1 Samuel 4:8
1 Samuel 4:8 in Multiple Translations
Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
Trouble is ours! Who will give us salvation from the hands of these great gods? These are the gods who sent all sorts of blows on the Egyptians in the waste land.
This is disaster for us! Who will save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
Wo vnto vs, who shall deliuer vs out of the hande of these mightie Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wildernes.
Woe to us, who doth deliver us out of the hand of these honourable gods? these [are] the gods who are smiting the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.
Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Woe to us: for there was no such great joy yesterday and the day before: Woe to us. Who shall deliver us from the hand of these high gods? these are the gods that struck Egypt with all the plagues in the desert.
◄Who can/Can anyone► save us from their powerful gods [RHQ]? They are the gods who struck the people of Egypt with many plagues before the Israelis left Egypt and traveled through the desert.
Nobody can save us from their powerful gods. Their gods helped them when they were in the desert. They hit the Egypt mob with all kinds of sickness and other trouble.
Berean Amplified Bible — 1 Samuel 4:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
1 Samuel 4:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
א֣וֹי
לָ֔/נוּ
מִ֣י
יַצִּילֵ֔/נוּ
מִ/יַּ֛ד
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֥ים
הָ/אַדִּירִ֖ים
הָ/אֵ֑לֶּה
אֵ֧לֶּה
הֵ֣ם
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֗ים
הַ/מַּכִּ֧ים
אֶת
מִצְרַ֛יִם
בְּ/כָל
מַכָּ֖ה
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
א֣וֹי
ʼôwy
H188
woe!
Part
לָ֔/נוּ
Prep | Suff
מִ֣י
mîy
H4310
who?
Part
יַצִּילֵ֔/נוּ
nâtsal
H5337
to rescue
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
מִ/יַּ֛ד
yâd
H3027
hand
Prep | N-cs
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֥ים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
Art | N-mp
הָ/אַדִּירִ֖ים
ʼaddîyr
H117
great
Art | Adj
הָ/אֵ֑לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
these
Art | Pron
אֵ֧לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
these
Pron
הֵ֣ם
hêm
H1992
they(masc.)
Pron
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֗ים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
Art | N-mp
הַ/מַּכִּ֧ים
nâkâh
H5221
to smite
Art | V-Hiphil
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
מִצְרַ֛יִם
Mitsrayim
H4714
Egypt
N-proper
בְּ/כָל
kôl
H3605
all
Prep | N-ms
מַכָּ֖ה
makkâh
H4347
wound
N-fs
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
midbâr
H4057
mouth
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — 1 Samuel 4:8
א֣וֹי
ʼôwy
H188
"woe!"
Part
This word is an expression of sorrow or grief, like a cry of 'Oh no!' or 'Alas!' It's used in Isaiah and Jeremiah to lament the fate of God's people. The prophets use it to express deep emotional pain.
Definition: 1) woe! alas! oh! 1a) passionate cry of grief or despair
Usage: Occurs in 23 OT verses. KJV: alas, woe. See also: Numbers 21:29; Jeremiah 6:4; Proverbs 23:29.
לָ֔/נוּ
""
Prep | Suff
מִ֣י
mîy
H4310
"who?"
Part
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Definition: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Usage: Occurs in 342 OT verses. KJV: any (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God. See also: Genesis 3:11; 2 Samuel 15:4; Psalms 4:7.
יַצִּילֵ֔/נוּ
nâtsal
H5337
"to rescue"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
To rescue means to snatch away or deliver from danger. It can also mean to strip or plunder, depending on the context, and appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Definition: 1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself 1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to strip off, spoil 1b2) to deliver 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to take away, snatch away 1c2) to rescue, recover 1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death) 1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt 1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out 1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)
Usage: Occurs in 194 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out). See also: Genesis 31:9; Psalms 40:14; Psalms 7:2.
מִ/יַּ֛ד
yâd
H3027
"hand"
Prep | N-cs
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Definition: : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists
Usage: Occurs in 1446 OT verses. KJV: ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. See also: Genesis 3:22; Exodus 7:19; Leviticus 14:22.
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֥ים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
Art | N-mp
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
הָ/אַדִּירִ֖ים
ʼaddîyr
H117
"great"
Art | Adj
Describes something or someone as great or powerful, such as the mighty waters of the sea in Psalm 107.
Definition: 1) great, majestic 1a) of waters of sea 1b) of a tree 1c) of kings, nations, gods 2) great one, majestic one 2a) of nobles, chieftains, servants
Usage: Occurs in 25 OT verses. KJV: excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty(-ier one), noble, principal, worthy. See also: Exodus 15:10; Psalms 136:18; Psalms 8:2.
הָ/אֵ֑לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
"these"
Art | Pron
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Definition: 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Usage: Occurs in 697 OT verses. KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m). See also: Genesis 2:4; Exodus 35:1; Deuteronomy 1:35.
אֵ֧לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
"these"
Pron
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Definition: 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Usage: Occurs in 697 OT verses. KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m). See also: Genesis 2:4; Exodus 35:1; Deuteronomy 1:35.
הֵ֣ם
hêm
H1992
"they(masc.)"
Pron
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Definition: they, these, the same, who
Usage: Occurs in 524 OT verses. KJV: it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye. See also: Genesis 3:7; Deuteronomy 19:17; 2 Kings 1:18.
הָ/אֱלֹהִ֗ים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
Art | N-mp
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
הַ/מַּכִּ֧ים
nâkâh
H5221
"to smite"
Art | V-Hiphil
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Definition: 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill 1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten 1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust 1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast) 1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage 1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy 1d) (Hophal) to be smitten 1d1) to receive a blow 1d2) to be wounded 1d3) to be beaten 1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain 1d5) to be attacked and captured 1d6) to be smitten (with disease) 1d7) to be blighted (of plants)
Usage: Occurs in 461 OT verses. KJV: beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound. See also: Genesis 4:15; Joshua 10:20; 1 Samuel 29:5.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
מִצְרַ֛יִם
Mitsrayim
H4714
"Egypt"
N-proper
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Definition: § Egypt = "land of the Copts" a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows Egyptians = "double straits" adj 2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt
Usage: Occurs in 569 OT verses. KJV: Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim. See also: Genesis 10:6; Exodus 6:13; Exodus 34:18.
בְּ/כָל
kôl
H3605
"all"
Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
מַכָּ֖ה
makkâh
H4347
"wound"
N-fs
A wound or blow, also referring to carnage, pestilence, or defeat. It can describe physical harm, like a beating, or widespread suffering, like a plague.
Definition: 1) blow, wound, slaughter 1a) blow, stripe 1b) beating, scourging 1c) wound 1d) slaughter 1e) defeat, conquest 1f) plague
Usage: Occurs in 46 OT verses. KJV: beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, [idiom] sore, stripe, stroke, wound(-ed). See also: Leviticus 26:21; 2 Chronicles 22:6; Psalms 64:8.
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
midbâr
H4057
"mouth"
Prep | N-ms
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Definition: 1) mouth 1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
Usage: Occurs in 257 OT verses. KJV: desert, south, speech, wilderness. See also: Genesis 14:6; Joshua 5:4; Psalms 29:8.
Study Notes — 1 Samuel 4:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- 1 Samuel 4:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Trapp's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Cambridge Bible on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Barnes' Notes on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Whedon's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
- Sermons on 1 Samuel 4:8
Context — The Philistines Capture the Ark
6On hearing the noise of the shout, the Philistines asked, “What is this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they realized that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,
7the Philistines were afraid. “The gods have entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before.
8Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
9Take courage and be men, O Philistines! Otherwise, you will serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!” 10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great—thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 9:14 | Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. |
| 2 | Exodus 7:5 | And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” |
| 3 | Psalms 78:43–51 | when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan. He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink. He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust. He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning. He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels. He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague. He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham. |
1 Samuel 4:8 Summary
[In 1 Samuel 4:8, the Philistines are afraid because they know that the God of the Israelites is very powerful, and they remember how He punished the Egyptians with many plagues, as we read in Exodus 7-12. This shows that even people who do not worship God can recognize His power. The Philistines are worried that they will be defeated by the Israelites because of God's power, but they still do not want to worship Him, which is a form of idolatry, as warned against in Exodus 20:3-5. We can learn from this that knowing about God's power is not enough; we need to submit to Him and worship Him alone, as Jesus taught in Matthew 4:10.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Philistines afraid of in 1 Samuel 4:8?
The Philistines were afraid of the ark of the LORD, which they believed was the dwelling place of the God of the Israelites, and they knew that this God had struck the Egyptians with plagues in the wilderness, as recorded in the book of Exodus, specifically in Exodus 7-12.
Who are the 'mighty gods' mentioned in 1 Samuel 4:8?
The 'mighty gods' referred to in 1 Samuel 4:8 are the gods of the Israelites, but more specifically, the Philistines are acknowledging the power of the one true God of the Israelites, who had demonstrated His power through the plagues in Egypt, as seen in Exodus 7-12, and other events like the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14.
What does the Philistines' reaction reveal about their understanding of God?
The Philistines' reaction in 1 Samuel 4:8 reveals that they had a certain level of understanding and respect for the power of the God of the Israelites, recognizing the miraculous events of the past, such as those described in Exodus 7-12, but they did not fully comprehend the nature of this God as the one true God, as explained in Deuteronomy 6:4 and Isaiah 45:5-6.
How does this verse relate to the concept of idolatry?
This verse highlights the concept of idolatry, as the Philistines are comparing the God of the Israelites to their own gods, and acknowledging the superior power of the God of the Israelites, but still not turning to worship Him, as commanded in the first commandment in Exodus 20:3-5 and Deuteronomy 5:7-9.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I am acknowledging God's power but not submitting to His lordship?
- How can I, like the Philistines, sometimes misinterpret or misunderstand the power and nature of God?
- In what ways can I apply the lessons from the Philistines' fear and misunderstanding of God to my own walk with Him, especially in times of uncertainty or fear?
- What are some 'plagues' or challenges in my life that God can deliver me from, just as He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, as seen in Exodus 14:13-14 and Exodus 15:2?
Gill's Exposition on 1 Samuel 4:8
Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods?.... Of whom they spoke in an ironical and sneering manner; or if seriously and through fear, they use their own Heathenish
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 4:8
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
These mighty Gods; they secretly confess the Lord to be higher and greater than their gods, and yet against their knowledge presume to oppose him. They mention the wilderness, not as if all the plagues of the Egyptians came upon them in the wilderness, but because the last and sorest of all, which is therefore put for all, to wit, the destruction of Pharaoh and all his host, happened in the wilderness, namely, in the Red Sea, which having the wilderness on both sides of it, ,20 15:3,11 15:22, &c., may well be said to be in the wilderness. Although it is not strange if these heathens did mistake and misreport some circumstance in a relation of the Israelitish affairs, especially some hundreds of years after they were done, such mistakes being frequent in divers heathen authors treating of those matters, as Justin, and Tacitus, and others.
Trapp's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
1 Samuel 4:8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.Ver. 8. Woe unto us!] So at the siege of Mountabon, in France, when the Popish soldiers heard the people of God within the town singing a psalm, after which they ever expected a sally, they would so quake and tremble, crying, They come, they come! as if the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them. These faithless Philistines, followed by the furies of their own consciences, were woe begone, as we say, at the sight of God’ s ark, as being the people of God’ s wrath and of his curse. With all the plagues in the wilderness.] Or, Near the wilderness. That last sweeping plague - the drowning of them in the Red Sea - was near the wilderness of Etham, on the shore whereof their dead carcasses were cast up. Or it may be these frightened Philistines spoke at random, and according to their skill, as Bishop Bonner did when he said the martyrs were like to certain arrant heretics of whom Pliny maketh mention, that they daily sing antelucanos hymnos - psalms before daybreak.
Ellicott's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
(8) These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians.—No doubt the compiler of these “Memoirs of Samuel” has given us the very words of the Philistines, preserved in their national traditions of this sad time. They are the expression of idolaters who knew of “Gods” and dreaded their malevolent influence, but who had no conception of the One Most High God. The plural form Elohim, so often found in the sacred record for God, is used here; but whereas the inspired compilers would have written their qualifying adjective in the singular, the Philistine idolaters write theirs in the plural—Elohim addirim: Mighty Gods. It is noticeable that the Philistine exclamation of awe and terror is based outwardly upon the Egyptian traditions of the acts of the Lord. They studiedly ignore what they were all in that camp painfully conscious of—His acts in their own land of Canaan. The Septuagint and Syriac Versions, and some commentators, add “and” before the words “in the wilderness,” to make the Philistine exclamation more in harmony with history, seeing that the plagues were inflicted before the Israelites entered the wilderness; but the very vagueness of the exclamation of fear speaks for its truth. They were little concerned with exact historical accuracy, and were simply conscious of some terrible judgment having fallen on the foes of this Israel, a judgment they not unnaturally connected with the Ark of the Covenant just arrived in the enemy’s camp: that Ark their ancestors remembered so often at the head of the armies of this Israel in their days of triumph.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
Verse 8. These mighty Gods] מיד האלהים האדרים miyad haelohim haaddirim, from the hand of these illustrious Gods. Probably this should be translated in the singular, and not in the plural: Who shall deliver us from the hand of this illustrious God?
Cambridge Bible on 1 Samuel 4:8
8. these mighty Gods] The heathen polytheists naturally suppose that Israel like themselves had ‘gods many.’ with all the plagues] Better, with an utter overthrow, lit. ‘with every kind of smiting.’ The word used is the same as that rendered slaughter in 1 Samuel 4:10, and the allusion is to the overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, the shores of which are called wilderness in Exodus 13:20, not to the ten plagues, for which a different word is used in Exodus. The effect of the news of the destruction of Pharaoh upon the Philistines is alluded to in the Song of Moses, “Sorrow shall take hold upon the inhabitants of Palestina” (Exodus 15:14): and Rahab speaks of it as inspiring the Canaanites with terror (Joshua 2:9-11).
Barnes' Notes on 1 Samuel 4:8
This is a remarkable testimony on the part of the Philistines to the truth of the events which are recorded in the Pentateuch.
Whedon's Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:8
8. These mighty Gods — These Philistines speak the language of polytheists, not knowing that the God of Israel is ONE LORD.
Sermons on 1 Samuel 4:8
| Sermon | Description | |
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(Exodus) Exodus 5 Introduction by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the plagues that God sent upon Egypt to reveal His power and superiority over the gods of Egypt. The plagues were not random, but were specif |
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Our Daily Homily - Exodus by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer emphasizes that the affliction of the Hebrews in Egypt led to their multiplication, illustrating that God's people often thrive under persecution. He draws parallels bet |
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God's Enemies Shall Bow by C.H. Spurgeon | C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that the ungodly world, represented by Egypt, is often resistant to recognizing Jehovah, but God's power will ultimately break their pride and lead them to |