King James Version

What Does 1 Samuel 4:10 Mean?

1 Samuel 4:10 in the King James Version says “And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great sl... — study this verse from 1 Samuel chapter 4 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

1 Samuel 4:10 · KJV


Context

8

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9

Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. quit: Heb. be men

10

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. were slain: Heb. died

12

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The battle's outcome devastates Israel: complete rout ('they fled every man into his tent'), catastrophic casualties ('thirty thousand footmen'), and the unthinkable - the Ark captured. The phrase 'Israel was smitten' uses the same language as verse 2, but now sevenfold worse. God has not merely permitted defeat but actively judged His people. The Ark's capture fulfills the prophecy: 'thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation' (2:32). What Israel trusted to save them becomes the means of their humiliation.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

The loss of thirty thousand soldiers would represent a significant portion of Israel's fighting force. The subsequent capture of the Ark meant that Israel's central religious symbol was now in enemy hands - an unprecedented theological crisis.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the Ark's capture reveal about God's willingness to allow His own symbols to fall into enemy hands?
  2. How does this outcome challenge assumptions about God's protection of religious institutions?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 16 words
וַיִּלָּֽחֲמ֣וּ1 of 16

fought

H3898

to feed on; figuratively, to consume

פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים2 of 16

And the Philistines

H6430

a pelishtite or inhabitant of pelesheth

וַיִּנָּ֤גֶף3 of 16

was smitten

H5062

to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)

מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל4 of 16

and Israel

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙5 of 16

and they fled

H5127

to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)

אִ֣ישׁ6 of 16

every man

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

לְאֹֽהָלָ֔יו7 of 16

into his tent

H168

a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)

וַתְּהִ֥י8 of 16
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

הַמַּכָּ֖ה9 of 16

slaughter

H4347

a blow (in 2 chronicles 2:10, of the flail); by implication, a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence

גְּדוֹלָ֣ה10 of 16

great

H1419

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

מְאֹ֑ד11 of 16

and there was a very

H3966

properly, vehemence, i.e., (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or

וַיִּפֹּל֙12 of 16

for there fell

H5307

to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)

מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל13 of 16

and Israel

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים14 of 16

thirty

H7970

thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieth

אֶ֖לֶף15 of 16

thousand

H505

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

רַגְלִֽי׃16 of 16

footmen

H7273

a footman (soldier)


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Samuel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Samuel 4:10 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to 1 Samuel 4:10 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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