Eli's Death and the Birth of Ichabod
1 Samuel 4:12-22
1 S.4.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירץ: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנימן: NOUN,m,sg,proper
- מהמערכה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שלה: PRON,3,f,sg,gen
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- ומדיו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- קרעים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ואדמה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ראשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 1:2 (verbal): A messenger from the battlefield arrives with torn clothes and dust on his head—nearly identical wording and function (reporting defeat/death).
- Genesis 37:34–35 (thematic): Jacob rends his garments and mourns for Joseph—uses the tearing of clothes as a conventional sign of grief and shock.
- 2 Samuel 13:19 (thematic): Tamar rends her garment and puts ashes/dust on her head—another close instance of tearing clothing and putting dust/ashes on the head as an expression of mourning and disgrace.
- Lamentations 2:10 (thematic): The elders of Zion cast dust upon their heads—communal mourning imagery of dust on the head echoes the gesture in 1 Sam 4:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- A man of Benjamin ran from the battle and came to Shiloh that day; his garments torn and earth upon his head.
- A man of Benjamin ran from the battle and came to Shiloh that day; his garments were torn and earth was upon his head.
1 S.4.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבוא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- והנה: ADV
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ישב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- הכסא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- יד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לבו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- חרד: ADJ,m,sg
- על: PREP
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והאיש: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להגיד: INF,hiph
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותזעק: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- כל: DET
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 4:11 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel — the prior verse reports the Israelite defeat and the capture of the ark, which is the event that makes Eli sit watching and fear for the ark in 4:13.
- 1 Samuel 4:18 (thematic): Direct sequel — Eli’s fear for the ark culminates when he hears the full report, falls backward, and dies; 4:13 sets the emotional stage for this outcome.
- 2 Samuel 6:6-8 (thematic): Parallel episode about the ark’s dangerous holiness: Uzzah is struck down for touching the ark while it is being transported, echoing the anxiety and tragic consequences tied to the ark in 1 Sam 4:13–18.
- 1 Chronicles 13:9-10 (quotation): Chronicles retells the same incident recorded in 2 Samuel (Uzzah’s death while handling the ark), offering a closely related account that illuminates Israel’s reverence/fear regarding the ark referenced in 1 Sam 4:13.
- Numbers 4:15 (allusion): Priestly/ritual background — instructions for properly handling and transporting the holy objects (including covering and carrying the ark) provide context for why Eli’s heart trembled when the ark’s safety was in doubt.
Alternative generated candidates
- He came, and behold, Eli sat on his seat by the gate—his heart anxious for the ark of God. The man came to tell in the city, and all the city cried out.
- He came, and behold, Eli sat upon his seat by the gate, his hand upon the threshold, watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. The man came to report it in the city, and the whole city cried out.
1 S.4.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמע: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הצעקה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ההמון: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- והאיש: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לעלי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Sam 4:17 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation—another messenger arrives hastily to report the disaster (capture of the ark, deaths of Eli’s sons), directly linked to Eli’s question about the uproar.
- 1 Sam 31:4-13 (thematic): Battle defeat and the reporting of the deaths of Israel’s leaders; communal reaction and burial/customs after a catastrophic military loss.
- 2 Sam 1:2-10 (thematic): A man brings urgent news to a leader about the deaths of Saul and Jonathan—same motif of a messenger reporting the outcome of a battle and the death of prominent figures.
- 2 Sam 18:19-33 (thematic): Messengers run with news of a battle’s outcome (Absalom’s death); parallels in urgency, the messenger’s haste, and the emotional response of the leader who receives the report.
Alternative generated candidates
- When Eli heard the sound of the crying he said, 'What means this noise?' The man hurried and came and told Eli.
- When Eli heard the sound of the outcry he said, 'What is the sound of this tumult?' The man hastened and came and told Eli.
1 S.4.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועלי: CONJ+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תשעים: NUM,card,pl,m
- ושמנה: NUM,card,sg
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ועיניו: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m,sg
- קמה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- יכול: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לראות: VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Genesis 27:1 (verbal): Uses the same wording about advanced age and dimmed eyes—"was old and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (parallel description of an elderly patriarchal figure).
- Genesis 48:10 (verbal): Jacob is described with dimmed eyes so he could not see clearly; close verbal and thematic echo of impaired sight in old age.
- Deuteronomy 34:7 (thematic): Contrasts this description: Moses at death is said to be 120 but ‘his eye was not dim,’ highlighting a theological contrast concerning aging and vitality of leaders.
- 1 Kings 1:1 (thematic): David’s advanced age and physical decline set the scene for succession—parallels the motif of an elderly, incapacitated leader near the end of life (contextual/structural parallel to Eli).
Alternative generated candidates
- Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; his eyes were dim, and he could not see.
- Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed so that he could not see.
1 S.4.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- הבא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מן: PREP
- המערכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- מן: PREP
- המערכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- נסתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 1:2-10 (thematic): A messenger (the Amalekite) comes from the battlefield to report the death/defeat of Israel’s leader; similar motif of a battlefield informant bringing catastrophic news and claiming involvement.
- 2 Samuel 18:19-33 (thematic): A runner/messenger arrives with news from the fighting (Absalom’s death); the pattern of a messenger bringing traumatic battlefield tidings and the addressee’s urgent questions parallels Eli’s exchange.
- 1 Samuel 31:4-6 (thematic): Account of Israel’s defeat on the battlefield and the death of the ruler (Saul) — a parallel episode of military disaster whose reporting produces shock and death, echoing the context of the messenger’s report to Eli.
- 1 Samuel 4:17-18 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: the messenger’s report in v.17–18 provides the content that provokes Eli’s reaction and death; structurally parallel as the direct fulfilment of the arrival described in v.16.
- Judges 4:17-22 (thematic): Report of the battlefield killing of Sisera (and the bringing of that news to leaders) — another instance where the aftermath of battle is relayed and produces decisive personal and communal consequences.
Alternative generated candidates
- The man said to Eli, 'I am the one who came from the battle; I fled today from the battle.' He said, 'What happened, my son?'
- The man said to Eli, 'I am the one who came from the battle; today I fled from the battle.'
1 S.4.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויען: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המבשר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נס: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
- פלשתים: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- וגם: CONJ
- מגפה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- גדולה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- היתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בעם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- וגם: CONJ
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- בניך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+POSS,2,m,sg
- מתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- חפני: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ופינחס: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,prop
- וארון: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- נלקחה: VERB,nip,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 5:1-5 (structural): Direct continuation of the ark narrative: the Philistines take the ark into Ashdod, Dagon falls before it, and the people suffer plagues—expanding the consequences mentioned in 1 Sam 4:17.
- 1 Samuel 2:27-36 (allusion): A prophetic oracle against Eli’s house that predicts punishment for his sons and the removal of the priesthood—background theological explanation for the deaths of Hophni and Phinehas.
- 1 Samuel 3:11-14 (quotation): God’s warning to Samuel that Eli’s house will be judged and that Eli’s sons will die—an earlier announcement of the very outcome reported in 4:17.
- 1 Samuel 7:1-2 (structural): Reports the ark’s subsequent location at Kiriath-jearim and Israel’s response after the events of 1 Sam 4–6, showing the longer-term aftermath of the ark’s capture.
- 2 Samuel 6:6-7 (thematic): Another narrative emphasizing the ark’s holiness and the deadly consequences of mishandling it (Uzzah’s death), thematically related to the reverence and danger surrounding the ark in 1 Sam 4:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- The messenger answered, 'Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a very great slaughter among the people; also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.'
- And the messenger answered, 'Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a very great slaughter among the people; moreover, your two sons are dead—Hophni and Phinehas—and the ark of God has been taken.'
1 S.4.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כהזכירו: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מעל: PREP
- הכסא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אחרנית: ADV
- בעד: PREP
- יד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ותשבר: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- מפרקתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וימת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- זקן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וכבד: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- שפט: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארבעים: NUM,m,pl
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 4:17 (structural): Immediate narrative link: Phinehas brings news of the ark’s capture to Eli; Eli’s reaction and fall follow directly in 4:18 (same episode, contiguous reporting).
- 1 Samuel 4:21–22 (structural): Direct continuation and theological comment: the death of Eli and the capture of the ark are linked to the naming of Ichabod—'the glory has departed'—and the narrator’s interpretation of national loss.
- 1 Samuel 2:27–36 (allusion): Earlier prophetic indictment against Eli’s house foretells the downfall of his sons and the removal of his family’s priestly privilege; 4:18–22 fulfills that judgment motif about Eli’s household.
- 2 Samuel 5:4 (thematic): Numeric/leadership parallel: Eli judged Israel forty years (1 Sam 4:18); David later reigns forty years—both texts use a forty‑year period to summarize a leader’s tenure and signal an era.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13–14 (thematic): Theme of leadership failure and divine judgment: like Eli’s household being punished and leaders dying as consequence of sin, Chronicles attributes Saul’s death to his transgressions—both frame leaderly demise as result of covenant unfaithfulness.
Alternative generated candidates
- As he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the seat by the side of the gate; he broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
- When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate; his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
1 S.4.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכלתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3ms
- אשת: NOUN,f,sg,cns
- פינחס: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- הרה: ADJ,f,sg
- ללת: VERB,qal,inf
- ותשמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- השמעה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- הלקח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חמיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3,f
- ואישה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ותכרע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ותלד: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נהפכו: VERB,niphal,perf,3,pl
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
- צריה: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- 1 Sam.4.17-18 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the messengers report the capture of the ark and the deaths of Eli’s sons — the news that causes Phinehas’s wife to faint and go into labor.
- 1 Sam.4.21-22 (structural): Direct aftermath: the woman names her son Ichabod and explains the name in light of the ark’s capture and Israel’s loss, connecting her childbirth and death to the national disaster.
- Gen.35.16-20 (thematic): Rachel dies in childbirth and names her son (Ben‑oni) in the context of sorrow; parallel themes of maternal death in labor and naming the child to reflect grief over larger family/national calamity.
- Judg.13.24-25 (thematic): A birth narrative tied to Israel’s fate: Manoah’s wife gives birth to Samson and the child’s coming is linked to divine purposes for the nation — provides a thematic contrast/parallel of childbirth narratives that intersect with Israel’s fortunes.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the wife of Phinehas, daughter-in-law of Eli, was pregnant. When she heard the tidings that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth; for her travail came upon her.
- And Phinehas's wife, the daughter-in-law of Eli, was with child and about to bear. When she heard the report that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her.
1 S.4.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכעת: ADV
- מותה: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,f,sg
- ותדברנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- הנצבות: NOUN,ptc,f,pl,def
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- תיראי: VERB,qal,impv,2,f,sg
- כי: CONJ
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ילדת: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- ענתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- שתה: VERB,qal,impv,2,sg
- לבה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+suf:3,f
Parallels
- Genesis 35:16-20 (thematic): Rachel dies in childbirth after naming her son (Ben‑oni/Benjamin); parallels the motif of a woman giving birth and dying and the immediate naming of the child.
- Judges 13:2-5 (verbal): An annunciation to a barren woman: she is told explicitly, “you shall conceive and bear a son,” echoing the birth‑announcement language found in 1 Sam 4:20.
- Luke 1:30-31 (verbal): Gabriel tells Mary “Fear not… behold, you will conceive and bear a son.” The pairing of “fear not” with the promise of bearing a son mirrors the phrasing and theme in the attendants’ words in 1 Samuel.
- 2 Samuel 12:15-18 (thematic): A newborn/young child’s life is cut short and silence/grief follow (the child dies and mourning ensues), resonating with the linkage of childbirth and immediate death/sorrow in 1 Samuel 4:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- As she was dying, the women who stood by her said to her, 'Do not fear; you have borne a son.' But she did not answer or pay attention.
- And as she was dying the women who stood by her said to her, 'Do not be afraid; you have borne a son.' But she did not answer or pay attention.
1 S.4.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותקרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לנער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אי: PRON,interrog
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- גלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מישראל: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- הלקח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- חמיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3,f
- ואישה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 4:22 (verbal): Immediate follow-up/explication: the woman names her son Ichabod and explicitly repeats that 'the glory has departed from Israel' because the ark was taken and her husband and father‑in‑law died.
- 1 Samuel 5:1–5 (structural): Narrative continuation showing the ark in Philistine hands and the plagues and fear it brings — the historical event that grounds the woman's declaration that Israel's 'glory' has gone.
- 2 Samuel 6:8–11 (thematic): Later account of the ark's movement and its dangerous holiness (Uzzah's death, ark kept at Obed‑Edom) — thematically contrasts the absence/presence of divine 'glory' and community response when the ark is not dwelling among Israel.
- Ezekiel 11:22–23 (allusion): Prophetic depiction of the glory of the LORD lifting from the city and standing over the mountain — a theological parallel to the motif in 1 Samuel that the 'glory' (God's presence) has departed from Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
- She named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken and with it her father-in-law and her husband.'
- She named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel,' for the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
1 S.4.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- גלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מישראל: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נלקח: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Ezekiel 10:18-19 (thematic): Ezekiel describes the 'glory of the LORD' departing from the temple—an explicit theological parallel to Ichabod's claim that Israel's glory has gone when the ark is taken.
- Psalm 78:60-64 (thematic): This psalm recounts God abandoning the tent at Shiloh and giving his sanctuary into contempt/captivity, echoing the motif of divine presence removed when the ark is captured.
- 1 Samuel 5:1-3 (structural): Direct narrative continuation: the Philistines take the ark and place it in Dagon's temple, showing what 'the ark of God is taken' in 4:22 refers to.
- 1 Samuel 6:1-3 (structural): Later part of the same ark-story: after months in Philistine hands the Israelites seek how to recover the ark, illustrating the ongoing consequence of the ark's capture announced in 4:22.
Alternative generated candidates
- She said, 'The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.'
- She said, 'The glory has departed from Israel—for the ark of God has been seized.'
A man of Benjamin ran from the battle and came to Shiloh that day; his garments were torn and dust was upon his head.
He came, and behold, Eli sat on his seat beside the gate, watching—for his heart trembled over the ark of God. The man came to tell it in the town, and all the town cried out.
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry he said, "What is this sound of tumult?" The man hastened and came to tell Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see.
The man said to Eli, "I am one who has come from the battle; I fled today." He said, "What happened, my son?"
The messenger answered, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a very great slaughter among the people; also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate; his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near to give birth. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and went into labor; for her pains came upon her.
At the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not fear; you have borne a son." But she gave no answer, neither did she pay attention.
She named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken."