And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. Ver. 1. _And the ark of the Lord was in the country._] Heb., In the field of the Philistines: whence some have thought, that being plagued for it while in their houses, they set it in the open fields, and were thereupon pla... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 2. _And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners._] Who were so called from their divinations, that is, their superstiti... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 3. _If ye send away the ark._] Which they were full loath to do, but that... [ Continue Reading ]
Then 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. Ver. 4. _Five golden emerods, and five golden... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore 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. Ver. 5. _Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods._] _... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore 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?_ Ver. 6. _Wherefore then do you harden your hearts?_] This they seem to speak to the dissenting party that wer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now 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:_ Ver. 7. _Now therefore make a new cart._] For reverence to the ark, which the Philistines might cart: but if David, who should have known... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 8. And put the jewels of gold … in a coffer.] For reverence' sake of the ark, which they durst n... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 9. _By the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh._] That is, The house of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:_ Ver. 10. _And the men did so._] According to the advice of the priests and diviners, who were of no small authority amongst them: as likewise were the Brachmanni among the Indians, the Druids... [ Continue Reading ]
And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. Ver. 11. _And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart._] _In trivio absque auriga,_ saith Josephus; _a_ in a place where three ways met, and without a driver to guide it: but G... [ Continue Reading ]
_And 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._ Ver. 12. _And the kine took the straight way... [ Continue Reading ]
And [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]. Ver. 13. _And they of Bethshemesh were reaping, &c._] And so it was in April or May that the ark was brought back, after seven months' abode among th... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 14. _Where there was a great stone._] This stone, saith Comestor, is thought by some to have be... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 15. _And put them on the great stone.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen [it], they returned to Ekron the same day. Ver. 16. _They returned to Ekron the same day._] Amazed and convinced, but not effectually converted, _Puncti et repuncti, minime tamen ad resipiscentiam compuncti._... [ Continue Reading ]
_And 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;_ Ver. 17. _And these are the golden emerods._] These the Israelites either kept whole for monuments and memorials,... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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 J... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 19. _Because they had looked._] Presu... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? Ver. 20. _This holy Lord God._] Here they seem peevishly to lay the blame of their sufferings upon God, as too holy and strict: of their sins, the true cause, they say nothing; but t... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 21. _Fetch it up to you,_] viz., Lest the Philistines fetch it again; so they pretend, howsoever. Nature need not be taught to t... [ Continue Reading ]