1 Samuel 6:1

The Return of the Ark of Covenant

1 Now the ark of Yahweh had been in the territory 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.

---

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 Now the ark of Yahweh had been in the territory of [the] Philistines [for] seven months,

2 and [the] Philistines called to the priests and to those who practiced divination, saying, "What should we do with the ark of Yahweh? Inform us how we should send it to its place."

3 They said, "If you [are] sending the ark of the God of Israel away, you must not send it away empty, but by all means return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will become known to you why his hand [is] not turned aside from you."

4 And they said, "What [is] the guilt offering that we should return to him?" They said, "The number of the rulers of [the] Philistines [is] five. Therefore send five gold tumors and five gold mice, because one plague [was] on all of you and all your rulers.

5 You must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that [are] ravaging the land, and you must give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand on you and on your gods and on your land.