1 Samuel 6:1

The Return of the Ark

1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months,

1 Samuel 6:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 6:1

And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines
seven months.
] Or "in the field" ^F3 of the Philistines; hence Procopius Gazaeus observes, that none of the cities daring to receive the ark, they left it without under the open air, so thinking they should be delivered from their calamity. But the word is often used for country, and is generally so understood here; the Targum is,

``in the cities of the Philistines;''

in one or other of them, first for a while in Ashdod, and then for some time in Gath, and last in Ekron, and in all seven months from the time of its being taken; and it being in wheat harvest when it was returned, ( 1 Samuel 6:13 ) , these seven months will carry us back to the beginning of winter, or towards the end of autumn, when the battles between Israel and the Philistines were fought, and the ark was taken. Josephus ^F4 says it was with the Philistines four months only, contrary to the text.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (hdvb) (en agrw) , Sept. "in agro", Pagninus, Montanus.
F4 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 4.

1 Samuel 6:1 In-Context

1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months,

2 the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners and pleaded, "What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we can send it back to its place."

3 They replied, "If you send the ark of Israel's God away, you must not send it without [an offering]. You must return it with a guilt offering, and you will be healed. Then the reason His hand hasn't been removed from you will be revealed."

4 They asked, "What guilt offering should we send back to Him?" And they answered, "Five gold tumors and five gold mice [corresponding to] the number of Philistine rulers, since there was one plague for both you and your rulers.

5 Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel's God, and perhaps He will stop oppressing you, your gods, and your land.