And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

1 SAMUEL 4:20KJV
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1 Samuel 4:20 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 4:20 mean?

1 Samuel 4:20 describes how, as a woman was dying in childbirth, the women attending her tried to comfort her by telling her she had given birth to a son, but she did not respond or pay attention to their words. The verse shows her deep grief and detachment, even from the news of her child’s birth.

The setting is the aftermath of a great tragedy: the Ark of God has been captured, and her husband and father-in-law have died. The women speaking are likely midwives or attendants, trying to offer hope in a desperate moment. The woman’s silence and lack of response highlight how overwhelmed she is by sorrow, making her unable to find comfort even in the birth of her son.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 4:20

  • The word for "regard" is שִׁית לֵב (shith lev), which literally means "set her heart." In this context, it means she did not pay attention or care about the news, showing her emotional numbness or despair.
  • The word for "answered" is עָנָה (anah), which often means to respond or reply. Her lack of answer emphasizes her withdrawal from those around her, underlining the depth of her grief.

Why 1 Samuel 4:20 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the woman’s sorrow was so great that even the birth of a son—a moment usually celebrated—could not reach her, emphasizing the weight of the national and personal tragedy.
  • The detail about her not "setting her heart" on the news shows how trauma can make people unresponsive to even the most significant events.
  • This moment sets up the naming of her son, Ichabod, in the next verse, which reflects the sense of loss and the feeling that God’s glory has departed from Israel.

Where else these words appear

“stood” Hebrew H5324 · used in 75 verses

  • Genesis 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
  • Numbers 23:6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
  • 1 Kings 9:23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.

“regard” Hebrew H7896 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
  • Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.