Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
Eli must have realized that the death of his two sons in battle fulfilled God’s previously announced judgment, but he seems to have been more shocked at the capture of the ark. He died that day (12-18). So too did Eli’s daughter-in-law, who was also shocked at the capture of the ark. God had surely departed from Israel (19-22).