\\INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 4\\

This chapter is a narrative of a war between Israel and the
Philistines, in the time of Samuel, and of the consequences of it. In
the first battle, the Philistines had the better of the Israelites,
which caused the latter to inquire into the reason of it, and who
proposed to fetch the ark of the Lord, and did, to repair their loss,
and prepare for a second battle, in which they hoped to succeed, and
which struck a panic into their enemies, \\#1Sa 4:1-7\\, who yet
encouraged and stirred up one another to behave in a courageous manner,
and victory a second time was on their side, a great number of the
Israelites were slain, among whom were Hophni and Phinehas, the two
sons of Eli, and the ark of God was taken, \\#1Sa 4:8-11\\, the news of
which being brought to Eli, he fell back and died, \\#1Sa 4:12-18\\ and
to his daughter-in-law, who upon it fell into labour, and died also,
\\#1Sa 4:19-22\\.