1 Samuel 4:13
New International Version
When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

New Living Translation
Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.

English Standard Version
When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out.

Berean Standard Bible
When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.

King James Bible
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

New King James Version
Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.

New American Standard Bible
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. And the man came to give a report in the city, and all the city cried out.

NASB 1995
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

NASB 1977
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. Now the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

Amplified Bible
When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road, keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. When the man arrived to report [the news] in the city, everyone in the city cried out [to God, for help].

Christian Standard Bible
When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road waiting, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road watching, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out.

American Standard Version
And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Eli was sitting on a seat on the side of the road, and behold it was because his heart trembled for the Ark of God, and the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city wailed

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he came, an behold, Heli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God: and the man entered into the city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.

Contemporary English Version
He went into town and told the news about the battle, and everyone started crying. Eli was afraid that something might happen to the sacred chest. So he was sitting on his chair beside the road, just waiting.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was come, Heli sat upon a stool over against the way watching. For his heart was fearful for the ark of God. And when the man was come into the city, he told it: and all the city cried out.

English Revised Version
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the way side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When he arrived, Eli was sitting on a chair beside the road, watching. He was worried about the ark of God. The man went into the city to tell the news. The whole city cried out.

Good News Translation
Eli, who was very worried about the Covenant Box, was sitting in his seat beside the road, staring. The man spread the news throughout the town, and everyone cried out in fear.

International Standard Version
When he arrived, Eli was sitting there on a seat beside the road, watching because his heart trembled for the Ark of God. The man went into the town to give the report, and the whole town cried out.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

Literal Standard Version
and he comes in, and behold, Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way, watching, for his heart has been trembling for the Ark of God, and the man has come into the city and declares [it], and all the city cries out.

Majority Standard Bible
When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.

New American Bible
When he arrived, Eli was sitting in his chair beside the gate, watching the road, for he was troubled at heart about the ark of God. The man, however, went into the city to announce his news; then the whole city cried out.

NET Bible
When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of the road, for he was very worried about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, the whole city cried out.

New Revised Standard Version
When he arrived, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out.

New Heart English Bible
When he came, look, Eli was sitting on his seat by the side of the gate watching the road, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

World English Bible
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out.

Young's Literal Translation
and he cometh in, and lo, Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way, watching, for his heart hath been trembling for the ark of God, and the man hath come in to declare it in the city, and all the city crieth out.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Death of Eli
12That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 13When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out. 14Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 1:9
So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

1 Samuel 4:14
Eli heard the outcry and asked, "Why this commotion?" So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.

1 Samuel 4:18
As 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 Israel forty years.

Jeremiah 48:19
Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, 'What has happened?'


Treasury of Scripture

And when he came, see, Eli sat on a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

sat upon

1 Samuel 1:9
So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

his heart

Joshua 7:9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

Nehemiah 1:3,4
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire…

Psalm 26:8
LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Jump to Previous
Ark Arrived Chair City Cried Cry Eagerly Eli Entered Heart News Outcry Road Sat Seat Seated Side Sitting Trembled Trembling Watching Wayside Way-Side Whole
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Ark Arrived Chair City Cried Cry Eagerly Eli Entered Heart News Outcry Road Sat Seat Seated Side Sitting Trembled Trembling Watching Wayside Way-Side Whole
1 Samuel 4
1. The Israelites are overcome by the Philistines at Ebenezer
3. They fetch the ark unto the terror of the Philistines
10. They are smitten again, the ark taken, and Hophni and Phinehas are slain
12. Eli at the news, falling backward, breaks his neck
19. Phinehas's wife, discouraged in her travail with Ichabod, dies














(13) Eli sat upon a seat.--The text here is a little confused, but the sense is perfectly clear. The best and most accurate rendering would be, Eli sat by the side of the way of the watchers: i.e., the street or way in Shiloh, so named probably from the watch-tower which was situated in it. (See Speaker's Commentary here.) The LXX. renders it, "by the side of the gate watching the way."

The old judge was naturally anxious for news from the army. It must be remembered the people had already (1Samuel 4:2) suffered a great reverse in the first battle of Aphek, when 4,000 fell, but his chief anxiety was for that sacred Ark which he had allowed--no doubt against his better judgment--to leave the sanctuary. All had gone wrong lately, and the high priest was deeply conscious that he, for his part, with his culpable weakness, and his priestly sons, with their flagrant wickedness, had broken the covenant with the invisible King. Eli knew too much of the Eternal Guardian of Israel to put any real trust in the power of the lifeless Ark. It was a long time, the high priest well knew, since the glory had rested on its golden mercy-seat between the silent cherubim. Had that mysterious light shone in the dark Holy of Holies since the night when the Divine voice spoke to the child, telling him the doom of the house of Ithamar? So he waited with sorrowful forebodings the advent of the messenger, asking himself, Would the Ark ever return to Shiloh?

Verse 13. - Upon a seat - literally, "the throne" - by the wayside, whither his official chair had been removed to some spot near the gate of the city (see ver. 18), and probably commanding a view of the pathway by which a messenger would arrive. There probably for hours he had sat, anxiously awaiting tidings of the ark, which, we may feel sure, he had very unwillingly allowed to be carried away into the camp. When the man came into the city. Literally the words are, "And the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out." We are not to suppose with some that Eli, being old and now blind, let the messenger slip by unobserved. A man of his high rank would not be alone, and the mention of his throne suggests that he was seated there in somewhat of official dignity. And so, as the runner drew near, with the symbols of disaster upon his person, the priests and Levites in attendance upon Eli would begin the cry of sorrow, and soon it would spread throughout all Shiloh.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When he arrived,
וַיָּב֗וֹא (way·yā·ḇō·w)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

there
וְהִנֵּ֣ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

was Eli
עֵ֠לִי (‘ê·lî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5941: Eli -- a priest at Shiloh

sitting
יֹשֵׁ֨ב (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
עַֽל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his chair
הַכִּסֵּ֜א (hak·kis·sê)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

beside
יַ֥ד (yaḏ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5221: To strike

the road,
דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

watching,
מְצַפֶּ֔ה (mə·ṣap·peh)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6822: To lean forward, to peer into the distance, to observe, await

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

his heart
לִבּוֹ֙ (lib·bōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

trembled
חָרֵ֔ד (ḥā·rêḏ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2730: Fearful, reverential

for
עַ֖ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the ark
אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of God.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

When the man
וְהָאִ֗ישׁ (wə·hā·’îš)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

entered
בָּ֚א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the city
בָּעִ֔יר (bā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

to give a report,
לְהַגִּ֣יד (lə·hag·gîḏ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

the whole
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

city
הָעִֽיר׃ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

cried out.
וַתִּזְעַ֖ק (wat·tiz·‘aq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2199: To shriek, to announce, convene publicly


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OT History: 1 Samuel 4:13 When he came behold Eli was sitting (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 4:12
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