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1 Samuel 4:3
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1 And the word of Samuel came to all1 Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside aEbenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.  

The Ark of God Captured

2 Then the aPhilistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was1 defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.  
3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? aLet us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”  
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, awho dwells between bthe cherubim. And the ctwo sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.  
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, a“Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.  
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 aBe strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, bas they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”  
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< 1 Samuel 4:2   1 Samuel 4:4 >>


1 Samuel 4:3

Let us fetch the ark - They vainly supposed that the ark could save them, when the God of it had departed from them because of their wickedness. They knew that in former times their fathers had been beaten by their enemies, when they took not the ark with them to battle; as in the case of their wars with the Canaanites, Numbers 14:44, Numbers 14:45; and that they had conquered when they took this with them, as in the case of the destruction of Jericho, Joshua 6:4. From the latter clause they took confidence; but the cause of their miscarriage in the former they laid not to heart. It was customary with all the nations of the earth to take their gods and sacred ensigns with them to war. The Persians, Indians, Greeks, Romans, Germans, Philistines, etc., did so. Consecrated crosses, blessing and hallowing of colors and standards, are the modern remains of those ancient superstitions.




Other Adam Clarke entries containing 1 Samuel 4:3:

1 Samuel 2:34

 

<< 1 Samuel 4:2   1 Samuel 4:4 >>

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