Eli Falls When the Ark of God Is Taken

"And when he came, lo, Eli etc." (1 Samuel 4:13); "And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled etc." (1 Samuel 4:17); "and the ark of God is taken" (1 Samuel 4:17) — the attribute of justice grew weak, like a female [for Scripture says nilkachah, "is taken," in the feminine, though the Ark is masculine]. "And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, etc." (1 Samuel 4:18). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Rabbi Nechemiah said: Was it so [that he merely fell of his own weight]? Did he not have five fingernails or five spikes [to grip with and save himself]? Rather, his neck was broken over the Ark.