1 Samuel 4:10
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.
Original Language Analysis
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים
And the Philistines
H6430
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים
And the Philistines
Strong's:
H6430
Word #:
2 of 16
a pelishtite or inhabitant of pelesheth
וַיִּנָּ֤גֶף
was smitten
H5062
וַיִּנָּ֤גֶף
was smitten
Strong's:
H5062
Word #:
3 of 16
to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
and Israel
H3478
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
and Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
4 of 16
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙
and they fled
H5127
וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙
and they fled
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
5 of 16
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
אִ֣ישׁ
every man
H376
אִ֣ישׁ
every man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
6 of 16
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)
לְאֹֽהָלָ֔יו
into his tent
H168
לְאֹֽהָלָ֔יו
into his tent
Strong's:
H168
Word #:
7 of 16
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
וַתְּהִ֥י
H1961
וַתְּהִ֥י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
8 of 16
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הַמַּכָּ֖ה
slaughter
H4347
הַמַּכָּ֖ה
slaughter
Strong's:
H4347
Word #:
9 of 16
a blow (in 2 chronicles 2:10, of the flail); by implication, a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence
מְאֹ֑ד
and there was a very
H3966
מְאֹ֑ד
and there was a very
Strong's:
H3966
Word #:
11 of 16
properly, vehemence, i.e., (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or
וַיִּפֹּל֙
for there fell
H5307
וַיִּפֹּל֙
for there fell
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
12 of 16
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
and Israel
H3478
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
and Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
13 of 16
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:25The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.2 Kings 14:12And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.1 Samuel 4:2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.Leviticus 26:17And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.2 Samuel 18:17And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Historical 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.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the Ark's capture reveal about God's willingness to allow His own symbols to fall into enemy hands?
- How does this outcome challenge assumptions about God's protection of religious institutions?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & 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.