The Meaning of 1 Samuel 4:20 Explained

1 Samuel 4:20

KJV: And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

YLT: And at the time of her death, when the women who are standing by her say, 'Fear not, for a son thou hast borne,' she hath not answered, nor set her heart to it;

Darby: And as she was dying, the women that stood by her said, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she did not answer, neither did she take it to heart.

ASV: And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And about the time  of her death  the women that stood  by her said  unto her, Fear  not; for thou hast born  a son.  But she answered  not, neither did she regard  [it]. 

What does 1 Samuel 4:20 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 4:20 mean?

And about the time of her death and said the women who stood by her to her not do fear for a son You have borne but not she did answer nor did she regard [it] attention
וּכְעֵ֣ת מוּתָ֗הּ וַתְּדַבֵּ֙רְנָה֙ הַנִּצָּב֣וֹת עָלֶ֔יהָ אַל־ תִּֽירְאִ֖י כִּ֣י בֵ֣ן יָלָ֑דְתְּ וְלֹ֥א עָנְתָ֖ה וְלֹא־ שָׁ֥תָה לִבָּֽהּ

וּכְעֵ֣ת  And  about  the  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
מוּתָ֗הּ  of  her  death 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַתְּדַבֵּ֙רְנָה֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הַנִּצָּב֣וֹת  the  women  who  stood  by  her 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
עָלֶ֔יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
תִּֽירְאִ֖י  do  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
בֵ֣ן  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יָלָ֑דְתְּ  You  have  borne 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
וְלֹ֥א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָנְתָ֖ה  she  did  answer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וְלֹא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁ֥תָה  did  she  regard  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
לִבָּֽהּ  attention 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.

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