The Meaning of 1 Samuel 4:13 Explained

1 Samuel 4:13

KJV: And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

YLT: and he cometh in, and lo, Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way, watching, for his heart hath been trembling for the ark of God, and the man hath come in to declare it in the city, and all the city crieth out.

Darby: And when he came, behold, Eli was sitting upon the seat by the way-side watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

ASV: And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when he came,  lo, Eli  sat  upon a seat  by the wayside  watching:  for his heart  trembled  for the ark  of God.  And when the man  came  into the city,  and told  [it], all the city  cried out. 

What does 1 Samuel 4:13 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 4:12-22 - The Glory Departed From Israel
Notwithstanding their high hopes, disaster again overtook the hosts of Israel. No symbols of God will help us, until we have put away our idols and laid our hearts bare before Him.
The bad news traveled quickly over the land and everywhere brought dismay. The death of Eli and that of his daughter-in-law were tragedies, but in each ease there was a beautiful touch of true devotion to God's holy cause. The old man succumbed only when the messenger told of the capture of the Ark; while the mother could not be rallied from her death-swoon, even by the cry of her child, because, with the Ark, the glory of her people had passed away. May we not all pray to be equally devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ, so that its victories or its delays may touch us to the quick? The glory of our lives, as of the Church, should ever consist in the possession, not of the symbol, but of the real presence of our Lord, recognized, revered, loved and enshrined in our tenderest emotions. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 4

1  The Israelites are overcome by the Philistines at Ebenezer
3  They fetch the ark unto the terror of the Philistines
10  They are smitten again, the ark taken, and Hophni and Phinehas are slain
12  Eli at the news, falling backward, breaks his neck
19  Phinehas's wife, discouraged in her travail with Ichabod, dies

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 4:13 mean?

And when he came and there was Eli sitting on a seat - beat by the wayside watching for become his heart trembled for the ark of God And when the man came and told [it] into the city and cried out all the city
וַיָּב֗וֹא וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵ֠לִי יֹשֵׁ֨ב עַֽל־ הַכִּסֵּ֜א [יך] (יַ֥ד) דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ מְצַפֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־ הָיָ֤ה לִבּוֹ֙ חָרֵ֔ד עַ֖ל אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְהָאִ֗ישׁ בָּ֚א לְהַגִּ֣יד בָּעִ֔יר וַתִּזְעַ֖ק כָּל־ הָעִֽיר

וַיָּב֗וֹא  And  when  he  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה  and  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עֵ֠לִי  Eli 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵלִי  
Sense: descendant of Aaron through Ithamar and high priest and judge of Israel when Samuel entered service as a child.
יֹשֵׁ֨ב  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הַכִּסֵּ֜א  a  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּסֵּא 
Sense: seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool.
[יך]  - 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
(יַ֥ד)  beat 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙  by  the  wayside 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
מְצַפֶּ֔ה  watching 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָפָה  
Sense: to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch.
הָיָ֤ה  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִבּוֹ֙  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
חָרֵ֔ד  trembled 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָרֵד  
Sense: trembling, fearful, afraid.
אֲר֣וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהָאִ֗ישׁ  And  when  the  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בָּ֚א  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לְהַגִּ֣יד  and  told  [it] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
בָּעִ֔יר  into  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַתִּזְעַ֖ק  and  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
הָעִֽיר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.