1 Samuel 6:8

8 Take the ark of the LORD, and put it on the cart. Put the gold objects which you're giving him as a guilt offering in a box beside the ark. Send the cart on its way,

1 Samuel 6:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 6:8

And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart
Which was dispensed with in these uncircumcised Philistines, there being no other to do this service:

and put the jewels of gold;
or rather "vessels of gold" ^F16; the five golden emerods, and the five golden mice:

which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side
thereof;
in a basket, as the Syriac version: in a scrip, as the Arabic; in a purse, or bag, as Josephus ^F17; which latter is probable enough:

and send it away, that it may go;
that is, set it a going, without any driver or guide; but leave it to take its course of itself to the land of Israel. Josephus ^F18 says it was set in a place where three ways met, that it might take which it might; and the taking of the right way must be a strong evidence of its being under the direction of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (bhzh ylk) "vasa aurea", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus
F17 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 2.
F18 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 2.

1 Samuel 6:8 In-Context

6 Why should you be as stubborn as the Egyptians and their Pharaoh were? After he toyed with the Egyptians, didn't they send the Israelites on their way?

7 Now get a new cart ready for two dairy cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart. Take their calves away, and leave them in their stall.

8 Take the ark of the LORD, and put it on the cart. Put the gold objects which you're giving him as a guilt offering in a box beside the ark. Send the cart on its way,

9 but then watch where it goes. If it goes up the road to its own country toward Beth Shemesh, then this disaster is the LORD's doing. But if not, we'll know it wasn't his hand that struck us, but what happened to us was an accident."

10 The people did this. They took two dairy cows, hitched them to a cart, and shut the calves in the stall.