Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 6

Introduction

Overview

1 Samuel 6:1, After seven months the Philistines take counsel how to send back the ark; 1 Samuel 6:10, They bring it on a new cart with an offering unto Beth-shemesh; 1 Samuel 6:19, The people are smitten for looking into the ark; 1 Samuel 6:21, They send to them of Kirjath-jearim to fetch it.

Verse 1

am 2864, bc 1140, An, Ex, Is, 351

the ark: 1 Samuel 5:1, 1 Samuel 5:3, 1 Samuel 5:10, 1 Samuel 5:11, Psalms 78:61

Verse 2

called: Genesis 41:8, Exodus 7:11, Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:13, Daniel 2:2, Daniel 5:7, Matthew 2:4

wherewith: Micah 6:6-9

Reciprocal: Judges 18:17 - the graven Jonah 1:11 - What

Verse 3

empty: Exodus 23:15, Exodus 34:20, Deuteronomy 16:16

a trespass: Leviticus 5:6, Leviticus 5:15-19, Leviticus 6:6, Leviticus 7:1-7

known: 1 Samuel 6:9, 1 Samuel 5:7, 1 Samuel 5:9, 1 Samuel 5:11, Job 10:2, Job 34:31, Job 34:32

Reciprocal: Exodus 8:19 - This is Jonah 1:11 - What

Verse 4

Five golden: 1 Samuel 6:5, 1 Samuel 6:17, 1 Samuel 6:18, 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 5:9, Exodus 12:35, Joshua 13:3, Judges 3:3

you all: Heb. them

Reciprocal: Exodus 11:1 - Yet will 1 Samuel 6:8 - jewels 1 Samuel 6:16 - the five 1 Samuel 29:2 - the lords Psalms 78:66 - And he Psalms 107:40 - contempt Isaiah 44:11 - all his

Verse 5

mice: Bochart has collected many curious accounts relative to the terrible devastations made by these mischievous animals. William, Archbishop of Tyre, records, that in the beginning of the twelfth century, a penitential council was held at Naplouse, where five and twenty canons were framed for the correction of the manners of the inhabitants of the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem, who they apprehended had provoked to bring upon them the calamities of earthquakes, war, and famine. This last he ascribes to locusts and devouring mice, which had for four years together so destroyed the fruits of the earth as to cause an almost total failure of their crops. It was customary for the ancient heathen to offer to their gods such monuments of their deliverance as represented the evils from which they had been rescued; and Tavernier informs us, that among the Indians, when a pilgrim goes to one of the pagodas for a cure, he brings the figure of the member affected, made of gold, silver, or copper, according to his circumstances, which he offers to his god. Exodus 8:5, Exodus 8:17, Exodus 8:24, Exodus 10:14, Exodus 10:15, Joel 1:4-7, Joel 2:25

give glory: Joshua 7:19, Psalms 18:44, Psalms 66:3,*marg. Isaiah 42:12, Jeremiah 3:13, Jeremiah 13:16, Malachi 2:2, John 9:24, Revelation 11:13, Revelation 16:9

lighten: 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 5:11, Psalms 32:4, Psalms 39:10

off your: 1 Samuel 5:3, 1 Samuel 5:4, 1 Samuel 5:7, Exodus 12:12, Numbers 33:4, Isaiah 19:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:20 - peradventure 1 Samuel 5:9 - and they had emerods 1 Samuel 6:4 - Five golden 1 Samuel 6:8 - jewels Isaiah 44:11 - all his Joel 2:14 - Who Revelation 14:7 - give

Verse 6

harden: Job 9:4, Psalms 95:8, Romans 2:5, Hebrews 3:13

the Egyptians: Exodus 7:13, Exodus 8:15, Exodus 9:16, Exodus 9:34, Exodus 10:3, Exodus 14:17, Exodus 14:23, Exodus 15:14-16

wonderfully: or, reproachfully

did they not: Exodus 12:31-33

the people: Heb. them

Reciprocal: Exodus 11:10 - the Lord Job 15:25 - strengtheneth Daniel 5:20 - hardened Hebrews 3:8 - Harden

Verse 7

new cart: 2 Samuel 6:3, 1 Chronicles 13:7

on which: Numbers 19:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:14 - thereby 1 Kings 18:44 - Prepare

Verse 8

jewels: 1 Samuel 6:4, 1 Samuel 6:5

Verse 9

Bethshemesh: Joshua 15:10, Joshua 21:16

he: or, it, Amos 3:6

we shall: 1 Samuel 6:3

not his hand: Isaiah 26:11

a chance: 2 Samuel 1:6, Ecclesiastes 9:11, Luke 10:31

Reciprocal: Exodus 8:19 - This is Exodus 9:3 - the hand Joshua 19:22 - Bethshemesh 1 Samuel 25:38 - the Lord 2 Samuel 11:25 - for the sword 2 Kings 1:11 - Again 2 Kings 14:11 - Bethshemesh 2 Chronicles 25:21 - Bethshemesh 2 Chronicles 28:18 - Bethshemesh Job 5:6 - trouble Psalms 32:4 - hand Psalms 38:2 - thy hand Jeremiah 5:12 - have belied Ezekiel 39:21 - and my Mark 11:13 - haply

Verse 10

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 18:44 - Prepare

Verse 11

they laid: 2 Samuel 6:3, 1 Chronicles 13:7, 1 Chronicles 15:13-15

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 5:9 - and they had emerods

Verse 12

Reciprocal: Joshua 15:10 - Bethshemesh Joshua 21:16 - Bethshemesh 1 Samuel 6:16 - the five 2 Samuel 20:13 - the highway 1 Kings 4:9 - Bethshemesh 1 Chronicles 6:59 - Bethshemesh

Verse 14

offered: 1 Samuel 7:9-17, 1 Samuel 11:5, 1 Samuel 20:29, Exodus 20:24, Judges 6:26, Judges 21:4, 2 Samuel 24:18, 2 Samuel 24:22, 2 Samuel 24:25, 1 Kings 18:30-38

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 21:23 - the oxen

Verse 15

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 7:9 - a sucking

Verse 16

the five: 1 Samuel 6:4, 1 Samuel 6:12, Joshua 13:3, Judges 3:3, Judges 16:5, Judges 16:23-30

they returned: 1 Samuel 5:10

Reciprocal: Judges 4:5 - between 1 Samuel 6:18 - the five lords

Verse 17

these: 1 Samuel 6:4

Ashdod: 1 Samuel 5:1, 2 Chronicles 26:6, Jeremiah 25:20, Zechariah 9:6

Gaza: Judges 16:1, Judges 16:21, Amos 1:7, Amos 1:8

Askelon: Judges 1:18, Zechariah 9:5

Gath: 1 Samuel 5:8, 2 Samuel 1:20, 2 Samuel 21:22, Amos 6:2

Ekron: 1 Samuel 5:10, 2 Kings 1:2, Amos 1:8

Reciprocal: Joshua 10:41 - Gaza Joshua 13:3 - five Lords Joshua 15:45 - Ekron Judges 4:5 - between Isaiah 14:29 - whole Isaiah 20:1 - Ashdod Amos 1:6 - Gaza

Verse 18

the five lords: 1 Samuel 6:16, Joshua 13:3

great stone of: or, great stone

Reciprocal: Genesis 50:11 - Abelmizraim Judges 3:3 - five lords 1 Samuel 6:4 - Five golden Isaiah 14:29 - whole

Verse 19

he smote: Exodus 19:21, Leviticus 10:1-3, Numbers 4:4, Numbers 4:5, Numbers 4:15, Numbers 4:20, Deuteronomy 29:29, 2 Samuel 6:7, 1 Chronicles 13:9, 1 Chronicles 13:10, Colossians 2:18, 1 Peter 4:17

fifty thousand: As it is very improbable that the village of Beth-shemesh should contain, or be capable of employing, 50,070 men in the fields at wheat harvest, much less that they could all peep into the ark, and from the uncommon manner in which it is expressed in the original, it is generally allowed that there is some corruption in the text, or that some explanatory word is omitted. The Hebrew is shivim ish, chamishim aileph ish, literally, "seventy men, fifty thousand men." So LXX וגהןלחךןםפב בםהסבע ךבי נוםפחךןםפב קיכיבהבע בםהסשם. Vulgate, septuaginta viros, et quinquaginta millia plebis. "70 (chief) men, and 50,000 common people." Targum, besabey amma, "of the elders of the people 70 men, ovekahala, and in the congregation 50,000 men." But the Syriac, chamsho alphin weshivin gavrin, "5,000 and 70 men;" with which the Arabic agrees; while Josephus has only וגהןלחךןםפב, seventy men; and three reputable manuscripts of Dr. Kennicott's also omit "50,000 men." Some learned men, however, would render, by supplying מ, mem, "70 men; fifty out of a thousand;" which supposes about 1,400 present, and that a twentieth part were slain.

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:20 - die not Leviticus 10:2 - they died Numbers 1:51 - the stranger Numbers 1:53 - there be Numbers 3:10 - and the stranger Numbers 4:18 - General Numbers 8:19 - that there Numbers 17:13 - any thing Numbers 18:4 - a stranger 2 Samuel 24:15 - the Lord 1 Chronicles 21:14 - seventy 2 Chronicles 25:21 - Bethshemesh Psalms 9:16 - known Luke 19:21 - because Acts 5:5 - great

Verse 20

1 Samuel 5:8-12, Numbers 17:12, Numbers 17:13, 2 Samuel 6:7, 2 Samuel 6:9, 1 Chronicles 13:11-13, Psalms 76:7, Malachi 3:2, Luke 5:8, Luke 8:37

Reciprocal: Leviticus 10:3 - I will be Leviticus 11:44 - ye shall Joshua 24:19 - holy 1 Samuel 5:7 - The ark 1 Kings 4:9 - Bethshemesh 1 Chronicles 13:12 - afraid of God 2 Chronicles 25:21 - Bethshemesh Psalms 9:16 - known Psalms 119:120 - My flesh Zechariah 3:1 - standing Mark 5:15 - and they Acts 19:17 - and fear

Verse 21

Kirjathjearim: Joshua 18:14, Judges 18:12, 1 Chronicles 13:5, 1 Chronicles 13:6, Psalms 78:60, Jeremiah 7:12, Jeremiah 7:14

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 7:1 - Kirjathjearim Psalms 78:67 - General Ezekiel 25:15 - to destroy Mark 5:15 - and they