1 Samuel 6:8-18

8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side ¹the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as ²a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way

9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to ³Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not ⁴his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence. ”

10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.

11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.

12 And the cows went straight in the direction of ⁵Beth-shemesh along ⁶one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of ⁷Beth-shemesh.

13 Now the people of ⁸Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it.

14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. ⁹A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon ¹⁰the great stone. And the men of ¹¹Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord.

16 And when ¹²the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a ¹³guilt 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, ¹⁴both fortified cities and unwalled villages. ¹⁵The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

1 Samuel 6:8-18 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.

Cross References

• 1. 6:8 ver. 4, 5
• 2. 6:8 [See ver. 3 above]
• 3. 6:9 Josh. 15:10
• 4. 6:9 ver. 3
• 5. 6:12 Josh. 21:16
• 6. 6:12 Num. 20:19
• 7. 6:12 Josh. 21:16
• 8. 6:13 [See ver. 12 above]
• 9. 6:14 ver. 18
• 10. 6:15 [See ver. 14 above]
• 11. 6:15 [See ver. 12 above]
• 12. 6:16 See ver. 4
• 13. 6:17 ver. 3, 8
• 14. 6:18 [Deut. 3:5]
• 15. 6:18 ver. 14, 15