The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
"The Philistines slew about four thousand men"  (1 Samuel 4:2).  We reject the fulminations of critics charging that the figures concerning casualties in Samuel are "grossly exaggerated."  If the critics know what the casualties actually were, why do they never tell us what they were?