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THREAD: We considered 1 Sam. 4-7 in @PastorSteveJeff’s theology course yesterday. Below are some of thoughts (for which no-one else present should be blamed) on its use of certain words and concepts.
In 4.1, Israel go out to do battle against the Philistines. They camp next to a place named Ebenezer, while the Philistines camp in Aphek. The names of these locations are significant.
The Israelites assume God will be an Ebenezer, i.e., ‘a rock who helps’ them (cp. Gen. 49.24). He will not. God will instead be Aphek, i.e., ‘one who withholds’. The Israelites are hence defeated. In their initial skirmish with the Philistines, they lose 4,000 men.
What, then, to do? The Israelites decide to fetch the ark from Shiloh. Perhaps it will have the same effect on the Philistines as it did on the men of Jericho, which is the last time it is mentioned much.
Initially, things looks good. As the ark arrives, the Israelites give ‘a great shout (תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה)’, as they did at Jericho (Josh. 6). Its arrival is met with confusion and fear in the Philistine camp.
But things soon turn sour. The presence of a holy vessel cannot make up for an unholy mindset. Israel will not gain the victory until God himself gives a shout and causes confusion among the Philistines (cp. ירעם יהוה בקול־גדול in 1 Sam. 7.10).
As a result, the Philistines are able to take the fight to Israel. A further 30,000 Israelites fall; the ark is captured; and Eli’s two sons are slain.
That makes a total of 34,000 Israelites slain by the Philistines. (The word ‘Philistines’ occurs 34 times in chs. 4-7.)
In 4.13, news from the battlefield reaches Shiloh. Just as the arrival of the ark caused commotion in the Philistine camp, so its loss now causes confusion in Israel.
While the Philistines cried out מֶה קוֹל הַתְּרוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת? in dismay, so those at Shiloh now cry out, which leads Eli to ask, מֶה קוֹל הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה = ‘What (does) this sound of commotion mean?’.
The bearers of news therefore approaches Eli. Since the bearer is referred to as a מְבַשֵּׂר, it looks as if Eli is about to receive good news. But the news is far from good.
When Eli hears about his sons’ slaughter and the ark’s capture, he falls backwards from his seat, breaks his neck, and dies. These events are (literally) ‘the beginning of birth pains’.
Eli’s daughter-in-law goes into labour, bears a son, and dies soon afterwards. The child is named Ichabod since God’s glory has evidently departed from Israel. (In truth, God’s glory has long been absent from Israel.)
These verses contain some noteworthy uses of the consonants כבד.
Eli is referred to as כָבֵד = ‘heavy’; the ark is said to represent God’s כָבֹד = ‘glory’; and Eli’s grandson is named אִי־כָבוֹד due to the departure of God’s glory.
The connection between ‘weight’ and ‘glory/honour’ is not an insignificant etymological detail. To give ‘weight’ to someone is to ‘honour’ them, while to treat them lightly (קלל) is to ‘dishonour’ them.
Only two chs. ago, God promised Eli, מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ, i.e., ‘Those who honour me, I will honour, while those who despise me, I will dishonour’. Eli’s sons despised God, so the offer of blessing (אבכד) became a curse (אי־כבוד).
The text is arranged in order to reflect these and other key themes.
Chs. 4-7 revolves around the ark of YHWH and its glory. The gematrial value of כבד is 26, which is also the gematrial value of יהוה. The total number of occurrences of כבד and of ‘the ark of YHWH’ amounts to 26.
The word ‘hand’ (יָד) is also important. (For instance, the ‘hand’ of God is frequently said to be ‘heavy’ on the Philistines.) The gematrial value of יד is 14, and the word יד occurs 14 times in chs. 4-7.
In 4.3, the Israelites avoid the normal word for ‘hand’. They instead ask to be delivered מִכַּף אֹיְבֵינוּ = ‘from the (lit.) palm of their enemies’. Otherwise, the word count (of 14) would be ruined.
Meanwhile, the preposition אל is employed strangely (e.g., 4.19, 5.4, 5.6, 6.11), and the ark is treated as both a masc. and fem. noun in quick succession (cp. 4.17’s ארון נלקחה with 4.22’s ארון נלקח).
Why? Because both the ark and God himself (אל) are treated strangely and inconsistently by the Israelites. The Israelites disobey the commandments contained within the ark, and yet expect its Owner to deliver them from evil.
In 4.3, the Israelites say to themselves נקחה את ארון יהוה וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ, the most natural translation of which is ‘Let us take the ark of YHWH so *it* may deliver us’.
Meanwhile, in 5.7, the Philistines have the good sense to say, לא ישב ארון אלהי ישראל עמנו כי קשתה ידו עלינו, i.e., ‘The ark of Israel’s God must not remain with us for *his* hand is hard upon us’, which is not as neat grammatically but far better theologically.
In fact, the only creations to treat the ark with any reverence in our text are an idol named Dagon who falls before it in worship, and two cows who have the nous to return it to its rightful place.
More another time I hope.
