1 Samuel 4:15-18

4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; ¹  he was unable to see.

4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli ²  asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from ³  the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”

4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli ⁴  fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he ⁵  was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

[4:15]  ¹ tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.

[4:16]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:17]  ³ tn Heb “before.”

[4:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “the man.”