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Selected Verse: 1 Samuel 4:12 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
1Sa 4:12	Strong Concordance	And there ran [07323] a man [0376] of Benjamin [01144] out of the army [04634], and came [0935] to Shiloh [07887] the same day [03117] with his clothes [04055] rent [07167], and with earth [0127] upon his head [07218].
	King James	And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Runners who were swift of foot, and could go long distances were important and well-known persons (compare Sa2 18:19-31). There seem to have been always professional runners to act as messengers with armies in the field (Kg2 11:4, Kg2 11:6,Kg2 11:19, the King James Version "guards"). Earth upon his head - In token of bitter grief. Compare the marginal references.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Runners who were swift of foot, and could go long distances were important and well-known persons (compare Sa2 18:19-31). There seem to have been always professional runners to act as messengers with armies in the field (Kg2 11:4, Kg2 11:6,Kg2 11:19, the King James Version "guards").

Earth upon his head - In token of bitter grief. Compare the marginal references.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The tidings of this calamity were brought by a Benjaminite, who came as a messenger of evil tidings, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head - a sign of the deepest mourning (see Jos 7:6), - to Shiloh, where the aged Eli was sitting upon a seat by the side (יך is a copyist's error for יד) of the way watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God, which had been taken from the sanctuary into the camp without the command of God. At these tidings the whole city cried out with terror, so that Eli heard the sound of the cry, and asked the reason of this loud noise (or tumult), whilst the messenger was hurrying towards him with the news.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Came to Shiloh the same day - The field of battle could not have been at any great distance, for this young man reached Shiloh the same evening after the defeat. With his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head - These were signs of sorrow and distress among all nations. The clothes rent, signified the rending, dividing, and scattering, of the people; the earth, or ashes on the head, signified their humiliation: "We are brought down to the dust of the earth; we are near to our graves." When the Trojan fleet was burnt, Aeneas is represented as tearing his robe from his shoulder, and invoking the aid of his gods: - Tum pius Aeneas humeris abscindere vestem, Auxilioque vocare Deos, et tendere palmas. Virg. Aen. lib. v., ver. 685. "The prince then tore his robes in deep despair, Raised high his hands, and thus address'd his prayer." Pitt. We have a remarkable example in the same poet, where he represents the queen of King Latinus resolving on her own death, when she found that the Trojans had taken the city by storm: - Purpueros moritura manu discindit amictus. Aen. lib. xii., ver. 603. She tears with both her hands her purple vest. But the image is complete in King Latinus himself, when he heard of the death of his queen, and saw his city in flames: - - It scissa veste Latinus, Conjugis attonitus fatis, urbisque ruina, Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans. Ib., ver. 609. Latinus tears his garments as he goes. Both for his public and his private woes: With filth his venerable beard besmears, And sordid dust deforms his silver hairs. Dryden. We find the same custom expressed in one line by Catullus: - Canitiem terra, atque infuso pulvere foedans. Epith. Pelei et Thetidos, ver. 224. Dishonoring her hoary locks with earth and sprinkled dust. The ancient Greeks in their mourning often shaved off their hair: - Τουτο νυ και γερας οιον οΐζυροισι βροτοισι, Κειρασθαι τε κομην, βαλεειν τ' απο δακρυ παρειων. Hom. Odyss. lib. iv., ver. 197. "Let each deplore his dead: the rites of wo Are all, alas! the living can bestow O'er the congenial dust, enjoin'd to shear The graceful curl, and drop the tender tear." Pope. And again: - Κατθεμεν εν λεχεεσσι καθηραντες χροα καλον Ὑδατι τε λιαρῳ και αλειφατι· πολλα δε σ' αμφις Δακρυα θερμα χεον Δαναοι, κειροντο τε χαιτας. Ib., lib. xxiv., ver. 44. "Then unguents sweet, and tepid streams, we shed; Tears flow'd from every eye; and o'er the dead Each clipp'd the curling honors of his head." Pope. The whole is strongly expressed in the case of Achilles, when he heard of the death of his friend Patroclus: - Ὡς φατο· τον δ' αχεος νεφεος νεφελη εκαλυψε μελαινα Αμφοτερῃσι δε χερσιν ἑλων κονιν αοθαλοεσσαν, Χευατο κακ κεφαλης, χαριεν δ' ῃσχυνε προσωπον· Νεκταρεῳ δε χιτωνι μελαιν' αμφιζανε τεφρη. Iliad, lib. xviii., ver. 22. "A sudden horror shot through all the chief, And wrapp'd his senses in the cloud of grief. Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread The scorching ashes o'er his graceful head: His purple garments, and his golden hairs. Those he deforms with dust, and these with tears." Pope. It is not unusual, even in Europe, and in the most civilized parts of it, to see grief expressed by tearing the hair, beating the breasts, and rending the garments; all these are natural signs, or expression of deep and excessive grief, and are common to all the nations of the world.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Came to Shiloh the same day - The field of battle could not have been at any great distance, for this young man reached Shiloh the same evening after the defeat.

With his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head - These were signs of sorrow and distress among all nations. The clothes rent, signified the rending, dividing, and scattering, of the people; the earth, or ashes on the head, signified their humiliation: "We are brought down to the dust of the earth; we are near to our graves." When the Trojan fleet was burnt, Aeneas is represented as tearing his robe from his shoulder, and invoking the aid of his gods: -

Tum pius Aeneas humeris abscindere vestem,

Auxilioque vocare Deos, et tendere palmas.

Virg. Aen. lib. v., ver. 685.

"The prince then tore his robes in deep despair,

Raised high his hands, and thus address'd his prayer."

Pitt.

We have a remarkable example in the same poet, where he represents the queen of King Latinus resolving on her own death, when she found that the Trojans had taken the city by storm: -

Purpueros moritura manu discindit amictus.

Aen. lib. xii., ver. 603.

She tears with both her hands her purple vest.

But the image is complete in King Latinus himself, when he heard of the death of his queen, and saw his city in flames: -

- It scissa veste Latinus, Conjugis attonitus fatis, urbisque ruina,

Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans.

Ib., ver. 609.

Latinus tears his garments as he goes.

Both for his public and his private woes:

With filth his venerable beard besmears,

And sordid dust deforms his silver hairs.

Dryden.

We find the same custom expressed in one line by Catullus: -

Canitiem terra, atque infuso pulvere foedans.

Epith. Pelei et Thetidos, ver. 224.

Dishonoring her hoary locks with earth and sprinkled dust.

The ancient Greeks in their mourning often shaved off their hair: -

Τουτο νυ και γερας οιον οΐζυροισι βροτοισι,

Κειρασθαι τε κομην, βαλεειν τ' απο δακρυ παρειων.

Hom. Odyss. lib. iv., ver. 197.

"Let each deplore his dead: the rites of wo

Are all, alas! the living can bestow

O'er the congenial dust, enjoin'd to shear

The graceful curl, and drop the tender tear."

Pope.

And again: -

Κατθεμεν εν λεχεεσσι καθηραντες χροα καλον

Ὑδατι τε λιαρῳ και αλειφατι· πολλα δε σ' αμφις

Δακρυα θερμα χεον Δαναοι, κειροντο τε χαιτας.

Ib., lib. xxiv., ver. 44.

"Then unguents sweet, and tepid streams, we shed;

Tears flow'd from every eye; and o'er the dead

Each clipp'd the curling honors of his head."

Pope.

The whole is strongly expressed in the case of Achilles, when he heard of the death of his friend Patroclus: -

Ὡς φατο· τον δ' αχεος νεφεος νεφελη εκαλυψε μελαινα

Αμφοτερῃσι δε χερσιν ἑλων κονιν αοθαλοεσσαν,

Χευατο κακ κεφαλης, χαριεν δ' ῃσχυνε προσωπον·

Νεκταρεῳ δε χιτωνι μελαιν' αμφιζανε τεφρη.

Iliad, lib. xviii., ver. 22.

"A sudden horror shot through all the chief,

And wrapp'd his senses in the cloud of grief.

Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread

The scorching ashes o'er his graceful head:

His purple garments, and his golden hairs.

Those he deforms with dust, and these with tears."

Pope.

It is not unusual, even in Europe, and in the most civilized parts of it, to see grief expressed by tearing the hair, beating the breasts, and rending the garments; all these are natural signs, or expression of deep and excessive grief, and are common to all the nations of the world.

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¹⁹ And he took [03947] the rulers [08269] over hundreds [03967], and the captains [03746], and the guard [07323], and all the people [05971] of the land [0776]; and they brought down [03381] the king [04428] from the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and came [0935] by the way [01870] of the gate [08179] of the guard [07323] to the king's [04428] house [01004]. And he sat [03427] on the throne [03678] of the kings [04428].

⁶ And a third part [07992] shall be at the gate [08179] of Sur [05495]; and a third part [07992] at the gate [08179] behind [0310] the guard [07323]: so shall ye keep [08104] the watch [04931] of the house [01004], that it be not broken down [04535].

⁴ And the seventh [07637] year [08141] Jehoiada [03077] sent [07971] and fetched [03947] the rulers [08269] over hundreds [03967], with the captains [03746] and the guard [07323], and brought [0935] them to him into the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and made [03772] a covenant [01285] with them, and took an oath [07650] of them in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and shewed [07200] them the king's [04428] son [01121].

¹⁹ Then said [0559] Ahimaaz [0290] the son [01121] of Zadok [06659], Let me now run [07323], and bear [01319] the king [04428] tidings [01319], how that the LORD [03068] hath avenged [08199] him of his enemies [03027] [0341].
²⁰ And Joab [03097] said [0559] unto him, Thou [0376] shalt not bear tidings [01309] this day [03117], but thou shalt bear tidings [01319] another [0312] day [03117]: but this day [03117] thou shalt bear no tidings [01319], because the king's [04428] son [01121] is dead [04191].
²¹ Then said [0559] Joab [03097] to Cushi [03569], Go [03212] tell [05046] the king [04428] what thou hast seen [07200]. And Cushi [03569] bowed [07812] himself unto Joab [03097], and ran [07323].
²² Then said [0559] Ahimaaz [0290] the son [01121] of Zadok [06659] yet again [03254] to Joab [03097], But howsoever [04100], let me, I pray thee, also run [07323] after [0310] Cushi [03569]. And Joab [03097] said [0559], Wherefore wilt thou run [07323], my son [01121], seeing that thou hast no tidings [01309] ready [04672]?
²³ But howsoever, said he, let me run [07323]. And he said [0559] unto him, Run [07323]. Then Ahimaaz [0290] ran [07323] by the way [01870] of the plain [03603], and overran [05674] Cushi [03569].
²⁴ And David [01732] sat [03427] between the two [08147] gates [08179]: and the watchman [06822] went up [03212] to the roof [01406] over the gate [08179] unto the wall [02346], and lifted up [05375] his eyes [05869], and looked [07200], and behold a man [0376] running [07323] alone.
²⁵ And the watchman [06822] cried [07121], and told [05046] the king [04428]. And the king [04428] said [0559], If he be alone, there is tidings [01309] in his mouth [06310]. And he came [03212] apace [01980], and drew near [07131].
²⁶ And the watchman [06822] saw [07200] another [0312] man [0376] running [07323]: and the watchman [06822] called [07121] unto the porter [07778], and said [0559], Behold another man [0376] running [07323] alone. And the king [04428] said [0559], He also bringeth tidings [01319].
²⁷ And the watchman [06822] said [0559], Me thinketh [07200] the running [04794] of the foremost [07223] is like the running [04794] of Ahimaaz [0290] the son [01121] of Zadok [06659]. And the king [04428] said [0559], He is a good [02896] man [0376], and cometh [0935] with good [02896] tidings [01309].
²⁸ And Ahimaaz [0290] called [07121], and said [0559] unto the king [04428], All is well [07965]. And he fell down [07812] to the earth [0776] upon his face [0639] before the king [04428], and said [0559], Blessed [01288] be the LORD [03068] thy God [0430], which hath delivered up [05462] the men [0582] that lifted up [05375] their hand [03027] against my lord [0113] the king [04428].
²⁹ And the king [04428] said [0559], Is the young man [05288] Absalom [053] safe [07965]? And Ahimaaz [0290] answered [0559], When Joab [03097] sent [07971] the king's [04428] servant [05650], and me thy servant [05650], I saw [07200] a great [01419] tumult [01995], but I knew [03045] not what it was.
³⁰ And the king [04428] said [0559] unto him, Turn aside [05437], and stand [03320] here [03541]. And he turned aside [05437], and stood still [05975].
³¹ And, behold, Cushi [03569] came [0935]; and Cushi [03569] said [0559], Tidings [01319], my lord [0113] the king [04428]: for the LORD [03068] hath avenged [08199] thee this day [03117] of all them [03027] that rose up [06965] against thee.

⁶ And Joshua [03091] rent [07167] his clothes [08071], and fell [05307] to the earth [0776] upon his face [06440] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068] until the eventide [06153], he and the elders [02205] of Israel [03478], and put [05927] dust [06083] upon their heads [07218].