Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 4:14

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.

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.
Contemporary English Version
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,
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.
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 And a man of Benjamin runneth out of the ranks, and cometh into Shiloh, on that day, and his long robes [are] rent, and earth on his head; 13 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. 14 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. 15 And Eli is a son of ninety and eight years, and his eyes have stood, and he hath not been able to see. 16 And the man saith unto Eli, `I [am] he who hath come out of the ranks, and I out of the ranks have fled to-day;' and he saith, `What hath been the matter, my son?' 17 And he who is bearing tidings answereth and saith, `Israel hath fled before the Philistines, and also a great slaughter hath been among the people, and also thy two sons have died -- Hophni and Phinehas -- and the ark of God hath been captured.' 18 And it cometh to pass, at his mentioning the ark of God, that he falleth from off the throne backward, by the side of the gate, and his neck is broken, and he dieth, for the man [is] old and heavy, and he hath judged Israel 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
and unto Cain and unto his present He hath not looked; and it is very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance is fallen.
Genesis 4:6
And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Why hast thou displeasure? and why hath thy countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:11
and now, cursed [art] thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive the blood of thy brother from thy hand;
Genesis 4:12
when thou tillest the ground, it doth not add to give its strength to thee -- a wanderer, even a trembling one, thou art in the earth.'
Genesis 4:13
And Cain saith unto Jehovah, `Greater is my punishment than to be borne;
Genesis 4:14
lo, Thou hast driven me to-day from off the face of the ground, and from Thy face I am hid; and I have been a wanderer, even a trembling one, in the earth, and it hath been -- every one finding me doth slay me.'
Genesis 4:15
And Jehovah saith to him, `Therefore -- of any slayer of Cain sevenfold it is required;' and Jehovah setteth to Cain a token that none finding him doth slay him.
Genesis 4:16
And Cain goeth out from before Jehovah, and dwelleth in the land, moving about east of Eden;
Genesis 4:20
And Adah beareth Jabal, he hath been father of those inhabiting tents and purchased possessions;
Genesis 4:24
For sevenfold is required for Cain, And for Lamech seventy and sevenfold.'

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile