Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 4:13

"And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside 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 Samuel 4:13 (ASV)

Eli sat upon a seat. —The text here is a little confused, but the sense is perfectly clear. The best and most accurate rendering would be, Eli sat by the side of the way of the watchers: that is, the street or way in Shiloh, probably so named from the watch-tower which was situated in it. (See Speaker’s Commentary here.) The Septuagint renders it, “by the side of the gate watching the way.”

The old judge was naturally anxious for news from the army. It must be remembered the people had already (1 Samuel 4:2) suffered a great defeat in the first battle of Aphek, when 4,000 fell, but his chief anxiety was for that sacred Ark which he had allowed—no doubt against his better judgment—to leave the sanctuary. All had gone wrong lately, and the high priest was deeply conscious that he, for his part, with his culpable weakness, and his priestly sons, with their flagrant wickedness, had broken the covenant with the invisible King.

Eli knew too much of the Eternal Guardian of Israel to put any real trust in the power of the lifeless Ark. It was a long time, the high priest well knew, since the glory had rested on its golden mercy-seat between the silent cherubim. Had that mysterious light shone in the dark Holy of Holies since the night when the Divine voice spoke to the child, telling him the doom of the house of Ithamar? So he waited with sorrowful forebodings the arrival of the messenger, asking himself, Would the Ark ever return to Shiloh?