1 Samuel 4:2 - Plain English Version

² The 2 armies met in the middle for a big fight. The Philistia mob killed dead lots of the Israel mob. 4,000 of them died.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

² And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

² The Philistines drew up against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was smitten by the Philistines, who slew about 4,000 men on the battlefield.

American Standard Version (1901)

² And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

Common English Bible

² The Philistines readied themselves to fight Israel. When the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.

Catholic Public Domain Version

² and they positioned their troops against Israel. Then, when the conflict began, Israel turned his back to the Philistines. And they were cut down in that conflict, in various places in the fields, about four thousand men.

1 Samuel 4:2 Cross References

1 Samuel 17:21

The Israel mob and the Philistia mob watched each other across the valley.

1 Samuel 17:8

Every day, Goliath used to go out into the middle and call out to the Israel mob like this, “Hey Israel mob. What are you waiting for? You call yourselves soldiers? Look at me. I’m a real soldier, from Philistia. You mob are just Saul’s working men. Listen. You pick one man and send him to me, so the 2 of us can fight.

1 Samuel 4:1

That’s the way Samuel talked to all the Israel mob. At that time, a lot of soldiers from Philistia came together to fight the Israel mob. The Israel mob camped near a place called Ebenezer. The Philistia mob camped near a place called Afek.

1 Samuel 4:10

And they really did get properly strong. They attacked the Israel mob again, and they killed dead lots of Israel’s soldiers. 30,000 of them died. Then the Philistia mob stole God’s special box. And they killed dead Eli’s 2 sons, Hofni and Finiyas. They died there too. The other Israel soldiers, they just ran away. They ran straight back home.

1 Samuel 4:3

After that, the Israel mob went back to their camp. The elders asked each other, “Why did God let them beat our mob? Let’s go to Shiloh, to get God’s special box. If we have that box with us, God will help us whenever we fight the Philistia mob.”