1 Samuel 6:1
1 Samuel 6:1-9. The Philistines resolve to send back the Ark 1. The Sept. adds, at the end of the verse, "And their land swarmed with mice," probably an explanatory gloss in anticipation of 1 Samuel 6:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Samuel 6:1-9. The Philistines resolve to send back the Ark 1. The Sept. adds, at the end of the verse, "And their land swarmed with mice," probably an explanatory gloss in anticipation of 1 Samuel 6:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_diviners_ Men who professed to predict future events or interpret the will of heaven by the observation of omens. See Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:2. Philistine diviners seem to have been celebrated. Cp. Isaiah 2:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_send it not empty_ Cp. Exodus 23:15. All religions regard _offering_as a necessary part of worship. _in any wise_ i.e. "at all events," "certainly." _Wise_means "way of acting," "manner," "mode." _return him a trespass offering_ A satisfaction or compensation in return for the injury done him by... [ Continue Reading ]
_emerods_ Or, boils. See note on ch. 1 Samuel 5:6. _according to the number of the lords of the Philistines_ The number of the confederate cities was naturally chosen to represent the whole people.... [ Continue Reading ]
_images of your mice that mar the land_ The Heb. text now first definitely speaks of the plague of mice, which was alluded to in ch. 1 Samuel 5:6. The Sept. as we have seen mentions it in 1 Samuel 5:6 and 1 Samuel 6:1. The extraordinary voracity of field-mice, and the incredible rate at which they m... [ Continue Reading ]
_as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts_ A second allusion (cp. ch. 1 Samuel 4:8) to the events of the Exodus. See Exodus 8:15; Exodus 8:32; Exodus 9:34. _when he had wrought wonderfully among them_ Or, WROUGHT HIS WILL UPON THEM. The word is used in Exodus 10:2 (E. V. wrought), and 1 S... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now therefore make_, &c. Heb. "And now _take and make_a new cart" = set to work to make. Cp. 2 Samuel 18:18. The use of a _new_cart (cp. 2 Samuel 6:3) and _unyoked_kine (Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3-4) was a natural mark of reverence.... [ Continue Reading ]
_jewels of gold Jewel_is here used in a general sense = "any precious or costly object." The Heb. word simply means "articles" or "vessels.... [ Continue Reading ]
_his own coast_ HIS OWN BORDER, as in 1 Samuel 6:12. See ch. 1 Samuel 5:6, note. "_His_" refers to the Ark. The neuter possessive pronoun "_its_" is not found in the original edition of the E. V. See _The Bible Word-Book_, p. 272. _to Beth-shemesh_ = "_House of the Sun_," probably the same as _Irshe... [ Continue Reading ]
The plan carried out and the Ark restored to Israel 12. _took the straight way to the way of Beth-skemesh_ Better, WENT STRAIGHT FORWARD ON THE ROAD TO BETH-SHEMESH. _lowing as they went_ For their lost calves.... [ Continue Reading ]
_they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest_ A description of harvest in Philistia by a modem traveller helps us to realise the scene in the valley of Beth-shemesh, which was suddenly suspended by the appearance of the Ark. "When the fog dispersed the whole plain appeared to be dotted ove... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua a Beth-shemite_ Joshua THE BETH-SHEMESHITE. Our translators have copied the Vulgate in abbreviating the form, as in the case of -Benjamite" for -Benjaminite." _they clave the wood of the cart_, &c. For a similarly extemporised sacrifice see 2 Samuel 24:22. Cp. also 1 Kings 19:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Levites took down_ Rather, in accordance with 1 Samuel 6:14, NOW the Levites HAD TAKEN DOWN. As Beth-shemesh was a _priestly_city, "Levites" appears to be used here in a general sense to mean "members of the tribe of Levi," not in its technical sense of "Levites" as distinguished from "prie... [ Continue Reading ]
We have here a specific description of the propitiatory offering actually sent; (_a_) a golden "boil" for each chief city: (_b_) a golden mouse for each city and village throughout the whole country. The apparent discrepancy between the latter statement and 1 Samuel 6:4 vanishes if we regard 1 Samue... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Samuel 6:19 to 1 Samuel 7:1. The Penalty of Irreverence. Removal of the Ark to Kirjath-jearim 19. _because they had looked into the ark_ Better, BECAUSE THEY HAD GAZED UPON THE ARK. The rendering of the E. V. follows the explanation given by Rabbinic commentators, but the expression used signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?_ BEFORE JEHOVAH THIS HOLY GOD. Holiness is an especial attribute of Jehovah, demanding a corresponding holiness on the part of the people among whom He promised to dwell (Exodus 29:45-46; Leviticus 11:44-45). Chastisement was necessary to teach the me... [ Continue Reading ]
_Kirjath-jearim_ i.e. "_city of forests_," originally belonged to the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:17), and was one of the frontier cities of Judah (Joshua 15:9). The site is probably to be fixed at the modern village of _Kuryet-el-enab_, i.e. "city of the grape," which stands among the hills, 8 or 9 miles... [ Continue Reading ]