The answer is: He fell off his chair

1 Samuel 4:18

Eli's demise is both tragic and dramatic, unfolding against the backdrop of Israel’s tumultuous history. In 1 Samuel 4:18, we see Eli falling backward off his chair after receiving devastating news—the Ark of the Covenant, a profound symbol of God's presence with Israel, had been captured by the Philistines, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed. It's almost emotionally jarring how he reacts; the physical loss of the Ark mirrors his heart-wrenching familial tragedy.

Eli was a high priest and a judge of Israel who had the heavy task of guiding a wayward nation, steeped in disobedience and lacking spiritual direction. Interestingly, Eli's story serves as a lesson on the importance of accountability: he failed to discipline his sons properly, which fatally contributed to both their and his own downfall.

A trivia nugget to chew on: the name “Eli” is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "ascended" or "my God," hinting at his honorable position. However, as much as he's a key figure, Eli’s role also isn’t perfect—he embodies the complexities of leadership and the heavy weight of legacy.

His falling off the chair like a great oak tree does resonate drama within the scripture! A “chair” symbolically represents authority, and when Eli falls from it, it signifies much more than a physical decline; it conveys the unraveling of a leadership era. It highlights how far Israel was from God’s favor during such critical times. From incidents like Eli's, we learn that our spiritual foundation counts, ready or not; the state of our heart sets the course for our legacy.