1 Samuel 4:18

KJV1611 – Modern English

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיְהִ֞י כְּהַזְכִּיר֣וֹ ׀ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים וַיִּפֹּ֣ל מֵֽעַל־הַ֠כִּסֵּא אֲחֹ֨רַנִּ֜ית בְּעַ֣ד ׀ יַ֣ד הַשַּׁ֗עַר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֤ר מַפְרַקְתּוֹ֙ וַיָּמֹ֔ת כִּֽי־זָקֵ֥ן הָאִ֖ישׁ וְכָבֵ֑ד וְה֛וּא שָׁפַ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃

Transliteration

And wə yəhî as-kəhazkîrô 'et-'ărôn the-'ĕlōhîm and wə yippōl from-upon-the-kissē' backward 'ăḥōrannît beside bə'ad yad the-ša'ar and wə tiššāvēr his-mapəraqtô and wə yāmōt for-kî-old zāqēn the-'îš and-heavy wəkāvēd and-he wəhû' judged šāpaṭ 'et-yiśrā'ēl forty 'arbā'îm šānāh.

Grammar Details

• *yəhî*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular consecutive jussive - it happened
• *kəhazkîrô*: preposition + hiphil infinitive construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix - as he mentioned
• *'et*: direct object marker
• *'ărôn*: masculine singular construct - ark of
• *'ĕlōhîm*: masculine plural noun with definite article - the God
• *yippōl*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular consecutive - he fell
• *kissē'*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the seat
• *'ăḥōrannît*: adverb - backward
• *bə'ad*: preposition - beside, through
• *yad*: feminine singular construct - hand, side of
• *ša'ar*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the gate
• *tiššāvēr*: niphal imperfect 3rd feminine singular consecutive - was broken
• *mapəraqtô*: feminine singular noun + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his neck
• *yāmōt*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular consecutive - he died
• *kî*: conjunction - for, because
• *zāqēn*: adjective masculine singular - old
• *'îš*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the man
• *wəkāvēd*: conjunction + adjective masculine singular - and heavy
• *wəhû'*: conjunction + 3rd masculine singular personal pronoun - and he
• *šāpaṭ*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - he judged
• *yiśrā'ēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *'arbā'îm*: cardinal number - forty
• *šānāh*: feminine singular noun - year

Word Meanings

• *kəhazkîrô*: as he mentioned, when he spoke of
• *yippōl*: he fell, he dropped
• *'ăḥōrannît*: backward, backwards
• *bə'ad* *yad* *ša'ar*: beside the side of the gate, by the gateway
• *tiššāvēr* *mapəraqtô*: his neck was broken, his neck snapped
• *kāvēd*: heavy, weighty

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell backward off his seat by the gate. His neck was broken, and he died, for he was an old and heavy man. He had judged Israel for forty years.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Whan he had made mencion of the Arke of God, he fell downe bacwarde from the seate by the gate, and brake his neck, and dyed: for he was olde, & an heuy man. He iudged Israel fortie yeares.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And when he had made mention of the Arke of God, Eli fell from his seate backward by the side of the gate, and his necke was broken, and he dyed: for he was an olde man and heauie: and he had iudged Israel fourtie yeeres.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And when he made mention of the arke of God, Eli fell from of his stoole backward by the side of the gate, and his necke brake, and he dyed: For he was an olde man and heauy, and iudged Israel fourtie yeres?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  It happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And it cometh to pass, at his mentioning the ark of God, that he falleth from off the throne backward, by the side of the gate, and his neck is broken, and he dieth, for the man `is' old and heavy, and he hath judged Israel forty years.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that `Eli' feel from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] feel from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And at these words about the ark of God, Eli, falling back off his seat by the side of the doorway into the town, came down on the earth so that his neck was broken and death overtook him, for he was an old man and of great weight. He had been judging Israel for forty years.

• World English Bible (2000)

  It happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

Referenced Verses

• 1 Sam 4:21-22 : 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.
• 1 Sam 4:13 : 13 And when he came, behold, Eli sat upon a seat by the roadside 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.
• 1 Pet 4:17-18 : 17 For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?
• Lev 10:3 : 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord spoke, saying, 'I will be sanctified in those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' And Aaron remained silent.
• 1 Sam 2:31-32 : 31 Behold, the days are coming, that I will cut off your strength, and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
• 1 Sam 3:12-13 : 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows about; because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.
• Ps 26:8 : 8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house and the place where Your honor dwells.
• Ps 42:3 : 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is your God?
• Ps 42:10 : 10 As with a sword in my bones, my enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is your God?
• Ps 69:9 : 9 For the zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me.
• Lam 2:15-19 : 15 All who pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 16 All your enemies have opened their mouth against you: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly, this is the day we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. 17 The Lord has done what He had planned; He has fulfilled His word that He commanded in the days of old: He has thrown down, and has not pitied: and He has caused your enemy to rejoice over you, He has exalted the strength of your adversaries. 18 Their heart cried to the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give yourself no rest; let not the apple of your eye cease. 19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up your hands toward Him for the life of your young children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.
• 1 Cor 11:30-32 : 30 For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.