1 Samuel 6:19-21

The Men of Beth-shemesh Smitten. 1 Samuel 6:19-21

19 And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, 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.

20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

14.

Why did God smite the people of Beth-shemesh? 1 Samuel 6:19

The people of Israel were glad to have the Ark back within their border. They were evidently overly familiar with the sacred chest, and God smote them. The number slain at this instance for irreverently examining this holy shrine is recorded as 50,070. The fact that the 50,000 is separated from the threescore and ten has caused some to wonder about the total number. But the text enjoys very good integrity. The sin they committed was very gross, and God punished them accordingly.

15.

Why was the Ark taken to Kirjath-jearim? 1 Samuel 6:21

Kirjath-jearim was not a Levitical city. It was the nearest large town on the road from Beth-shemesh to Shiloh. The people of Beth-shemesh were anxious to get it out of their community and evidently sent to a nearby town for help. The town was in the rugged wooded highland which looked down on the valley of Sorek. The exact site is not known with certainty, but some archaeologists believe it is the present Kuriet Enab to the north of Mount Jearim. Once the Ark was set in this new location, it was off the border line of the Shephelah, and within Israel's proper territory. Here in the fields of the woods it rested until the day David brought it up to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:2-3; 2 Samuel 6:12; 1 Chronicles 15:1-29). cf. Psalms 132.