The Philistines capture the ark
1 ① At that time Samuel was a prophet of Israel. The Israelites went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2The Philistines then drew up in battle formation. They attacked Israel and after a fierce struggle, Israel was defeated, leaving about four thousand men dead on the battlefield. 3When the troops retreated to their camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has Yahweh allowed us to be defeated by the Philistines? Let us take the ark of God from Shiloh and bring it here so that Yahweh may be with us and save us from our enemies.” 4So the people sent messengers to Shiloh to take the ark of Yahweh who is seated on the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the ark.
5As soon as the ark of Yahweh entered the camp, the Israelites began to cheer so loudly that the earth resounded. 6The Philistines heard the shouting and asked, “What does this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And they were told that the ark of Yahweh had been brought to the camp.
7The Philistines were overcome with fear. They exclaimed, “A god has come into the camp. 8Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues—and in the desert. 9Take courage and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews the way they have been slaves to you. Be manly and fight.”
10So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated. Everyone fled to his home. It was a disastrous defeat; thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel were killed. 11The ark of God was captured and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12A man from the tribe of Benjamin fled from the battle line and arrived that same day in Shiloh. His clothes were torn and his head was covered with dust. 13When this man arrived, Eli was on his seat by the road, watching, for his heart trembled for what might happen to the ark of God. When the people heard the news the man brought, all the city cried out. 14Eli heard their outcry and asked, “What is all this noise?” The man came to Eli at once and told him what happened. 15Eli was by then ninety-eight years old and was already blind. 16The man said to him, “I came from the battle, for I was able to flee from it.” Then Eli asked him, “How did the battle go, my son?” 17The newsbearer answered, “Israel fled before the Philistines. There has been a disaster for our men; your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are among the dead and the ark of God has been taken.” 18As soon as the man mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate. He broke his neck and died for he was an old and heavy man. Eli judged Israel for forty years.
19Eli’s daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and was about to give birth. When she heard that the ark of God was taken and that both her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she gave birth prematurely. 20As she lay dying, the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid for you have given birth to a son.” But she neither answered nor listened. 21She then named the child Ichabod, saying: “The glory has departed from Israel!” 22And she said “the glory,” meaning the ark of God that had been captured.
- 1 S 4,1 In their war against the Philistines, the Israelites seek the protection of Yahweh. They look for the Ark, thinking that, when it is with them, Yahweh will be obliged to grant them victory. And since the human being often doubts his God, he relies on his lucky charms. God is not concerned with the sacred Ark, nor is he at the service of an irresponsible people. Instead, he wants to educate them by making them pay the price for their unfaithfulness. For this reason, God does not respond to them and the sacred Ark is lost.
