New American Standard Bible 1995

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1 Samuel

4

:

4

So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
So the people people Noun H5971 הָעָם֙ ha·'am
Analysis:
Read more about: So
sent to send Verb H7971 וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח vai·yish·lach
to Shiloh, a city in Ephraim Noun H7887 שִׁלֹ֔ה shi·loh,
Analysis:
Read more about: Shiloh
and from there there, thither Adverb H8033 מִשָּׁ֗ם mi·sham
they carried to lift, carry, take Verb H5375 וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ vai·yis·'u
the ark a chest, ark Noun H727 אֲרֹ֧ון a·ro·vn
of the covenant a covenant Noun H1285 בְּרִית־ be·rit-
of the LORD the proper name of the God of Israel H3068   Yah·weh
of hosts army, war, warfare Noun H6635 צְבָאֹ֖ות tze·va·'o·vt
who sits to sit, remain, dwell Verb H3427 יֹשֵׁ֣ב yo·shev
[above] the cherubim; probably an order of angelic beings Noun H3742 הַכְּרֻבִ֑ים hak·ke·ru·vim;
and the two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵ֣י she·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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sons son Noun H1121 בְנֵֽי־ ve·nei-
of Eli, a priest at Shiloh Noun H5941 עֵלִ֗י e·li
Analysis:
Read more about: Eli, Eli
Hophni a son of Eli Noun H2652 חָפְנִ֖י cha·fe·ni
and Phinehas, three Isr. Noun H6372 וּפִֽינְחָֽס׃ u·fi·ne·chas.
[were] there there, thither Adverb H8033 וְשָׁ֞ם ve·sham
with the ark a chest, ark Noun H727 אֲרֹון֙ a·ro·vn
of the covenant a covenant Noun H1285 בְּרִ֣ית be·rit
of God. God, god Noun H430 הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים ha·'e·lo·him,

Locations

Shiloh

SHILOH (2)(The most usual form is shiloh, but it appears 8 times as shilo, and 3 times as Shilow; Selo, Selom): A town in the lot of Ephraim where Israel assembled under Joshua at the close of the war of conquest (Joshua 18:1). Here territory was allotted to the seven tribes who had not yet received their portions. A commission was sent out to "describe the... View Details

People

Eli

Eli, an Israelite

Eli

a priest at Shiloh

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
King James Bible So the people sent to Shiloh, and that they might bring from there they carried thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim; cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
Hebrew Greek English So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.