1 Samuel

1 Samuel 6 ©

1 After seven months the Philistines take counsel how to send back the ark. 10 They bring it on a new cart with an offering unto Beth-shemesh. 19 The Beth-shemites are smitten for looking into the ark. 21 They send to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim to fetch it.

1

AND athe ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

a Ps. 78.61. ch. 5.
2

And the Philistines called for bthe priests and the c*diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

b Ex. 7.11. Da. 2.2; 4.6,7; 5.7. Is. 8.19.
c De. 18.10.
3

And they said, If ye dsend away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a etrespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it fshall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

d Ex. 23.15; 34.20. De. 16.16.
e Le. 5; 6.
f v.9.
4

Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden *emerods, and five golden gmice, haccording to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for ione plague was on 1you all, and on your lords.

g Le. 11.29.
h Jos. 13.3. v.17,18.
i Je. 46.25. Is. 24.2. Job 34.19.
5

Wherefore ye shall make images of your *emerods, and images of your jmice that mar the land; and ye shall kgive glory unto the God of Israel: *peradventure he will llighten his hand from off you, and from moff nyour gods, and from off your land.

j Ex. 8.5,17,24; 10.14,15. Joel 1; 2.
k Jos. 7.19. Je. 13.16; 3.13. Jn. 9.24. Re. 16.9.
l ch. 5.6,9,11.
m ch. 5.3,4,6,7. Ex. 12.12. Nu. 33.4. Is. 19.1.
n ch. 5.3,4,7.
6

Wherefore then do ye oharden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought 2wonderfully among them, did they not let 3the people go, and they departed?

o Ex. 7.13; 8.15,32; 9.7,34; 10.1; 14.17; 9.34,35. Job 9.4; 40.2.
7

Now therefore make a pnew cart, and take two *milch *kine, qon which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

p 2Sa. 6.3. Mar. 11.2.
q Nu. 19.2.
8

And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a *coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

9

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then 4he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.

10

¶And the men did so; and took two *milch *kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

11

And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the *coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their *emerods.

12

And the *kine took the straight way to the way of rBeth-shemesh, and went along the shighway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.

r v.9. Jos. 15.10; 21.16.
s Nu. 20.19.
13

And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: tand they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

t Le. 23.16,17. Ex. 23.16.
14

And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they *clave the wood of the cart, and uoffered the *kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

u Ju. 21.4. ch. 7.9,17; 11.15; 15.15; 20.6. 2Sa. 24.18,25. 1Ki. 18.30-38. Ex. 20.24.
15

And the vLevites took down the ark of the LORD, and the *coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

v Nu. 4.15. 2Sa. 6.6,7. Jos. 21.16.
16

And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to wEkron the same day.

w v.4. Jos. 15.11.
17

And these are the golden *emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for xAshdod one, for yGaza one, for zAskelon one, for aGath one, for Ekron one;

a ch. 17.4.
x ch. 5.1.
y Jos. 15.47.
z Ju. 1.18.
18

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of bcountry villages, even unto the 5great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.

b De. 3.5.
19

¶And he csmote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

c Ex. 19.21. Nu. 4.5,15,20. De. 4.24. Jos. 24.19. 2Sa. 6.7. Ps. 131.1. Col. 2.18. Pr. 11.31. 1Pe. 4.17.
20

And the men of Beth-shemesh said, dWho is able to stand before this eholy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

d 2Sa. 6.8,9. Mal. 3.2. Ge. 4.13. Lu. 5.8.
e Jos. 24.19.
21

¶And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of fKirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

f Jos. 9.17; 15.60; 18.14. Je. 7.12,14. Ps. 78.60; 132.6. ch. 7.1,2. 2Sa. 6.2.