1After seven months the Philistines take counsel how to send back the ark. 10They bring it on a new cart with an offering unto Beth-shemesh. 19The Beth-shemites are smitten for looking into the ark. 21They send to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim to fetch it.
1AND the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us 1wherewith we shall send it to 2his place.
1 Other, how.
2 Namely, in the land of Israel.
3And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not 3empty; but in any wise 4return 5him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his 6hand is not removed from you.
3 That is, without a present or gratuity.
4 Hebr. rendering render.
5 Namely, the God of Israel.
6 That is, the plague or punishment, which only comes from the power and government of God.
4Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and 7five golden mice, according to 8the number of the lords of the Philistines: for 9one plague was 10on you all, and on your lords.
7 Of the mice no mention is made before.
8 See concerning these five princes verse 17.
9 Intimating, that the princes, rulers, and common people of Ekron were plagued of God with one and the same plague or punishment.
10 Hebr. on them all. See 1 Sam. 5:11.
5Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images 11of your mice that mar the land; and 12ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your 13gods, and from off your land.
11 That is, of the mice which have plagued and tormented you. As the emerods plagued and tormented the body of the Philistines, so the mice hurt and damaged them in their land which was sown, by gnawing and eating the seed.
12 By confessing that you are justly punished of God for your trespass against the ark of the Lord. Also speaks Joshua unto Achan, Joshua 7:19.
13 Namely, Dagon.
6Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the 14Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? 15when he had wrought wonderfully amonga16them, did they not let the 17people go, and they 18departed?
14 This kind of phrase, namely, that something is said in general, and afterward the one or the other in particular, is often used in the Holy Scripture, as Joshua 2:1; 2 Sam. 2:1; 1 Kings 11:1; Psalm 18 title; Mark 16:7.
15 Others, when he (namely, God) was doing with them, or, when he exercised himself on them, or, after he had mocked them.
a Exod. 12:31.
16 Namely, the Egyptians.
17 Namely, the Israelites.
18 Namely, out of Egypt.
7Now therefore 19make a 20new cart, and take two milchb kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring 21their calves 22home from them:
19 Others, make and take a new cart.
20 The pagan priests accounted it an unseemly thing, that the ark of the Lord should be put and carried on a cart, which had been used beforehand to husbandry or other servile labor or work. See the like, 2 Sam. 6:3.
b giving milk
21 Hebr. their sons or children; so also verse 10.
22 This increases the miracle, that the cows did not turn back to their sucking calves.
8And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the 23jewels of gold, which ye return 24him for a trespass offering, in a cofferc by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
23 Hebr. vessels, furniture, namely, the golden emerods and mice.
24 Namely, the God of Israel.
c box
9And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he 25hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a 26chance that happened to us.
25 That is, we shall thereby know that the God of Israel has sent us this plague.
26 That is, something whereof one cannot know the natural or the governing cause.
10¶And the men did so; and took two milchd kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their 27calves at home:
d giving milk
27 Hebr. their children or sons.
11And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffere with the mice of gold and the images of their 28emerods.
e box
28 Or, tumors.
12And the kine took the straight way to the way of 29Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, 30lowing as 31they went, and 32turned 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.
29 See of this city, Joshua 15:10 in the annotation and Joshua 21:16.
30 Namely, because they were deprived of their calves, for even the beasts do love their young ones.
31 Hebr. they went going.
32 From hence it may be gathered, that there were different streets or by-ways, but by the providence of God these cows went the right way to Beth-shemesh.
13And they of Beth-shemesh were 33reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
33 This was wont to be done in the land of Judea about Pentecost, Leviticus 23, that is, in the month of May or shortly after. Therefore the ark was taken from the Philistines about the beginning of November, for it was seven months in their country, verse 1.
14And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and 34they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.
34 Namely, the Levitical priests who dwelt at Beth-shemesh, as appears verse 15. For this city was given to the Levites for a dwelling place. See Joshua 21:16. It was their office to touch the ark, and to carry it, Num. 4:5, etc.
15And the Levites 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 35offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
35 That is, they brought or presented beasts unto the priests for burnt offering, etc.
16And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18And 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 country villages, even unto the great stone of 36Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: 37which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.
36 That is, complaint. See of this stone, verses 14, 15. Why it was so called, see verse 19. Compare Gen. 50:11.
37 Some do here understand the ark; but others the stone, which is more credible.
19¶And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked 38into the ark of the LORD, even he smote 39of 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.
38 Against the command of God, Num. 4:5, 20. It seems indeed that the Beth-shemites were too curious to see if the Philistines had taken any thing out of the ark or had put anything into it, and it seems that likewise some bold contempt or presumption was mixed therewith.
39 Namely, of the other Israelites, who were there to keep watch that their borders may not be damaged. Also of all those who were come thither out of all the tribes to see the ark, upon the report they had heard, that the same was come home again.
20And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand 40before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
40 That is, before the LORD, Who revealed Himself above the ark.
21¶And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.