Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 Samuel
Book: 1 Samuel
Chapter: 4
Overview:
The Israelites overcome
By the
Philistines.
(1-9) The
Ark
taken.
(10,11) The
Death of
Eli.
(12-18) The
Birth of
Ichabod.
(19-22)
1-9 Israel is smitten before the
Philistines.
Sin, the accursed
thing, was in the
Camp, and gave their enemies all the advantage
they could wish for. They own the
Hand of
God in their trouble;
but, instead of submitting, they speak angrily, as not aware of
any just provocation they had given him. The foolishness of
Man
perverts his way, and then his
Heart frets against the
Lord, Pr
19:3, and finds fault with him. They supposed that they could
oblige
God to appear for them,
By bringing the
Ark into their
Camp. Those who have gone back in the
Life of religion,
sometimes discover great fondness for the outward observances of
it, as if those would save them; and as if the
Ark,
God's
Throne, in the
Camp, would bring them to
Heaven, though the
world and the
Flesh are
On the
Throne in the
Heart.
10,11 The taking of the
Ark was a great
Judgment upon
Israel,
and a certain token of
God's displeasure. Let none think to
shelter themselves from the wrath of
God, under the
Cloak of
outward profession.
12-18 The defeat of the
Army was very grievous to
Eli as a
Judge; the tidings of the
Death of his two sons, to whom he had
been
So indulgent, and who, as he had reason to fear, died
impenitent, touched him as a
Father; yet there was a greater
concern
On his
Spirit. And when the
Messenger concluded his
story with, "The
Ark of
God is taken," he is struck to the
Heart, and died immediately. A
Man may die miserably, yet not
die eternally; may come to an untimely
End, yet the
End be
peace.
19-22 The
Wife of
Phinehas seems to have been a person of
Piety. Her dying regret was for the loss of the
Ark, and the
departure of the
Glory from
Israel. What is any earthly joy to
her that feels herself dying?
No joy but that which is spiritual
and divine, will stand in any stead then;
Death is too serious a
thing to admit the relish of any earthly joy. What is it to one
that is lamenting the loss of the
Ark? What pleasure can we take
in our
Creature comforts and enjoyments, if we want
God's
Word
and ordinances; especially if we want the comfort of his
gracious presence, and the
Light of his countenance? If
God go,
the
Glory goes, and all good goes. Woe unto us if he depart! But
though the
Glory is withdrawn from one sinful nation,
City, or
village after another, yet it shall never depart altogether, but
shines forth in one place when eclipsed in another.