1 Samuel 6:8

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 .

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 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 .

10 And the men did so ; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: