1 Samuel 4:3

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Jehovah smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיָּבֹ֣א הָעָם֮ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֒ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָ֣מָּה נְגָפָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים נִקְחָ֧ה אֵלֵ֣ינוּ מִשִּׁלֹ֗ה אֶת־אֲרוֹן֙ בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וְיָבֹ֣א בְקִרְבֵּ֔נוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵ֖נוּ מִכַּ֥ף אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃

Transliteration

And wə yāvō' the-'ām to-the-maḥăneh and wə yō'mərû ziqnê yiśrā'ēl why lāmmāh nəgāpānû YHWH the-yôm before pənê pəlištîm let-us-take niqḥāh to-us from-šilōh 'et-'ărôn bərît YHWH and wə yāvō' in-midst-of-us and wə yōši'ēnû from-kap our-enemies.

Grammar Details

• *yāvō'*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular jussive - may it come
• *'ām*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the people
• *maḥăneh*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the camp
• *yō'mərû*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural consecutive - they said
• *ziqnê*: masculine plural construct - elders of
• *lāmmāh*: interrogative adverb - why
• *nəgāpānû*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular + 1st common plural suffix - he has smitten us
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh
• *yôm*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the day
• *pənê*: plural construct - face, presence of
• *niqḥāh*: qal imperfect 1st common plural cohortative - let us take
• *šilōh*: proper noun - Shiloh
• *'ărôn*: masculine singular construct - ark of
• *bərît*: feminine singular construct - covenant of
• *yōši'ēnû*: hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine singular jussive + 1st common plural suffix - may it save us
• *kap*: feminine singular construct - hand, palm of

Word Meanings

• *'ām*: people, nation, troops
• *ziqnê*: elders, old men, leaders
• *nəgāpānû*: struck us, defeated us, afflicted us
• *niqḥāh*: let us take, let us fetch
• *bərît*: covenant, treaty, agreement
• *yōši'ēnû*: may it save us, may it deliver us, may it rescue us
• *kap*: hand, palm, power

Referenced Verses

• Num 10:33 : 33 And they set forward from the mount of Jehovah three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting-place for them.
• Num 10:35 : 35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, O Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
• Num 31:6 : 6 And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
• Deut 29:24 : 24 even all the nations shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
• Deut 31:26 : 26 Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
• Josh 4:7 : 7 then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
• Josh 6:4-5 : 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him.
• Josh 7:7 : 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan!
• 1 Sam 14:18 : 18 And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the children of Israel.
• 2 Sam 15:25 : 25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation:
• 1 Chr 17:1 : 1 And it came to pass, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah [dwelleth] under curtains.
• Ps 74:1 : 1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
• Ps 74:11 : 11 Why drawest thou back thy hand, even thy right hand? [Pluck] [it] out of thy bosom [and] consume [them].
• Isa 1:11-15 : 11 What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,— I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
• Isa 50:1 : 1 Thus saith Jehovah, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away.
• Isa 58:3 : 3 Wherefore have we fasted, [say they], and thou seest not? [wherefore] have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find [your own] pleasure, and exact all your labors.
• Jer 3:16 : 16 And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
• Jer 7:4 : 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, are these.
• Jer 7:8-9 : 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, 10 and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations? 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah. 12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Jehovah, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not: 14 therefore will I do unto the house which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
• Amos 5:21-22 : 21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
• Matt 3:9-9 : 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
• Matt 23:25-28 : 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
• Rom 2:28-29 : 28 For he is not a Jew who is one {G1722} outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: 29 but he is a Jew who is one {G1722} inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
• 1 Cor 10:1-5 : 1 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and did all eat the same spiritual food; 4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ. 5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
• 2 Tim 3:5 : 5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.
• Heb 9:4 : 4 having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein {G1722} [was] a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
• 1 Pet 3:21 : 21 which also after a true likeness doth now save you, [even] baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• Jude 1:5 : 5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.