1 Samuel 4:3
Meaning, cross-references, and a prayer for 1 Samuel 4:3 — by Collins Asein
Quick Summary
1 Samuel 4:3 is a verse from the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament. The KJV reads: "And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before..." Below you will find the full verse text, cross-references, meaning, and a prayer based on this scripture.
1 Samuel 4:3 — KJV
“And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. fetch: Heb. take unto us”
— 1 Samuel 4:3 (KJV)
1 Samuel 4:3 in Context — About the Book of 1 Samuel
1 Samuel traces Israel's shift from judges to kings through three lives: Samuel the prophet, Saul the rejected king, and David the shepherd anointed in secret. It is rich with prayer — Hannah's desperate plea for a child opens the book and becomes a template for praying through tears.
Cross-References for 1 Samuel 4:3
“And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.”
Shares key themes with 1 Samuel 4:3: come, into, elders
“This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. deliver...: Heb. shut thee up”
Shares key themes with 1 Samuel 4:3: into, israel, lord
“And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.”
Shares key themes with 1 Samuel 4:3: people, elders, israel
“Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.”
Shares key themes with 1 Samuel 4:3: people, israel, hath
“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. trouble: Heb. weariness that...: Heb. that hath found us”
Shares key themes with 1 Samuel 4:3: people, come, hath
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