1 Samuel 4:7

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!”

10 So the Philistines fought, and ^aIsrael was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.

11 Also ^athe ark of God was captured; and ^bthe two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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What Does 1 Samuel 4:7 Mean?

1 Samuel 4:5-7

The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God, and when the Israelites saw it, they all began to shout. Their response was fitting and correct because their divine King was among them. However, the rest of the story reveals He was intensely displeased with Israel and gave the victory to the Philistines.

This episode occurred when the sons of Eli had disgraced the priesthood, and God had largely removed Himself from the nation. The Israelites thought they could use the Ark like a good luck charm. They trusted in a holy object, not understanding the principle of reciprocity in their relationship with God. As He told King Asa much later, “The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (II Chronicles 15:2; emphasis ours). So, the neglectful Israelites presumed to bring God into battle with them, and He fought against them. The shout of the King was among Israel, but God's presence brought destruction rather than favor.

David C. Grabbe
The Shout of a King

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What Does 1 Samuel 4:7 Mean?

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