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1 Samuel 6

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The Philistines Seek to Return the Ark 1–9

1
And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. ​
2
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. ​
3
And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. ​
4
Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. ​
5
Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. ​
6
Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? ​
7
Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: ​
8
And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9
And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us. ​

The Ark's Miraculous Journey to Beth-shemesh 10–18

10
And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11
And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12
And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh. ​
13
And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. ​
15
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. ​
16
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17
And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; ​
18
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite. ​

Judgment on Beth-shemesh and the Ark's Relocation 19–21

19
And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. ​
20
And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? ​
21
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 6

Verse 1

seven months — The ark stays 'in the country of the Philistines' while it passes through Ashdod, Gath and Ekron (5:1–10). After it is returned it rests at Kirjathjearim for twenty years (7:2).

Verse 2

the priests and the diviners — The Philistines turn to their own priests and diviners (qasam), the practice the LORD forbade Israel in Deut 18:10, 'that useth divination'. Their question echoes 5:11, where they asked that the ark 'go again to his own place'; here they ask how to send it 'to his place'.

Verse 3

a trespass offering — Asham, the guilt offering of Lev 5:15–16 and the word of Isa 53:10, 'an offering for sin'. 'Send it not empty' recalls the law of the feasts, 'they shall not appear before the LORD empty' (Deut 16:16). 'Healed' is rapha; the offering is named as the way to healing and to knowing 'why his hand is not removed from you'.

Verse 4

five golden emerods, and five golden mice — One of each for every one of 'the lords of the Philistines', five in all (Josh 13:3), 'for one plague was on you all'. The swellings were named in 5:6, 9. The mice are new here, the creatures that 'mar the land' (v.5), and the golden mice are counted again in v.18.

Verse 5

give glory unto the God of Israel — The word is kabod, 'glory', the word of Ichabod, 'The glory is departed from Israel' (4:21). The Philistines are told to give it to the LORD themselves. 'Lighten his hand' is qalal, to make light, the opposite of the hand that was 'heavy' (5:6, 11).

Verse 6

as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts — 'Harden' is kabad, to make heavy, the verb of the 'heavy' hand in 5:6, 11. 'Wrought wonderfully' is alal, the verb of Ex 10:2, 'what things I have wrought in Egypt'. 'Let the people go' answers the LORD's demand in Ex 5:1, 'Let my people go'.

Verse 7

a new cart… two milch kine — The cows are ones 'on which there hath come no yoke', as the red heifer was one 'upon which never came yoke' (Num 19:2). In Israel's law the sons of Kohath carry the ark 'upon their shoulders' (Num 7:9). The Philistines use a cart, and in 2 Sam 6:3 Israel's own ark is set 'upon a new cart'.

Verse 9

it was a chance that happened to us — Miqreh, a happening, the word of Ruth 2:3, 'her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz', and of Eccl 9:2. The test is set so that the cows' direction will answer: toward Bethshemesh, in Israel's own coast, or away from it.

Verse 12

turned not aside to the right hand or to the left — The words of the law for obedience, 'ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left' (Deut 5:32). The cows go 'the straight way' (yashar) toward Bethshemesh, 'lowing as they went', while their calves had been taken home (v.7). The lords of the Philistines follow as far as the border.

Verse 14

the field of Joshua — The cart comes to 'the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite', and stops 'where there was a great stone'. The cart's wood is split and the cows are offered 'a burnt offering unto the LORD'. Bethshemesh is among the cities given to the children of Aaron the priest (Josh 21:13–16).

Verse 15

the Levites took down the ark — The ark is handled by Levites, as the law required (Num 4:15; 7:9), and set with 'the coffer' of gold on the great stone. 'Coffer' (argaz) is a rare word, found only in this chapter (vv.8, 11, 15). The men of the town offer burnt offerings 'the same day unto the LORD'.

Verse 17

for Ashdod one, for Gaza one — The five emerods answer the five lords' cities of Josh 13:3. Ashdod is named first, as the first city struck (5:1–6), then Gaza, Askelon, Gath, Ekron. The offering is called 'a trespass offering unto the LORD', the asham of v.3.

Verse 18

the great stone of Abel — The golden mice were 'according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords', both fenced cities and villages. The stone on which the ark was set down 'remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua', a landmark still standing when the account was written.

Verse 19

they had looked into the ark of the LORD — The law had said of the holy things, 'they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die' (Num 4:20), and that the sons of Kohath 'shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die' (Num 4:15). The loss is stated as 'fifty thousand and threescore and ten men', and the people lamented.

Verse 20

this holy LORD God — The men of Bethshemesh say what Joshua had told Israel, 'he is an holy God' (Josh 24:19), and ask the question of Nahum 1:6, 'Who can stand before his indignation?' 'To whom shall he go up from us?' asks where the ark can go; the answer is sent to Kirjathjearim in v.21.

Verse 21

Kirjathjearim — One of the four Gibeonite cities of Josh 9:17. The messengers say 'come ye down, and fetch it up', and in 7:1 the men of Kirjathjearim come, fetch the ark, and bring it into the house of Abinadab, where it abides 'twenty years' (7:2) and where Eleazar his son is sanctified to keep it.