1 Samuel 6:14

14 Der Wagen aber kam auf den Acker Josuas, des Beth-Semiters, und stand daselbst still. Und war ein großer Stein daselbst. Und sie spalteten das Holz vom Wagen und opferten die Kühe dem HERRN zum Brandopfer.

1 Samuel 6:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 6:14

And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite,
&c.] In that part of the valley where they were reaping wheat which belonged to him, whom we nowhere else read; whether a priest or Levite, which is not improbable, since this was a city of the Levites, or a common Israelite, is not certain:

and stood there where there was a great stone;
afterwards called the great stone of Abel, ( 1 Samuel 6:18 ) . By the providence of God it was so ordered, that the kine made a stop just at this place; and proceeded no further, as if sensible they were come to their journey's end, and had brought the ark into the hands of its friends, and to a proper place for them to express their thankfulness for it; for this stone seemed designed to be, as it was, the altar on which the burnt offering, by way of thanksgiving for the return of the ark, was to be offered; the Jews say F23 this stone was the altar built by Abraham:

and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt
offering unto the Lord;
the cart they cut in pieces, and laid the wood of it in order upon the stone, and slew the two cows, and laid their pieces on the wood, and set fire to it, and burnt them with it, as expressive of joy and thankfulness that the ark was returned. This was done, not by the lords of the Philistines, as some of the ancient Jews thought, as Kimchi relates, in which they are followed by some Christian interpreters; but by the men of Bethshemesh, as Kimchi, by the priests there; for though this was not the proper and usual place for sacrifice, nor were cows offered in sacrifice; yet this being an extraordinary case, and thank offerings were necessary as soon as the ark was returned, these things were dispensed with; and the rather, since Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, was destroyed; and besides, the ark of the Lord was here present, which sanctified the place, as it did the tabernacle, and made it fit for such service; and as for these cows, they had been employed in sacred service, and the Lord had a right unto them, and claim upon them; and it seemed not fitting that they should be after employed to any other use and service than his own; nor were the men of Bethshemesh blamed or punished for this, though they afterwards were for looking into the ark.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 75. D.

1 Samuel 6:14 In-Context

12 Und die Kühe gingen geradewegs auf Beth-Semes zu auf einer Straße und gingen und blökten und wichen nicht weder zur Rechten noch zur Linken; und die Fürsten der Philister gingen ihnen nach bis an die Grenze von Beth-Semes. {~} {~} {~}
13 Die Beth-Semiter aber schnitten eben in der Weizenernte im Grund, und hoben ihre Augen auf und sahen die Lade und freuten sich, sie zu sehen.
14 Der Wagen aber kam auf den Acker Josuas, des Beth-Semiters, und stand daselbst still. Und war ein großer Stein daselbst. Und sie spalteten das Holz vom Wagen und opferten die Kühe dem HERRN zum Brandopfer.
15 Die Leviten aber hoben die Lade des HERRN herab und das Kästlein, das obendran war, darin die goldenen Kleinode waren, und setzten sie auf den großen Stein. Aber die Leute zu Beth-Semes opferten dem HERRN desselben Tages Brandopfer und andere Opfer.
16 Da aber die fünf Fürsten der Philister zugesehen hatten, zogen sie wiederum gen Ekron desselben Tages.
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