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Contemporary English Version

1 Samuel 4:14

He was ninety-eight years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, "What's all that noise?" The soldier hurried over and told Eli,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ark;   Eli;   Judgments;   Parents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Eli;   Philistines;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Lord's Name Taken in Vain;   Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Eli;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Philistines, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Heart;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hophni ;   Phinehas ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Eli;   Hophni;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ichabod;   Iyyar;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 30;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” The man quickly came and reported to Eli.
Hebrew Names Version
When `Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man hurried, and came and told `Eli.
King James Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Lexham English Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What is the noise of this commotion?" Then the man came quickly and told Eli.
English Standard Version
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.
New Century Version
Eli heard the crying and asked, "What's all this noise?" The Benjaminite ran to Eli and told him what had happened.
New English Translation
When Eli heard the outcry, he said, "What is this commotion?" The man quickly came and told Eli.
Amplified Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he asked, "What is the noise of this uproar?" And the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
New American Standard Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he sayd, What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? and the man came in hastily, and tolde Eli.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Eli heard the noise of the outcry, and he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" So the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
Complete Jewish Bible
On hearing the cries, ‘Eli asked, "What does this uproar mean?" So the man hurried, came to ‘Eli and told him.
Darby Translation
And Eli heard the noise of the crying, and said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man came hastily, and told Eli.
Easy-to-Read Version
Eli was 98 years old. He was blind, so he could not see what was happening, but he could hear the loud noise of the people crying. Eli asked, "Why are the people making this loud noise?" The Benjamite man ran to Eli and told him what happened.
George Lamsa Translation
And when Eli heard the noise of crying, he said, What is this noise of tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli.
Good News Translation
Eli heard the noise and asked, "What is all this noise about?" The man hurried to Eli to tell him the news.
Literal Translation
And Eli heard the noise of the cry, and said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried and came and reported to Eli.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan Eli herde ye noyse of the cryege, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli.
American Standard Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted, and came and told Eli.
Bible in Basic English
And Eli, hearing the noise and the cries, said, What is the reason of this outcry? And the man came quickly and gave the news to Eli.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he saide: What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? And the man came in hastyly, and tolde Eli.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said: 'What meaneth the noise of this tumult?' And the man made haste, and came and told Eli.
King James Version (1611)
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, hee said; What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? and the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.
English Revised Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted and came and told Eli.
Berean Standard Bible
Eli heard the outcry and asked, "Why this commotion?" So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Heli herde the soun of cry, and seide, What is this sown of this noise? And he hastide, and cam, and telde to Heli.
Young's Literal Translation
And Eli heareth the noise of the cry, and saith, `What -- the noise of this tumult!' And the man hasted, and cometh in, and declareth to Eli.
Update Bible Version
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried, and came and told Eli.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What [meaneth] the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
World English Bible
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
New King James Version
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the sound of this tumult mean?" And the man came quickly and told Eli.
New Living Translation
"What is all the noise about?" Eli asked. The messenger rushed over to Eli,
New Life Bible
When Eli heard the noise in the city, he said, "What does this noise mean?" Then the man came in a hurry and told Eli.
New Revised Standard
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man came quickly and told Eli.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said - What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Heli heard the noise of the cry, and he said: What meaneth the noise of this uproar? But he made haste, and came, and told Heli.
Revised Standard Version
When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, "What is this uproar?" Then the man hastened and came and told Eli.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.

Contextual Overview

12 That same day a soldier from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefront to Shiloh. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show his sorrow. 13 He went into town and told the news about the battle, and everyone started crying. Eli was afraid that something might happen to the sacred chest. So he was sitting on his chair beside the road, just waiting. 14He was ninety-eight years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, "What's all that noise?" The soldier hurried over and told Eli, 16 "I escaped from the fighting today and ran here." "Young man, what happened?" Eli asked. 17 "Israel ran away from the Philistines," the soldier answered. "Many of our people were killed, including your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But worst of all, the sacred chest was captured." 18 Eli was still sitting on a chair beside the wall of the town gate. And when the man said that the Philistines had taken the sacred chest, Eli fell backwards. He was a very heavy old man, and the fall broke his neck and killed him. He had been a leader of Israel for forty years.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What meaneth: 1 Samuel 4:6

Reciprocal: Esther 4:3 - great mourning Jeremiah 48:19 - ask

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Genesis 4:6
The Lord said to Cain: What's wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face?
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 4:12
If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.
Genesis 4:13
"This punishment is too hard!" Cain said.
Genesis 4:14
"You're making me leave my home and live far from you. I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me."
Genesis 4:15
"No!" the Lord answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him.
Genesis 4:16
But Cain had to go far from the Lord and live in the Land of Wandering, which is east of Eden.
Genesis 4:20
Lamech and Adah had two sons, Jabal and Jubal. Their son Jabal was the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats. Jubal was the first to play harps and flutes.
Genesis 4:24
Anyone who tries to get even with me will be punished ten times more than anyone who tries to get even with Cain."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying,.... The shrieks of the men and women, which were very clamorous and terrible. Eli had his hearing, though not his sight; he could not see the distress in their countenances, but he heard the lamentations they made:

and said, what meaneth the noise of this tumult? it seems the people ran about, wringing their hands, and making doleful shrieks; the noise of which Eli heard, and the meaning of which he inquired after, or what should be the cause of it:

and the man came in hastily, and told Eli; or made haste, and came to him, and related all that is later expressed; for Eli was not in any house, but on a seat by the way side, and therefore could not be said to come "in" to him; but he came to him, where he was, being brought by some of the citizens Eli had inquired of what should be the meaning of this noise; and therefore without delay the man was hastened to give the whole account unto him, as it was highly proper he should, being the supreme magistrate.


 
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