1 Samuel 6:17

17 As a guilt offering to the Lord, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.

1 Samuel 6:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 6:17

And these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines
returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord
Along with the ark:

for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon, one, for Gath one, for Ekron
one;
which were the five principalities of the Philistines that belonged to the five lords before mentioned; and each of these were at the expense of a golden emerod, and sent it along with the ark to make atonement for the offence they had been guilty of in taking and detaining it.

1 Samuel 6:17 In-Context

15 The Levites removed the ark of the Lord, along with the box containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord.

16 When the five Philistine rulers observed [this], they returned to Ekron that same day.

17 As a guilt offering to the Lord, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.

18 The number of gold mice also [corresponded] to the number of Philistine cities of the five rulers, the fortified cities and the outlying villages. The large rock on which the ark of the Lord was placed is in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh to this day.

19 God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord.He struck down 70 men [out of] 50,000 men. The people wept because the Lord struck them with a great slaughter.