1 Samuel 4:12
New International Version
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head.

New Living Translation
A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief.

English Standard Version
A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

Berean Standard Bible
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

King James Bible
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

New King James Version
Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

New American Standard Bible
Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn, and dust on his head.

NASB 1995
Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head.

NASB 1977
Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his robes torn and dust on his head.

Amplified Bible
Now a man [from the tribe] of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as signs of mourning over the disaster].

Christian Standard Bible
That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head.

American Standard Version
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a man ran from those of the house of Benjamin from the front line, and he came to Shiloh on that day as he ripped his garments and had earth on his head

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Selom on that day: and his clothes were rent, and earth was upon his head.

Contemporary English Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Silo the same day, with his clothes rent, and his head strewed with dust.

English Revised Version
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the front line of the battle. He went to Shiloh that day with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

Good News Translation
A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran all the way from the battlefield to Shiloh and arrived there the same day. To show his grief, he had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head.

International Standard Version
That very same day, a man who was a descendant of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh, with his garments torn and dirt on his head.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

Literal Standard Version
And a man of Benjamin runs out of the ranks, and comes into Shiloh, on that day, and his long robes [are] torn, and earth [is] on his head;

Majority Standard Bible
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

New American Bible
A Benjaminite fled from the battlefield and reached Shiloh that same day, with his clothes torn and his head covered with dirt.

NET Bible
On that day a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head.

New Revised Standard Version
A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head.

New Heart English Bible
There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his head.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

World English Bible
A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Death of Eli
12That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 13When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.…

Cross References
Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.

2 Samuel 1:2
On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul's camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.

2 Samuel 13:19
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

2 Samuel 15:32
When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

Nehemiah 9:1
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

Job 2:12
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

Jeremiah 26:6
then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.'"


Treasury of Scripture

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth on his head.

2 Samuel 1:2
It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

with earth

Joshua 7:6
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

2 Samuel 13:19
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

2 Samuel 15:32
And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

Jump to Previous
Army Battle Benjamin Benjamite Clothes Clothing Dust Earth Head Line Order Ran Ranks Rent Robes Runneth Running Shiloh Torn
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Army Battle Benjamin Benjamite Clothes Clothing Dust Earth Head Line Order Ran Ranks Rent Robes Runneth Running Shiloh Torn
1 Samuel 4
1. The Israelites are overcome by the Philistines at Ebenezer
3. They fetch the ark unto the terror of the Philistines
10. They are smitten again, the ark taken, and Hophni and Phinehas are slain
12. Eli at the news, falling backward, breaks his neck
19. Phinehas's wife, discouraged in her travail with Ichabod, dies














(12) And there ran a man of Benjamin.--The Rabbinical tradition relates that this messenger was Saul, who snatched from Goliath the tables of the Law taken out of the Ark, in order to save them. The whole of this account is so vivid, and is so full of detail that it must have come from some eye-witness--probably from Samuel himself. These swift runners are still employed to carry news in war time in the East. In the sacred story we possess several important instances of such messages: for instance, in the account of Absalom's death, Cushi and Ahimaaz bring the tidings from Joab to King David (2Samuel 18:21-27). Asahel, the son of Zeruiah, the sister of David, is mentioned as being famous for his running (2Samuel 2:18). Elijah, again, we hear, once outran the chariot of Ahab between Carmel and Jezreel. Phidippides, when sent to urge the people of Sparta to come to the help of the Athenians against the Persians, arrived at Sparta on the second day after his departure from Athens (Herodotus, 6:105, 6). Running seems to have been an exercise specially cultivated among the athletes of old times.

The rent clothes and the earth upon the head were the usual indications that the news brought by the messenger were tidings of evil.

Verse 12. - There ran a man of Benjamin. The whole story is told with so much vividness, and is so full of exact particulars, that it must have come from an eyewitness, probably from Samuel himself. According to Jewish tradition, this Benjamite was no other than Saul, but the chronology is at variance with this supposition. The importance in old time, when even roads did not exist, of men capable of running long distances to carry news in war is evident, and many instances are recorded showing the high appreciation in which their services were held Thus the running of the Cushite and of Ahimaaz forms an interesting episode in the pathetic history of Absalom's death (2 Samuel 18:19-31). So Herodotus mentions that Pheidippides, when sent to urge the people of Sparta to come to the help of the Athenians against the Persians, arrived there on the second day after his departure from Athens (Herod., 6:105, 106). Shiloh, apparently, was but a comparatively short distance from Eben-ezer, as the runner arrived there on the evening of the very day on which the battle was fought. The rent clothes and the earth upon the head were the usual signs in token that some great calamity had taken place (2 Samuel 1:2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
That same
הַה֑וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

a Benjamite
בִּנְיָמִן֙ (bin·yā·min)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites

ran
וַיָּ֤רָץ (way·yā·rāṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7323: To run

from the battle line
מֵהַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔ה (mê·ham·ma·‘ă·rā·ḵāh)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4634: An arrangement, a pile, a military array

all the way
וַיָּבֹ֥א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to Shiloh,
שִׁלֹ֖ה (ši·lōh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7887: Shiloh -- a city in Ephraim

with his clothes
וּמַדָּ֣יו (ū·mad·dāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4055: Extent, height, a measure, a vesture, a carpet

torn
קְרֻעִ֔ים (qə·ru·‘îm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 7167: To rend

and dirt
וַאֲדָמָ֖ה (wa·’ă·ḏā·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his head.
רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT History: 1 Samuel 4:12 There ran a man of Benjamin out (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 4:11
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