1 Samuel 4:17-18

KJV ¹⁷ And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ¹⁸ And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

 

The New Jerusalem Bible

1 Samuel 4:17-18

 

These are my thoughts, please share yours.

 

17 He was the bearer of bad news. Why Eli cared about the ark enough to wonder why it was not but did not care enough to have devote men carry it instead of his sons is not mentioned but makes you think and shows you about Eli, God came after his boys this was Eli. God promised that they would die because of their corruption, if Eli would have took his sons positions away as priests as he should have they may still have died but the ark would be coming back. The ark symbolized God so this symbolizes God leaving Israel because of their corruption in their priesthood.

 

18 Eli may have learned his wrongs but it was too late, it is saying he fell back because of the news of the ark not his sons so this means perhaps he sees the true priority is the Lord who he sons wronged by their actions as priests. Heavy shows he may have been lazy and one to eat a lot which shows often times greed in cultures. We see that Eli was not only the priest but a judge.