Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 4:1

"And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek." — 1 Samuel 4:1 (ASV)

And the word of Samuel.—To which portion of the narrative does this statement belong? Is it part of that account of the Lord’s dealings with Samuel which closed the preceding chapter? Does it close that brief narrative which tells of the Divine voice that called to, and the vision seen by, the young chosen servant of the Highest, with a note simply relating how the word of the boy-prophet was received throughout the varied tribes of the people? Or does it tell us that at Samuel’s word—that is, acting under his advice—Israel commenced this new disastrous war with the Philistines?

By adopting the first supposition, which understands the words as a general statement respecting Samuel’s influence in Israel, the grave difficulty of supposing that Samuel was mistaken in his first advice to the people is, of course, removed; but then we have to explain the separation of this clause from the preceding section in chapter 3, to which it would appear so naturally to belong. We also have to account for the great abruptness with which the announcement of the war with the Philistines follows the clause respecting the “word of Samuel.” The Speaker’s Commentary attempts to solve the problem by suggesting, as “the cause of the abruptness,” that the account of the battle probably is extracted from some other book in which it came in naturally and consecutively, and that it was here introduced for the sake of exhibiting the fulfilment of Samuel’s prophecy concerning Eli’s family.

Evidently, however, the Hebrew revisers of Samuel did not so understand the clause. They have placed the notice of Samuel’s words coming to all Israel as introducing the narrative of the battle.

The compiler of the book, in his account of the young prophet’s error, touches upon an important feature of his great life. Anarchy and confusion had long prevailed throughout the tribes, and none of the hero-judges who had yet been raised to power had succeeded in restoring the stern, rigid form of theocracy that had made the Israel of Moses and Joshua so great and powerful. The high qualities that in his prime had, no doubt, raised Eli to the first place in the nation, were in his old age almost totally obscured by a weak affection for his unworthy sons. A terrible picture of the corruption of the priesthood is presented to us during the last period of Eli’s reign.

We can well imagine what the ordinary life of many among the people must have been, with such an example from their religious guides and temporal governors. Individual instances of piety and loyalty to the God of their fathers, such as we see in the house of Elkanah, even though such instances were not infrequent in themselves, would have been totally insufficient to preserve the nation from the decay that always follows impiety and corruption.

In this period of moral degradation, the Philistines—part of the original inhabitants of the land, a warlike and enterprising race—took advantage of the internal jealousies and weaknesses of Israel. They made themselves supreme in many portions of the land, often treating the former conquerors with harshness and even with contempt.

And pitched beside Eben-ezer.—“The stones of help.” The name was not given to the place until later, when Samuel set up a stone to commemorate a victory he gained over the Philistines some twenty years later.

In Aphek.—With the article, “the fortress.” Perhaps the same place as the old Canaanitish royal city Aphek.