1 Samuel 4:1
New International Version
And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.

New Living Translation
And Samuel’s words went out to all the people of Israel.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

King James Bible
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

New King James Version
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

New American Standard Bible
So the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and they camped beside Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped in Aphek.

NASB 1995
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in Aphek.

NASB 1977
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in Aphek.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped in Aphek.

Amplified Bible
And the word of [the LORD through] Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and they camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

Christian Standard Bible
And Samuel’s words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And Samuel’s words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

American Standard Version
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the word of Shemueil was over all Israel, and Israel went out to a meeting of the Philistines for battle, and they camped on Keepha d’Eudrana – “The Rock of Help” and the Philistines camped in Apheq

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Abenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.

Contemporary English Version
Then Samuel would speak to the whole nation of Israel. One day the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They set up camp near Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight: and Israel went out to war against the Philistines, and camped by the Stone of help. And the Philistines came to Aphec,

English Revised Version
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Israel went to fight against the Philistines and camped near Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

Good News Translation
At that time the Philistines gathered to go to war against Israel, so the Israelites set out to fight them. The Israelites set up their camp at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Aphek.

International Standard Version
What Samuel had to say was directed to all Israel, and Israel went out to engage the Philistines in battle. The Israelis were camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines were camped at Aphek.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

Literal Standard Version
And the word of Samuel is to all Israel, and Israel goes out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamp by Eben-Ezer, and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek,

Majority Standard Bible
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

New American Bible
At that time, the Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

NET Bible
Samuel revealed the word of the LORD to all Israel. The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.

New Revised Standard Version
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

New Heart English Bible
And Samuel's words came to all Israel. And Eli grew very old, and his sons kept advancing in their wicked behavior before the LORD. And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel. And Israel went out to meet them in battle, and camped beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped in Aphek.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

World English Bible
The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

Young's Literal Translation
And the word of Samuel is to all Israel, and Israel goeth out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamp by Eben-Ezer, and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Philistines Capture the Ark
1Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.…

Cross References
Joshua 12:18
the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

Joshua 13:4
to the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites;

1 Samuel 4:2
The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

1 Samuel 5:1
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."

1 Samuel 29:1
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

Psalm 83:7
of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, of Philistia with the people of Tyre.


Treasury of Scripture

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

A.

1 Samuel 3:11
And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

Eben-ezer.

1 Samuel 5:1
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Joshua 15:53
And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,

1 Samuel 29:1
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

Joshua 19:30
Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.

1 Kings 20:30
But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

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Aphek Battle Camped Ebenezer Eben-Ezer Ebene'zer Encamp Encamped Israel Israelites Meet Philistines Pitched Position Samuel Samuel's Time Together War Word
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Aphek Battle Camped Ebenezer Eben-Ezer Ebene'zer Encamp Encamped Israel Israelites Meet Philistines Pitched Position Samuel Samuel's Time Together War Word
1 Samuel 4
1. The Israelites are overcome by the Philistines at Ebenezer
3. They fetch the ark unto the terror of the Philistines
10. They are smitten again, the ark taken, and Hophni and Phinehas are slain
12. Eli at the news, falling backward, breaks his neck
19. Phinehas's wife, discouraged in her travail with Ichabod, dies














(1) And the word of Samuel.--To which portion of the narrative does this statement belong? Is it part of that account of the Lord's dealings with Samuel which closed the preceding chapter? Does it close that brief narrative which tells of the Divine voice which called to, and the vision seen by, the young chosen servant of the Highest, with a note simply relating how the word of the boy-prophet was received through the varied tribes of the people? Or does it tell us that at Samuel's word--that is, acting under his advice--Israel commenced this new disastrous war with the Philistines? By adopting the first supposition, which understands the words as a general statement respecting Samuel's influence in Israel, the grave difficulty of supposing that Samuel was mistaken in his first advice to the people is, of course, removed; but then we have to explain the separation of this clause from the preceding section in chapter 3, to which it would appear so naturally to belong; we have also to account for the exceeding abruptness with which the announcement of the war with the Philistines follows the clause respecting the "word of Samuel." The Speaker's Commentary attempts to solve the problem by suggesting as "the cause of the abruptness" that the account of the battle probably is extracted from some other book in which it came in naturally and consecutively, and that it was here introduced for the sake of exhibiting the fulfilment of Samuel's prophecy concerning Eli's family. Evidently, however, the Hebrew revisers of Samuel did not so understand the clause. They have placed the notice of Samuel's words coming to all Israel as introducing the narrative of the battle.

The compiler of the book, in his relation of the young prophet's error, touches upon an important feature of his great life. Anarchy and confusion had long prevailed throughout the tribes, and none of the hero Judges who had as yet been raised to power had succeeded in restoring the stern, rigid form of theocracy which had made the Israel of Moses and Joshua so great and powerful. The high qualities which in his prime had, no doubt, raised Eli to the first place in the nation, in his old age were almost totally obscured by a weak affection for his unworthy sons. A terrible picture of the corruption of the priesthood is presented to us during the last period of Eli's reign. We can well imagine what the ordinary life of many among the people, with such an example from their religious guides and temporal governors, must have been. Individual instances of piety and loyalty to the God of their fathers, such as we see-in the house of Elkanah, even though such instances were not unfrequent of themselves, would have been totally insufficient to preserve the nation from the decay which always follows impiety and corruption. In this period of moral degradation the Philistines, part of the original inhabitants of the land, a warlike and enterprising race, taking advantage of the internal jealousies and the weaknesses of Israel, made themselves supreme in many portions of the land, treating the former conquerors often with harshness, and even with contempt.

Samuel grew up to manhood in the midst of this state of things. He was conscious that the invisible King, forgotten by so many of the nation, had chosen him to be the restorer of the chosen people. The boy-prophet, as he passed out of childhood into manhood, does not appear at first to have recognised the depth of moral degradation into which Israel had sunk, or to have seen that it was utterly hopeless to attempt to free the people from the yoke of their Philistine foes until something like a pure national religion was restored. Samuel and the nobler spirits in Israel, who thirsted to restore their nation to freedom and to purity, needed a sharp and bitter experience before they could successfully attempt the deliverance of the people; so the first call to arms resulted in utter disaster, and the defeat at Aphek--the result, we believe, of the summons of Samuel--was the prelude to the crushing blow to the pride of Israel which soon after deprived them of their leaders, their choicest warriors, and, above all, of their loved and cherished "Ark of the Covenant," the earthly throne of their unseen King, the symbol of His ever-presence in their midst.

And pitched beside Eben-ezer.--"The stones of help." The name was not given to the place until later, when Samuel set up a stone to commemorate a victory he gained, some twenty years after, over the Philistines.

In Aphek.--With the article, "the fortress." Perhaps the same place as the old Canaauitish royal city Aphek.

Verse 1. - And the word of Samuel... all Israel. This clause is rightly connected with the foregoing verse of the previous chapter in the Syriac and Vulgate. Attached to the fourth chapter, it gives a wrong sense, namely, that Samuel gave the command for the assembling of all Israel for battle with the Philistines. This is so plainly erroneous that the A.V. dissents from it by translating the and in the next clause by now. Joined to the previous chapter, it gives the true meaning. Because Samuel spake by the word of Jehovah, therefore his word came to all Israel, that is, it was a binding and authoritative command throughout the whole land; or, in other words, when Samuel was acknowledged to be Jehovah's prophet he also became the virtual judge of Israel, though probably he did not act with full authority until after Eli's death. DEFEAT OF ISRAEL AND CAPTURE OF THE ARK (vers. 1-11). Now Israel - rather. And Israel - went out against the Philistines. During the declining years of Eli, the yoke of the Philistines, which apparently had been shaken off in his manhood, began once again to press heavily upon the neck of Israel. But Israel was still strong enough to make valiant resistance, provoked apparently by the Philistines invading the land, as we find that they had pitched, i.e. encamped, in Aphok. As Aphek means a fortress, many places bear the name; but the position of the Philistine camp is fixed by its being near both to Eben-ezer and to Mizpah, and probably, therefore, it was the Aphek in Judah (Joshua 12:18). Eben-ezer, the stone of help, had not as yet received this name (see 1 Samuel 7:12); and apparently it was not a town, but a monument set up m an open plain fit for the purposes of war, and which up to this time had. no specific appellation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Thus the word
דְבַר־ (ḏə·ḇar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

came
וַיְהִ֥י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

to all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Now the Israelites
יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

went out
וַיֵּצֵ֣א (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

to meet
לִקְרַ֨את (liq·raṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7122: To encounter, befall

the Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

in battle
לַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה (lam·mil·ḥā·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

and camped
וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ (way·ya·ḥă·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

at
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Ebenezer,
הָעֵ֔זֶר (hā·‘ê·zer)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 72: Ebenezer -- 'stone of the help', a place of uncertain location, also a commemorative stone

while the Philistines
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (ū·p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

camped
חָנ֥וּ (ḥā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

at Aphek.
בַאֲפֵֽק׃ (ḇa·’ă·p̄êq)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 663: Aphek -- perhaps 'fortress', the name of several places in Palestine


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OT History: 1 Samuel 4:1 The word of Samuel came to all (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 3:21
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