Terrible news often sparks public panic before reaching those in charge. A devastating national defeat brings immediate chaos to the city, creating an uproar that reaches the ears of the leader long before the actual messenger arrives. Hearing the sudden outcry, Eli asks about the source of the noise. This sound is understood as either the collective voice of a massive crowd [מצודת ציון] or the chaotic murmuring and commotion of the general public [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The messenger's path reveals how the events unfolded. His original plan was to deliver the tragic news directly to Eli first, recognizing his position as the High Priest, the national leader, and the father of the sons involved in the battle. However, because the tragedy was a massive public disaster rather than a private secret, the messenger delayed his journey to share the news with others in the city [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This sharing of information is what triggered the loud wailing in the streets.
None of the local residents wanted to take on the heartbreaking task of delivering such terrible news to an elderly man. Instead, they called upon the original messenger to go and tell him directly [מלבי״ם]. Rushed into Eli's presence after the street cries had already begun, the messenger assumed the old man already understood the general situation and was only asking for specific details. Because he was hurried, he lacked the time to gather his thoughts and deliver the message gently. As a result, he blurted out the entire tragic update suddenly and all at once [מלבי״ם].
The messenger structures his report by escalating from the lightest tragedy to the most severe. He first reports the military defeat of the nation, then announces the death of Eli's sons, and finally delivers the greatest disaster of all: the loss of the Ark of the Covenant. The specific manner in which the Ark's capture is described suggests that it was not taken through a fierce, forceful struggle. Instead, it was surrendered almost helplessly, as if the Ark itself had rejected Israel and willingly handed itself over to the enemy [אלשיך].