INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 6 In this chapter we are told the Philistines advised with their priests what to do with the ark, and wherewith to send it home, 1 Samuel 6:1 whose advice was to send with it a trespass offering, golden images of emerods and mice, and to put it on a new cart, and the im... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ARK OF THE LORD WAS IN THE COUNTRY OF THE PHILISTINES SEVEN MONTHS. Or "in the field" c of the Philistines; hence Procopius Gazaeus observes, that none of the cities daring to receive the ark, they left it without under the open air, so thinking they should be delivered from their calamity.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PHILISTINES CALLED FOR THE PRIESTS AND FOR THE DIVINERS,.... The one were skilled in the rites and ceremonies of religion, not only of their own, but of other nations, particularly of Israel; and that they were not strangers to the history and affairs of that people is plain from 1 Samuel 6:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID, IF YE SEND AWAY THE ARK OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL, SEND IT NOT EMPTY,.... As they perceived they had either resolved upon, or at least were inclined to do; and which they also thought advisable and therefore would have them by no means send it away as it was, but with some presents along w... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THEY, WHAT SHALL BE THE TRESPASS OFFERING WHICH WE SHALL RETURN TO HIM?.... They paid a great deference to their priests and diviners, and were willing to be directed in all things by them; being ignorant of what was most proper in this case, and might be acceptable to the God of Israel:... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE YE SHALL MAKE IMAGES OF YOUR EMERODS,.... Which some take to be images of the five cities; others of a man at large with the disease in his back parts; others of that part of the body of a man only, in a circular form, in which the disease was, and expressing that; but the text is plain fo... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THEN DO YE HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS THE EGYPTIANS AND PHARAOH HARDENED THEIR HEARTS?.... And would not let Israel go, when their dismission was demanded by Moses and Aaron in the name of the Lord; but was refused from time to time, being given up to judicial blindness and hardness of heart:... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE MAKE A NEW CART,.... For there were no Levites, nor priests of the Lord to carry it upon their shoulders, as it was wont to be when carried, and therefore they ordered a cart to be made; and they might know the Levites were allowed wagons to carry some of their sacred things on, Number... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TAKE THE ARK OF THE LORD, AND LAY IT UPON THE CART,.... Which was dispensed with in these uncircumcised Philistines, there being no other to do this service: AND PUT THE JEWELS OF GOLD; or rather "vessels of gold" p; the five golden emerods, and the five golden mice: WHICH YE RETURN HIM FOR A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEE IF IT GOETH UP BY THE WAY OF ITS OWN COAST TO BETHSHEMESH,.... The nearest city to the land of the Philistines, which lay on their borders, and the borders of the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:10. Now the lords of the Philistines are directed by their priests to observe, whether these kine, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN DID SO,.... Made a new cart, not the lords of the Philistines, but workmen by their orders: AND TOOK TWO MILCH KINE, AND TIED THEM TO THE CART; with the gear that horses, asses, or oxen, were usually fastened to a carriage they drew: AND SHUT UP THEIR CALVES AT HOME; or, "in the house... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY LAID THE ARK OF THE LORD UPON THE CART,.... Perhaps the same men that made the cart; however they were the Philistines, yet were not punished for touching it, as Uzzah was, though an Israelite, 2 Samuel 6:6 AND THE COFFER WITH THE MICE OF GOLD, AND THE IMAGES OF THEIR EMERODS; which coffer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KINE TOOK THE STRAIGHT WAY TO THE WAY OF BETHSHEMESH,.... Though they had none to drive, lead, or guide them, yet they steered their course to the road that led to Bethshemesh, though there were other ways they might have taken; which shows they were under the direction of God himself: AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY OF BETHSHEMESH WERE REAPING THEIR WHEAT HARVEST IN THE VALLEY,.... Which began at Pentecost, in the month Sivan, about our May; so that there were many people in the fields, who were eyewitnesses of this wonderful event: AND THEY LIFTED UP THEIR EYES, AND SAW THE ARK, AND REJOICED TO SEE I... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CART CAME INTO THE FIELD OF JOSHUA, A BETHSHEMITE,.... In that part of the valley where they were reaping wheat which belonged to him, whom we nowhere else read; whether a priest or Levite, which is not improbable, since this was a city of the Levites, or a common Israelite, is not certain:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LEVITES TOOK DOWN THE ARK OF THE LORD,.... Or, "had took it down" x; for this, though here related, was done as soon as the ark came into the field, or quickly after, and before the burnt offering could be made, which was burnt with the wood of the cart; and though the persons that took it d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE FIVE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES HAD SEEN IT,.... Observed all that was done, how the kine performed their journey, drew the cart in which the ark was straight to Bethshemesh, stopped in a field near it, where it was received joyfully by the people, and sacrifices offered on account of it:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE ARE THE GOLDEN EMERODS, WHICH THE PHILISTINES RETURNED FOR A TRESPASS OFFERING UNTO THE LORD,.... Along with the ark: FOR ASHDOD ONE, FOR GAZA ONE, FOR ASHKELON, ONE, FOR GATH ONE, FOR EKRON ONE; which were the five principalities of the Philistines that belonged to the five lords before... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GOLDEN MICE, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF ALL THE CITIES OF THE PHILISTINES BELONGING TO THE FIVE LORDS,.... That is, as many golden mice as there were cities under the jurisdiction of the five lords, which are the same before mentioned: BOTH OF FENCED CITIES AND OF COUNTRY VILLAGES; walled a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SMOTE THE MEN OF BETHSHEMESH,.... That is, God smote them, though they had received the ark with such expressions of joy, and had offered sacrifices on account of it; yet sinning in one particular after mentioned, which was highly resented, they were smitten by him with a thunderbolt, as Jose... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF BETHSHEMESH SAID, WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THIS HOLY LORD GOD?.... The Targum is, "before the ark of this holy Lord God;'' which is said either by way of complaint of the severity of God, and the strictness of his justice; or in reverence of his holiness, acknowledging their impe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SENT MESSENGERS TO THE INHABITANTS OF KIRJATHJEARIM,.... Which was a city further on in the tribe of Judah, and lay among some woods, from whence it had its name, and was formerly called Kirjathbaal, from Baal's being worshipped there; of which see Joshua 15:9, they might choose to send hi... [ Continue Reading ]