1 Samuel 6

King James Version

Full text for 1 Samuel Chapter 6

1¶ And 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 wherewith we shall send it to his place.

3And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

4Then said they, What [shall be] the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague [was] on you all, and on your lords.

5Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

6Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

7Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

8And 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.

9And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, [then] he 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:

11And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

12And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, [and] went along the highway, 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 Bethshemesh.

13And [they of] Bethshemesh [were] reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see [it].

14And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

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 Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

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] Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

19¶ And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, 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.

20And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

21And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, [and] fetch it up to you.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

After seven months, the Philistines, afflicted by the Ark of the LORD, consult their priests and diviners on how to return it. They are advised to send it with a trespass offering of golden emerods and mice, using unyoked milch kine to test if the plagues were from the God of Israel. The kine miraculously transport the Ark directly to Bethshemesh, where the inhabitants rejoice but are smitten by the LORD for looking into the Ark, leading them to send it away.

Medium Summary

The Ark of the LORD remained in Philistine territory for seven months, causing severe affliction among them. Seeking relief, the Philistines consulted their priests and diviners, who advised sending the Ark back with a trespass offering of five golden emerods and five golden mice, corresponding to their lords and the plagues. To confirm divine causation, they were instructed to place the Ark and offerings on a new cart drawn by two unyoked milch kine, whose calves were kept at home; if the kine proceeded directly to Bethshemesh, it would signify God's hand. The Philistines complied, and the kine, against natural instinct, went straight to Bethshemesh without deviation. Upon its arrival, the people of Bethshemesh rejoiced and offered sacrifices to the LORD. However, the LORD smote 50,070 men among them for presumptuously looking into the Ark. Overwhelmed by this judgment, the survivors lamented and sent messengers to Kirjathjearim, requesting them to take the Ark.

Long Summary

The Ark of the LORD remained in the country of the Philistines for seven months, during which time the Philistines suffered greatly from plagues. Consequently, they summoned their priests and diviners to determine the proper method for returning the Ark to its place. The religious leaders advised them not to send it back empty, but to include a trespass offering to the God of Israel, stating that this would bring healing and reveal the reason for His hand upon them. The prescribed offering consisted of five golden emerods and five golden mice, corresponding to the number of the Philistine lords, acknowledging that a single plague had afflicted them all. They cautioned the Philistines against hardening their hearts, citing the example of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. To ensure the plagues were indeed from the God of Israel, they instructed the Philistines to construct a new cart and harness two milch kine that had never been yoked, separating them from their calves. The Ark, along with the golden offerings placed in a coffer, was to be laid upon this cart. The test was that if the kine proceeded directly to Bethshemesh without turning, it would confirm divine intervention; otherwise, it would be considered a chance occurrence. The Philistines diligently followed these instructions, and the kine took the straight way to Bethshemesh, lowing as they went, without deviating. The lords of the Philistines followed, witnessing this miraculous journey. Upon the Ark's arrival in Bethshemesh during the wheat harvest, the inhabitants rejoiced greatly. The cart stopped in the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, by a great stone, where the cart's wood was used for a burnt offering, and the kine themselves were sacrificed to the LORD. The Levites then carefully removed the Ark and the coffer. However, the LORD smote 50,070 men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the Ark. This great slaughter caused the people to lament and question who could stand before such a holy God. Consequently, they sent messengers to Kirjathjearim, requesting its inhabitants to come and retrieve the Ark of the LORD.

Core Concepts

  • The Ark's AfflictionThe Ark of the LORD, while in Philistine territory for seven months, brought severe plagues upon the Philistines, compelling them to seek its return.
  • Trespass OfferingThe Philistine priests and diviners prescribed a specific trespass offering of five golden emerods and five golden mice to be sent with the Ark, signifying atonement and acknowledging the God of Israel's power.
  • Divine ConfirmationA unique test was devised to confirm God's hand: unyoked milch kine, separated from their calves, were to draw the Ark; their direct journey to Bethshemesh would prove the plagues were divine, not coincidental.
  • Miraculous JourneyThe milch kine, against their natural instinct to return to their calves, miraculously took the straight path to Bethshemesh without deviation, demonstrating the direct intervention of the LORD.
  • Reverence and JudgmentWhile the Bethshemeshites rejoiced at the Ark's return and offered sacrifices, many were smitten by the LORD for presumptuously looking into the Ark, highlighting the severe consequences of irreverence towards holy things.
  • The Ark's MovementThe chapter details the Ark's journey from Philistine captivity back to Israelite territory, specifically from Ekron to Bethshemesh, and then the request for its transfer to Kirjathjearim due to the Bethshemeshites' fear.