1 Samuel 6:9-19

9 et aspicietis et si quidem per viam finium suorum ascenderit contra Bethsames ipse fecit nobis malum hoc grande sin autem minime sciemus quia nequaquam manus eius tetigit nos sed casu accidit

10 fecerunt ergo illi hoc modo et tollentes duas vaccas quae lactabant vitulos iunxerunt ad plaustrum vitulosque earum concluserunt domi

11 et posuerunt arcam Dei super plaustrum et capsellam quae habebat mures aureos et similitudinem anorum

12 ibant autem in directum vaccae per viam quae ducit Bethsames et itinere uno gradiebantur pergentes et mugientes et non declinabant neque ad dextram neque ad sinistram sed et satrapae Philisthinorum sequebantur usque ad terminos Bethsames

13 porro Bethsamitae metebant triticum in valle et elevantes oculos viderunt arcam et gavisi sunt cum vidissent

14 et plaustrum venit in agrum Iosue Bethsamitae et stetit ibi erat autem ibi lapis magnus et conciderunt ligna plaustri vaccasque inposuerunt super ea holocaustum Domino

15 Levitae autem deposuerunt arcam Dei et capsellam quae erat iuxta eam in qua erant vasa aurea et posuerunt super lapidem grandem viri autem bethsamitae obtulerunt holocausta et immolaverunt victimas in die illa Domino

16 et quinque satrapae Philisthinorum viderunt et reversi sunt in Accaron in die illa

17 hii sunt autem ani aurei quos reddiderunt Philisthim pro delicto Domino Azotus unum Gaza unum Ascalon unum Geth unum Accaron unum

18 et mures aureos secundum numerum urbium Philisthim quinque provinciarum ab urbe murata usque ad villam quae erat absque muro et usque ad Abel magnum super quem posuerunt arcam Domini quae erat usque in illa die in agro Iosue Bethsamitis

19 percussit autem de viris bethsamitibus eo quod vidissent arcam Domini et percussit de populo septuaginta viros et quinquaginta milia plebis luxitque populus quod percussisset Dominus plebem plaga magna

1 Samuel 6:9-19 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.