1 Samuel

1 Samuel 4:17–18

¹⁷The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged^c Israel forty years.

Footnotes

c 4:18 Or governed or led

Read all of 1 Samuel 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 4:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The messenger	הַֽמְבַשֵּׂ֜ר	ham·ḇaś·śêr	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H1319 bear tidings
answered	וַיַּ֨עַן	way·ya·‘an	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6030 answer, respond
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵל֙	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
has fled	נָ֤ס	nās	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5127 flee, escape
before	לִפְנֵ֣י	lip̄·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the Philistines	פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים	p̄ə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
and	וְגַ֛ם	wə·ḡam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
there has been	הָיְתָ֣ה	hā·yə·ṯāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a great	גְדוֹלָ֖ה	ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
slaughter	מַגֵּפָ֥ה	mag·gê·p̄āh	Noun - feminine singular	H4046 blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence
among the people	בָעָ֑ם	ḇā·‘ām	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
Your two	שְׁנֵ֨י	šə·nê	Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנֶ֜יךָ	ḇā·ne·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H1121 son
Hophni	חָפְנִי֙	ḥā·p̄ə·nî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2652 Chophni
and Phinehas	וּפִ֣ינְחָ֔ס	ū·p̄î·nə·ḥās	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6372 Pinechas
are both dead	מֵ֗תוּ	mê·ṯū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H4191 die
and the ark	וַאֲר֥וֹן	wa·’ă·rō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common singular construct	H727 chest, ark
of God	הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
has been captured	נִלְקָֽחָה׃פ	nil·qā·ḥāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3947 take

1 Samuel 4:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As soon as	וַיְהִ֞י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the ark	אֲר֣וֹן	’ă·rō·wn	Noun - common singular construct	H727 chest, ark
of God	הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
was mentioned	כְּהַזְכִּיר֣וֹ׀	kə·haz·kî·rōw	Preposition-k; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H2142 remember
Eli fell	וַיִּפֹּ֣ל	way·yip·pōl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5307 fall, lie
backward	אֲחֹ֨רַנִּ֜ית	’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ	Adverb	H322 backwards
from	מֵֽעַל־	mê·‘al-	Preposition-m	H5921 height
his chair	הַ֠כִּסֵּא	hak·kis·sê	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3678 seat
by	יַ֣ד	yaḏ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
the city gate	הַשַּׁ֗עַר	haš·ša·‘ar	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8179 gate
and being	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
old	זָקֵ֥ן	zā·qên	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2204 be or become old
and heavy	וְכָבֵ֑ד	wə·ḵā·ḇêḏ	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H3515 heavy
he broke	וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֤ר	wat·tiš·šā·ḇêr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7665 break, break in pieces
his neck	מַפְרַקְתּוֹ֙	map̄·raq·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4665 neck
and died	וַיָּמֹ֔ת	way·yā·mōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
And	וְה֛וּא	wə·hū	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
had judged	שָׁפַ֥ט	šā·p̄aṭ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H8199 judge, govern
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
forty	אַרְבָּעִ֥ים	’ar·bā·‘îm	Number - common plural	H705 forty
years	שָׁנָֽה׃	šā·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H8141 year

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 4:18 1 Samuel 4:21–22 · 1 Peter 4:17–18 · Psalm 69:9

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.