1 samuel 11:4 - Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
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What does "1 samuel 11:4" mean?
This verse from 1 Samuel 11:4 describes a moment of intense emotional reaction to a message delivered to the people of Gibeah of Saul. Let's break it down:
"Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul...": Messengers arrived in Gibeah, the hometown and often the base of operations for Saul, the king of Israel.
"...and spoke these words in the ears of the people...": The messengers delivered a specific message to the people of Gibeah. The words they spoke were evidently troubling or distressing.
"...then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.": The reaction to the message was immediate and widespread. The entire population of Gibeah was overcome with grief and began to weep loudly.
Meaning and Context:
To fully understand the meaning, we need to look at the surrounding verses. In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-Gilead. The men of Jabesh-Gilead offered to surrender, but Nahash gave them a cruel ultimatum: he would make a treaty with them only if he could gouge out the right eye of every man in Jabesh-Gilead as a disgrace to all Israel.
The people of Jabesh-Gilead asked for a seven-day truce to send messengers throughout Israel to see if anyone would come to their rescue.
Therefore, the messengers mentioned in 1 Samuel 11:4 were likely carrying the dire news of the ultimatum from Nahash. The people of Gibeah wept because:
Threat to Their Brethren: They were distressed by the suffering and humiliation threatened upon the people of Jabesh-Gilead, fellow Israelites.
National Humiliation: The Ammonite's demand was an insult to all of Israel.
Sense of Powerlessness: They may have felt helpless to defend Jabesh-Gilead and uphold the honor of their nation.
Fear for Their Own Safety: The threat to Jabesh-Gilead could have raised fears that other cities in Israel might be similarly targeted.
In summary, 1 Samuel 11:4 depicts a powerful scene of collective grief and fear in response to a grave threat against a neighboring Israelite community and the nation as a whole. It sets the stage for Saul's decisive action in rallying the people and delivering Jabesh-Gilead, thus solidifying his leadership.
1 samuel 11:4 - Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
What does "1 samuel 11:4" mean?
This verse from 1 Samuel 11:4 describes a moment of intense emotional reaction to a message delivered to the people of Gibeah of Saul. Let's break it down:
"Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul...": Messengers arrived in Gibeah, the hometown and often the base of operations for Saul, the king of Israel.
"...and spoke these words in the ears of the people...": The messengers delivered a specific message to the people of Gibeah. The words they spoke were evidently troubling or distressing.
"...then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.": The reaction to the message was immediate and widespread. The entire population of Gibeah was overcome with grief and began to weep loudly.
Meaning and Context:
To fully understand the meaning, we need to look at the surrounding verses. In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-Gilead. The men of Jabesh-Gilead offered to surrender, but Nahash gave them a cruel ultimatum: he would make a treaty with them only if he could gouge out the right eye of every man in Jabesh-Gilead as a disgrace to all Israel.
The people of Jabesh-Gilead asked for a seven-day truce to send messengers throughout Israel to see if anyone would come to their rescue.
Therefore, the messengers mentioned in 1 Samuel 11:4 were likely carrying the dire news of the ultimatum from Nahash. The people of Gibeah wept because:
Threat to Their Brethren: They were distressed by the suffering and humiliation threatened upon the people of Jabesh-Gilead, fellow Israelites.
National Humiliation: The Ammonite's demand was an insult to all of Israel.
Sense of Powerlessness: They may have felt helpless to defend Jabesh-Gilead and uphold the honor of their nation.
Fear for Their Own Safety: The threat to Jabesh-Gilead could have raised fears that other cities in Israel might be similarly targeted.
In summary, 1 Samuel 11:4 depicts a powerful scene of collective grief and fear in response to a grave threat against a neighboring Israelite community and the nation as a whole. It sets the stage for Saul's decisive action in rallying the people and delivering Jabesh-Gilead, thus solidifying his leadership.