1 Samuel

1 Samuel 4:3–5

3When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may goa with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”

4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

Footnotes

  • a 4:3 Or He may go

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 4:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When the troopsהָעָם֮hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
returnedוַיָּבֹ֣אway·yā·ḇōConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the campהַֽמַּחֲנֶה֒ham·ma·ḥă·nehArticle; Noun - common singularH4264 encampment, camp
the eldersזִקְנֵ֣יziq·nêAdjective - masculine plural constructH2205 old
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
askedוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙way·yō·mə·rūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Whyלָ֣מָּהlām·māhPreposition-l; InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
has the LORDיְהוָ֛הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
brought defeat on usנְגָפָ֧נוּnə·ḡā·p̄ā·nūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common pluralH5062 strike, smite
beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlip̄·nêPreposition-l; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
the Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּ֑יםp̄ə·liš·tîmNoun - proper - masculine pluralH6430 Philistine
todayהַיּ֖וֹםhay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
Let us bringנִקְחָ֧הniq·ḥāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH3947 take
the arkאֲרוֹן֙’ă·rō·wnNoun - common singular constructH727 chest, ark
of the covenantבְּרִ֣יתbə·rîṯNoun - feminine singular constructH1285 covenant
of the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
from Shilohמִשִּׁלֹ֗הmiš·ši·lōhPreposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singularH7887 Shiloh
so that it may goוְיָבֹ֣אwə·yā·ḇōConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
with usבְקִרְבֵּ֔נוּḇə·qir·bê·nūPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common pluralH7130 inward part, midst
to save usוְיֹשִׁעֵ֖נוּwə·yō·ši·‘ê·nūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common pluralH3467 deliver
from the handמִכַּ֥ףmik·kap̄Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular constructH3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan
of our enemiesאֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃’ō·yə·ḇê·nūVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common pluralH341 be hostile to

1 Samuel 4:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So the peopleהָעָם֙hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
sentוַיִּשְׁלַ֤חway·yiš·laḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7971 send
to Shilohשִׁלֹ֔הši·lōhNoun - proper - feminine singularH7887 Shiloh
and they broughtוַיִּשְׂא֣וּway·yiś·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5375 lift, take, carry
backמִשָּׁ֗םmiš·šāmPreposition-m; AdverbH8033 there, thither
the arkאֲר֧וֹן’ă·rō·wnNoun - common singular constructH727 chest, ark
of the covenantבְּרִית־bə·rîṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH1285 covenant
of the LORDיְהוָ֛הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
of Hostsצְבָא֖וֹתṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯNoun - common pluralH6635 army, war, warfare
who sits enthronedיֹשֵׁ֣בyō·šêḇVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH3427 sit, remain, dwell
between the cherubimהַכְּרֻבִ֑יםhak·kə·ru·ḇîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH3742 cherub
And the twoשְׁנֵ֣יšə·nêNumber - masculine dual constructH8147 two
sonsבְנֵֽי־ḇə·nê-Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
of Eliעֵלִ֗י‘ê·lîNoun - proper - masculine singularH5941 Eli
Hophniחָפְנִ֖יḥā·p̄ə·nîNoun - proper - masculine singularH2652 Chophni
and Phinehasוּפִֽינְחָֽס׃ū·p̄î·nə·ḥāsConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH6372 Pinechas
were thereוְשָׁ֞םwə·šāmConjunctive waw; AdverbH8033 there, thither
withעִם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
the arkאֲרוֹן֙’ă·rō·wnNoun - common singular constructH727 chest, ark
of the covenantבְּרִ֣יתbə·rîṯNoun - feminine singular constructH1285 covenant
of Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםhā·’ĕ·lō·hîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH430 God

1 Samuel 4:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whenוַיְהִ֗יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the arkאֲר֤וֹן’ă·rō·wnNoun - common singular constructH727 chest, ark
of the covenantבְּרִית־bə·rîṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH1285 covenant
of the LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
enteredכְּב֨וֹאkə·ḇō·wPreposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH935 come in, come, go in, go
the campהַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הham·ma·ḥă·nehArticle; Noun - common singularH4264 encampment, camp
allכָל־ḵālNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
raisedגְדוֹלָ֑הḡə·ḏō·w·lāhAdjective - feminine singularH1419 great
such a greatתְּרוּעָ֣הtə·rū·‘āhNoun - feminine singularH8643 shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy
shoutוַיָּרִ֥עוּway·yā·ri·‘ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH7321 raise a shout
that the groundהָאָֽרֶץ׃hā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
shookוַתֵּהֹ֖םwat·tê·hōmConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH1949 murmur, roar, discomfit

Cross-references

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

1 Samuel 4:3 2 Timothy 3:5 · 1 Corinthians 10:1–5 · Numbers 10:35

1 Samuel 4:4 2 Samuel 6:2 · Numbers 7:89 · Psalm 80:1 · Psalm 99:1 · 2 Kings 19:15

1 Samuel 4:5 Joshua 6:5 · Job 20:5

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.