Commentary for I Samuel 4:1
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּצֵ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ לִקְרַ֨את פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים לַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ עַל־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָעֵ֔זֶר וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים חָנ֥וּ בַאֲפֵֽק׃
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
Rashi on I Samuel
The word of Shmuel went out to all of Yisroel. The word which was said to Shmuel, was fulfilled, and came to all Yisroel. How did this misfortune befall them? "Yisroel went out to war against the Philistines."1When Bnei Yisroel deserved punishment, ‘ה sometimes commanded them to go out and battle the Philistines even though it would end in their defeat.—Radak
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Rashi on I Samuel
Even Haezer [Lit. the rock of help]. This was not yet its name,2 Obviously, because they were soundly defeated now. for it was first called this name [later] in Shmuel's time, but here Scripture calls it by its future name.
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