1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 4:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Let us peruse the Scriptures, and we shall observe that the righteous women of God did not endure childbirth in distress, except for Rachel. When she was in labor at the location of the horse races being sold to Egypt, she experienced anguish giving birth to a son who would later be named ‘the son of my right hand.’ In contrast, Eve, after her expulsion from paradise, heard the pronouncement, “In sorrow you shall bring forth children,” and indeed experienced pain as foretold. Phinehas' wife, who collapsed in despair like the afflicted woman described in the Gospel, also gave birth upon learning of the capture of the Ark of God and the loss of her kin.

His priests were slain by the sword, and the widows did not mourn (Psalm 77:64). It is documented that during the time of exile, the sons of Eli the priest met their end at the hands of their adversaries. Phinehas’s wife, who was the daughter-in-law of Eli and became a widow in this tragic event, died shortly after giving birth. It is noteworthy that she passed away unnoticed when death claimed them all. We can infer that this kind of fate struck many widows within the community, as evidenced by the testimony found in sacred scripture. Furthermore, we acknowledge that every detail captured in the Holy Scriptures is significant and purposeful.