1 Samuel 6:12-21

12 And the cows took the straight way in the direction of ¹Beth-shemesh; they went along ²the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed * them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see it.

14 The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and ³offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

15 ⁴The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the LORD.

16 When the ⁵five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.

17 ⁶These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;

18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, ⁷both of fortified cities and of country villages. ⁸The large stone on which they set the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

19 ⁹He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 * * men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.

20 The men of Beth-shemesh said, "¹⁰Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?"

21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of ¹¹Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up to you."

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1 Samuel 6:12-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 6

In this chapter we are told the Philistines advised with their priests what to do with the ark, and wherewith to send it home, 1Sa 6:1,2 whose advice was to send with it a trespass offering, golden images of emerods and mice, and to put it on a new cart, and the images in a coffer on the side of the ark, and draw it with two cows, 1Sa 6:3-8, and gave them a token whereby they might know whether they had been smitten by the God of Israel or not, 1Sa 6:9 which advice they took, and acted in all things according to it; and the lords of the Philistines accompanied the ark to the border of Bethshemesh, 1Sa 6:10-12, where they of Bethshemesh received it with joy, and offered the kine for a burnt offering to the Lord, and the Levites took care of the ark and presents in it, and the lords of the Philistines returned home, 1Sa 6:13-18, but they of Bethshemesh looking into the ark were smitten of God, upon which they sent to the men of Kirjathjearim to fetch it from them, 1Sa 6:19-21.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. 1 Samuel 6:9
2. Numbers 20:19
3. 2 Samuel 24:22; 1 Kings 19:21
4. Joshua 3:3
5. Joshua 13:3; Judges 3:3
6. 1 Samuel 6:4
7. Deuteronomy 3:5
8. 1 Samuel 6:14, 15
9. Exodus 19:21; Num 4:5, 15, 20; 2 Samuel 6:7
10. Leviticus 11:44, 45; 2 Samuel 6:9; Malachi 3:2; Revelation 6:17
11. Joshua 9:17; Joshua 15:9, 60; 1 Chronicles 13:5, 6

Footnotes 2

[a]. Lit "way"
[b]. So some mss and versions; Heb "Abel"