4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli 1 asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from 2 the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”
4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli 3 fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he 4 was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “before.”
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “the man.”