1 Samuel 4:1 - The Philistines Capture the Ark

Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
Samuel, as a prophet and judge, was a pivotal figure in Israel's history. His role was to communicate God's will to the people. This phrase indicates that Samuel's influence and authority were recognized throughout Israel, marking a transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy. The "word of Samuel" signifies divine guidance, as Samuel was known for his faithfulness to God. This widespread acceptance of his message underscores the unity and centralization of Israel under his leadership.

Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle
The Philistines were a significant threat to Israel during this period, often engaging in conflicts over territory and dominance. This phrase sets the stage for a series of battles that would define the relationship between the two groups. The Israelites' decision to confront the Philistines indicates their desire to assert control and protect their land. Historically, the Philistines were known for their advanced military technology, including iron weapons, which posed a challenge to the Israelites.

and camped at Ebenezer
Ebenezer, meaning "stone of help," is a location that later becomes significant in Israel's history. It is associated with a subsequent victory over the Philistines, where Samuel sets up a stone to commemorate God's assistance (1 Samuel 7:12). At this point in the narrative, however, Ebenezer is simply a strategic military encampment. The choice of this location reflects the Israelites' hope for divine intervention in their struggle against the Philistines.

while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
Aphek was a city located in the northern part of Philistine territory, often associated with military campaigns. Its strategic position made it a frequent site for battles. The Philistines' encampment at Aphek suggests their readiness and organization for war. This location is significant in biblical history, as it is mentioned in other contexts of conflict between Israel and its enemies (e.g., Joshua 12:18). The juxtaposition of the two camps highlights the impending confrontation and the ongoing struggle for dominance in the region.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Samuel
A prophet and judge of Israel, whose words were recognized as coming from the Lord. His leadership marked a transition from the period of judges to the establishment of monarchy in Israel.

2. Israel
The nation chosen by God, consisting of the twelve tribes. At this time, they were in conflict with the Philistines, a neighboring people.

3. Philistines
A significant enemy of Israel during this period, known for their military prowess and frequent conflicts with the Israelites.

4. Ebenezer
The location where the Israelites camped. The name means "stone of help," which later becomes significant in Israel's history as a symbol of God's assistance.

5. Aphek
The location where the Philistines camped. It was a strategic site for military engagements.

Teaching Points

The Importance of God's Word
Samuel's role as a prophet highlights the necessity of listening to and obeying God's word. In our lives, we should prioritize seeking and adhering to divine guidance.

Spiritual Preparation for Battles
Just as Israel prepared for physical battle, we must prepare spiritually for the challenges we face, ensuring we are aligned with God's will.

Recognizing God's Help
The name Ebenezer reminds us to acknowledge and remember God's assistance in our lives. We should regularly reflect on and give thanks for His help.

Understanding Our Adversaries
Knowing the nature of our spiritual adversaries, as Israel knew the Philistines, helps us to be vigilant and prepared in our spiritual walk.

The Consequences of Disobedience
The broader account of 1 Samuel 4 shows the consequences of Israel's disobedience. We must strive to live in obedience to God to avoid similar pitfalls.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from 1 Samuel 4Could a single city wall realistically collapse and kill 27,000 men, as the text asserts (1 Kings 20:30)? How can the thunder in 1 Samuel 7:10 be scientifically explained as a decisive factor in a military victory? What does Ebenezer mean?What are the key events in 1 Samuel?

(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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1 Samuel 4:1 Catholic BibleOT History: 1 Samuel 4:1 The word of Samuel came to all (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)