1 Samuel 4:11

“And the ark of God was taken, etc.] By the Philistines; which was suffered partly as a punishment to the Israelites, for fetching it from the tabernacle without the will of God, and for their vain confidence in it; and partly that the Philistines might have an experiment of the power and might of God, as Procopius Gazaeus observes, by what they would suffer through having it among them; some have thought that this was an emblem of Christ being delivered into the hands of the Gentiles, and of the Gospel being translated from the Jews to them: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain; which fulfilled the prophecy of the man of God, that they should both die in one day,…”

“The ark - Which God justly and wisely permitted, to punish the Israelites for their profanation of it; that by taking away the pretences of their foolish confidence, he might more deeply humble them, and bring them to true - repentance: and that the Philistines might by this means he more effectually convinced of God's almighty power, and of their own, and the impotency of their gods, and so a stop put to their triumphs and rage against the poor Israelites. Thus as God was no loser by this event, so the Philistines were no gainers by it; and Israel, all things considered, received more good than hurt by it. If Eli had done his duty, and put them from the priesthood, they might have lived,…”

“4:11 That the Ark . . . was captured was devastating to the Israelites (4:12-22). • The deaths of Hophni and Phinehas fulfilled the Lord’s word to Eli (2:34). Although they are the only casualties named, they were not the only Israelites who had sinned (see 7:3-6).”

“the ark: Sa1 2:32; Psa 78:61 the two sons: Sa1 2:34; Psa 78:64; Isa 3:11 were slain: Heb. died 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 4:12”