Original Word: אִי־כָבוֹד
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Iy-kabowd
Pronunciation: ee-kah-BOHD
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-kaw-bode')
KJV: I-chabod
NASB: Ichabod, Ichabod's
Word Origin: [from H336 (אִי - Island) and H3519 (כָּבוֹד כָּבוֹד - Glory)]

1. (there is) no glory, i.e. inglorious
2. Ikabod, a son of Phineas

I-chabod

From 'iy and kabowd; (there is) no glory, i.e. Inglorious; Ikabod, a son of Phineas -- I-chabod.

see HEBREW 'iy

see HEBREW kabowd

Word Origin
from i and kabod
Definition
"inglorious," a son of Phinehas
NASB Translation
Ichabod (1), Ichabod's (1).

אִי כָבוֺד (1 Samuel 4:21), אִיכָֿבוֺד (1 Samuel 14:3) proper name, masculine (inglorious), son of Phinehas (explained 1 Samuel 4:21 by גָּלָה כָבוֺד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל glory is gone into exile from Israel.

Meaning and Thematic Significance

The name Ichabod is framed as a lament—an anguished cry that the visible, covenantal glory of the LORD has withdrawn. It signals crisis: divine honor eclipsed, spiritual vitality drained, and national destiny imperiled. Whenever the name surfaces, it functions as a theological signpost warning of the consequences of unfaithfulness and the urgency of restored worship.

Historical Setting

The backdrop is the turbulent transition from the period of the judges to the rise of kingship in Israel. Eli’s priestly house had grown negligent and corrupt, and Israel attempted to wield the Ark like a talisman in battle against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). The defeat at Ebenezer, the death of Eli’s sons, and the capture of the Ark precipitated a nationwide shock. Phinehas’ widowed wife, dying in childbirth, branded that moment into her son’s identity:

“She named the boy Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel,’ because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.” (1 Samuel 4:21)

Roughly four decades later, Ichabod’s brother Ahitub served as high priest, and Ichabod himself is remembered only in the genealogical notice of 1 Samuel 14:3. The lingering reference underscores that the shadow cast in his birth hour had not been quickly lifted; the nation was still reckoning with the fallout of earlier failures.

Biblical Occurrences

• 1 Samuel 4:21 – Birth amid tragedy; the name embodies the nation’s dread that God’s favor has left.
• 1 Samuel 14:3 – A genealogical anchor; the mention preserves the memory of the prior crisis even as new challenges arise under Saul’s reign.

Spiritual and Theological Implications

1. Holiness of God’s Presence. The Ark’s seizure reveals that ritual objects cannot substitute for sincere obedience. God’s glory will not be manipulated.
2. Covenant Accountability. Leadership failures in the priesthood endanger the entire covenant community. The name Ichabod enshrines that collective responsibility.
3. Hope beyond Judgment. Though “the glory has departed,” the narrative arc soon bends toward restoration: the Ark’s return (1 Samuel 6–7), the prophetic ministry of Samuel, and ultimately David’s desire to establish a house for the LORD. The bleak cry of Ichabod is not God’s last word.

Intertextual Echoes and Prophetic Nuances

• Ezekiel 10 depicts another departure of glory from a defiled sanctuary, linking priestly corruption with national exile.
• Yet Ezekiel 43 and Haggai 2:7–9 anticipate a future, greater in-dwelling of glory. These trajectories converge in John 1:14—“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We have seen His glory…” The incarnate Christ reverses the Ichabod verdict by bringing God’s presence to sinners in grace and truth.
• Revelation 21:3–23 envisions the consummation where “the glory of God illuminates” the heavenly city, and no departure will ever occur again.

Ministry and Devotional Applications

• Self-Examination: Churches must guard against presuming on outward forms while neglecting inward holiness.
• Leadership Integrity: Elders and pastors bear solemn responsibility to model reverence; Ichabod warns that their failures can darken an entire fellowship.
• Lament and Hope: Honest lament over sin and loss is biblical, yet it should be paired with confident hope in God’s redemptive plan.
• Revival Prayer: Just as Samuel called Israel to repent at Mizpah, believers today may plead for fresh visitation of God’s glory in purity and power.

Summary of Lessons

Ichabod crystallizes a moment when Israel’s sin obscured God’s manifested glory, proving that divine presence cannot be presumed upon. The name echoes through Scripture as both caution and catalyst—exposing the dread reality of abandoned glory while pointing ahead to its promised return in the Messiah. Ultimately, the cry “Where is the glory?” finds its answer at the cross and empty tomb, where the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ and will never depart from His redeemed people.

אִיכָב֣וֹד ׀ איכבוד כָבוֹד֙ כבוד ’î·ḵā·ḇō·wḏ ’îḵāḇōwḏ chaVod ichaVod ḵā·ḇō·wḏ ḵāḇōwḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts