Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 4:6
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
6. the Hebrews ] This name is used ( a) by foreigners, as here (cp. ch. 1Sa 29:3): ( b) by the Israelites in speaking of themselves to foreigners (Exo 2:7): ( c) when the Israelites are contrasted with foreigners (1Sa 13:3, note, 7). It is either (1) a derivative from eber, a word meaning beyond, and was originally applied to Abraham as coming from beyond the Euphrates: or (2) a patronymic from Eber (Gen 10:21; Gen 10:24), signifying the descendants of Eber.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
6 9. Observe how vividly the successive emotions of the Philistines are painted: astonishment, when they heard the triumphant shout of the vanquished army: dismay, when they learnt its cause: manly resolution, when they had recovered from the first panic.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Of the Hebrews – This was the name by which the Israelites were known to foreign nations (compare Exo 1:15; Exo 2:6).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Timely understood, by information from the Israelites, who would readily tell them of it to affright them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout,…. For it being so loud as to make the earth ring, it was heard in the camp of the Philistines, which might not be at any great distance from the camp of Israel; how far from each other were Aphek and Ebenezer is not certain;
they said, what meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? they could not conceive what should be the reason of it, seeing they had no occasion to shout for joy, having been lately defeated; and a shout is made generally just before a battle is begun, and the onset made, or when victory is obtained; neither of which was the case now:
and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp: this they understood by spies, which they sent to find out the meaning of the shout; which is more probable than that they came to the knowledge of it by deserters; seeing it is not very likely that any Israelites would desert to the Philistines.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the Philistines heard the noise, and learned on inquiry that the ark of Jehovah had come into the camp, they were thrown into alarm, for “ they thought ( lit. said), God ( Elohim) is come into the camp, and said, ‘Woe unto us! For such a thing has not happened yesterday and the day before (i.e., never till now). Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the very gods that smote Egypt with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.’ “ The Philistines spoke of the God of Israel in the plural., , as heathen who only knew of gods, and not of one Almighty God. Just as all the heathen feared the might of the gods of other nations in a certain degree, so the Philistines also were alarmed at the might of the God of the Israelites, and that all the more because the report of His deeds in the olden time had reached their ears (see Exo 15:14-15). The expression “ in the wilderness ” does not compel us to refer the words “smote with all the plagues” exclusively to the destruction of Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea ( Exo 14:23.). “ All the plagues ” include the rest of the plagues which God inflicted upon Egypt, without there being any necessity to supply the copula before , as in the lxx and Syriac. By this addition an antithesis is introduced into the words, which, if it really were intended, would require to be indicated by a previous or . According to the notions of the Philistines, all the wonders of God for the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt took place in the desert, because even when Israel was in Goshen they dwelt on the border of the desert, and were conducted thence to Canaan.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(6) And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. (7) And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. (8) Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. (9) Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
The view here given of the enemies of God, may serve to teach us how exceedingly, even in carnal minds, the awful dread of danger is incorporated in their very nature. Reader! be assured of this one thing, ungodly men feel conviction at times of their being wrong, and are compelled to give their evidence of it, though they are not brought over to the interests of God and of Christ. Sweet thought of encouragement to the believer, in the midst of all the prosperity of sinners. See Asaph’s conclusion on this point. Psa 73:1-20 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 4:6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
Ver. 6. And they understood. ] Per exploratores, saith Vatablus, by their scouts and intelligencers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
noise of the shout. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6. Compare 1Sa 4:14.
meaneth = is. Compare Mat 9:13; Mat 26:26, Mat 26:28.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
What meaneth: Exo 32:17, Exo 32:18
Reciprocal: Exo 7:16 – The Lord 1Sa 4:14 – What meaneth Psa 60:10 – didst Jer 34:9 – Hebrew Phi 3:5 – an