Bible Strands
1 Samuel 4:1
Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative reports that Samuel’s message reached all Israel, prompting the Israelite army to mobilize and camp at Ebenezer to confront the Philistines, who had positioned their camp at Aphek.
The words — The Hebrew וַיְהִי (va/y.Hi) literally means "and it came," marking the narrative transition, while לִקְרַאת (li/k.Rat) literally translates to "to meet," describing the Israelites' directed movement toward the enemy.
The thread — The Philistines' camp at Aphek reappears in 1 Samuel 29:1, the Israelites' camp at Ebenezer is referenced in 1 Samuel 5:1 regarding the ark's capture, and the name Ebenezer is later applied to a stone set between Mizpah and Shen in 1 Samuel 7:12.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to track how a prophetic message directly triggers a military mobilization, establishing the geographical and narrative coordinates for the ensuing conflict.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 29:1 Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
- 1 Samuel 5:1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
- 1 Samuel 7:12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
- Joshua 12:18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
- Joshua 15:53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
- Joshua 19:30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two cities, along with their villages.
- 1 Samuel 3:11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
- 1 Kings 20:30 The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.