 19:41-44 ao; 21:20-24 ap), God’s glorious presence would subsequently return to his people (1 Sam 6:1-21 aq; cp. Ezek 43:1-8 ar).
Profile: The Philistines
The Philistines, situated on the southeast coastal plain of the Mediterranean, were part of a larger group of maritime immigrants from the Aegean area known by the Egyptians as the “Sea Peoples.” They settled on Palestine’s lower coastal plain around 1200 BC and established the five cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath.
Far from being unsophisticated, the Philistines were politically capable and technologically advanced. They were also fierce warriors. Their advances in iron technology made them an almost invincible foe (see 1 Sam 13:19-22 as). They were constant adversaries of the Israelites in the days of the judges (approximately 1350–1050 BC) and the early united monarchy (approximately 1050–970 BC). Saul eventually died in battle against the Philistines (1 Sam 31:1-13 at). David, however, vanquished them before becoming king (1 Sam 18:20-30 au; 19:8 av; 23:1-5 aw) and continued to gain victory over them during his reign (2 Sam 5:17-25 ax; 8:1 ay; 21:15-22 az). While the Philistines never completely disappeared while Israel was a nation (2 Kgs 18:8 ba; 2 Chr 17:11 bb; 21:16-17 bc; 26:6-7 bd; 28:18 be), David effectively ended this menacing threat.
In 1 Samuel, God used the Philistines to eliminate the sinful family of Eli (1 Sam 4:10-22 bf). The Philistines were also God’s tool for building David’s military and political career (1 Sam 17:32-58 bg; 18:20-30 bh). They distracted Saul when he was about to capture David (1 Sam 23:26-28 bi), provided David with refuge from Saul (1 Sam 21:10-15 bj; 27:1-12 bk), prevented David from having to fight his own people (1 Sam 29:1-11 bl), and by killing Saul and his sons (1 Sam 31:1-13 bm), opened the way for David to become king. In the end, however, the Philistines experienced God’s judgment (see Ezek 25:15-17 bn; Amos 1:6-8 bo).
Passages for Further Study
Gen 10:13-14 bp; Judg 3:1-3 bq; Judg 13:1–16:31 br; 1 Sam 5:1–6:18 bs; 13:16–14:23 bt; 21:10-15 bu; 23:1-5 bv, 26-28 bw; 31:1-10 bx; 2 Sam 5:17-25 by; 8:1 bz; 21:15-22 ca; 2 Kgs 18:8 cb; 2 Chr 17:10-11 cc; 21:16-17 cd; 26:6-7 ce; 28:18-19 cf; Isa 2:6 cg; Ezek 25:15-17 ch; Amos 1:6-8 ci; 9:7 cj
1 Samuel 5
5:1 ck Ebenezer: See study note on 4:1b.• Ashdod, one of the five important Philistine cities (see 6:17 cl), was located along the same major trade highway (the Great Trunk Road) as Aphek.
5:2 cm Dagon was one of the Philistines’ gods (see Judg 16:23-24 cn). The name could be related to the Hebrew dag (“fish”), an appropriate name for a god of seafaring people. More likely, it reflects the Hebrew dagan (“grain”), suggesting a fertility or agriculture god.
5:4 co his head and hands had broken off: A symbol of God’s supremacy over the idol (5:7 cp; see also 17:51 cq).
5:5 cr step on its threshold: While the Philistines might have believed that Dagon’s amputations resulted from their failure to honor the god properly, the true failure was in worshiping an idol rather than honoring the one true God (Isa 44:6-20 cs).
5:6 ct tumors: The Hebrew term can mean simply “swellings.” A possible alternative translation is “hemorrhoids.” They were possibly the fatal buboes of bubonic plague, which attack the lower body, especially the rectal area. Rats are known carriers of the plague.
5:8 cu rulers (or overlords): Each of the five major Philistine cities had its own ruler (6:16-18 cv).
• Move it: Despite the obvious danger, the Philistines relished their captured trophy enough to relocate it rather than return it.
• Gath, one of the five major Philistine cities, was nearby.
5:9 cw God often used great panic to incapacitate and overwhelm Israel’s enemies (14:15 cx, 20 cy; Deut 7:23 cz; Ezek 22:5 da; Amos 3:9 db).
5:10 dc Ekron, another of the five major Philistine cities (see 6:17 dd), was just five miles north of Gath.
1 Samuel 6
6:2 de priests and diviners: Divination was a part of Philistine religion (cp. 28:7 df; Deut 18:10-14 dg).6:3 dh It is unlikely the Philistines were aware of Israelite worship regulations. A Philistine guilt offering would have been a payment to the deity in an attempt to avert his wrath (contrast the notion of atonement from Lev 16 di).
6:4 dj rats: See study note on 5:6.
6:6 dk The Philistines had thought they could overcome the Lord by fighting harder (4:9 dl). They had defeated the Israelites, but they now realized that they could not defeat Israel’s God.
6:7 dm shut their calves away: If the cows went against their maternal nature and left their calves to take the Ark to Israel, it would prove that the plague was from Israel’s God (6:9 dn).
6:9 do Beth-shemesh was the closest Israelite town to Ekron (5:10 dp).
6:13 dq Harvesting wheat was usually done in May or June.
6:14 dr This burnt offering could have been for forgiveness of sin (see 7:9-10 ds; Lev 1:3-17 dt), but it was more likely a freewill expression of love or thanksgiving (see Lev 22:18-22 du).
6:15 dv Providentially, the Ark had arrived in Beth-shemesh (6:13 dw), which was a Levite city (Josh 21:13-16 dx). The men of the tribe of Levi who lived there could safely move the Ark (see Num 4:15 dy).
6:17 dz guilt offering: See study note on 6:3.
• Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron: These five major Philistine cities were located on or near the Great Trunk Road. This major ancient trade route connected Egypt with Mesopotamia via the coastal plain of Canaan. Each city was governed by a king-like ruler (6:16 ea).
6:19 eb seventy men: Beth-shemesh was a small village.
• because they looked into the Ark: Physical contact with the Ark was prohibited (Num 4:15 ec; 2 Sam 6:6-8 ed), as was looking inside it (Num 4:20 ee). Those who were killed lacked reverence for God’s holiness.
6:20 ef Who is able to stand? Even God’s people were not immune to his wrath when his holiness was violated.
• Where can we send the Ark? When faced with God’s holiness, the Israelites echoed the distress of the pagan Philistines (6:2 eg).
6:21 eh Kiriath-jearim was nearby, about ten miles northeast of Beth-shemesh.
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