Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 6

Verse 1

the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . The Ark now gets its own Divine title.

Verse 3

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 4

emerods . See note on 1 Samuel 5:6 ,: i.e. models of them in gold; of which, modern "votive offerings "are the lineal descendants. Compare 1 Samuel 6:5 .

lords . See note on Joshua 13:3 .

Verse 5

hand . See note on 1 Samuel 5:6 .

Verse 6

as = according as.

Verse 7

a new cart . This was done in ignorance of God's requirement (Numbers 4:15 ; Numbers 7:9 ; Numbers 10:21 ). They could not have complied with the Law, even if they had known it; hence, no judgment fell on them. But contrast David's "new cart", and see note on 2 Samuel 6:3 .

Verse 9

it : i.e. the "ark", which is masculine; not the "cart", which is feminine

coast = border, or boundary.

Beth-shemesh = House of the sun, now Ain Skeins, on the borders of Judah and Dan. Compare Joshua 15:10 .

this. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "all this". evil. Hebrew ra'a. App-44 .

Verse 10

the men. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .

Verse 14

offered offered up . App-43 .

Verse 15

sacrificed sacrifices = made great sacrifices. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 . See note on Genesis 26:28 . Genesis 26:17 Ashdod one. See note on Genesis 10:14 .

Verse 19

fifty thousand and threescore and ten men = 50,070. This number being out of all proportion to the size of Beth-shemesh, has led to various readings. Some codices omit 50,000. The Syriac and Arabic versions read "five" instead of fifty. Josephus reads "seventy". The Hebrew text reads "seventy men two fifties and one thousand " = 70 + 100 + 1; 000 = 1,170. men. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

slaughter = smiting, making the Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 ,

Verse 20

Who . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .

he = it: i.e. the ark. See note on 1 Samuel 6:9 .