The man said to Eli, I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. He said, How went the matter, my son?
The battle of Aphek recorded in this chapter took place in 1104 B.C. Since Eli was 98 years old when he died on hearing the news that the Philistines had taken the ark in this battle, he must have been born in 1202 B.C. [Note: See the "Chronology of 1 and 2 Samuel" earlier in these notes.] 