1 Samuel 4:14-18

4:14 When Eli heard the outcry, ¹  he said, “What is this commotion?” ²  The man quickly came and told Eli. 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; ³  he was unable to see.

4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli ⁴  asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from ⁵  the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”

4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli ⁶  fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he ⁷  was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

[4:14]  ¹ tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”

[4:14]  ² tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”

[4:15]  ³ tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.

[4:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “before.”

[4:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “the man.”