1 Samuel 6:1–7:1

6:2 Mention of “the Philistines” as a whole may suggest that their rulers are acting under popular pressure. Returning the ark is an admission that they have offended the God of the ark, and they therefore seek advice as to a suitable procedure for dealing with the ark, which for the first time they call “the ark of the Lord,” lest they unleash further repercussions. “Tell us with what we shall send it” implies that they understand the need to propitiate with an appropriate offering the God they have offended. “To its place” does not mean “to Shiloh,” which may have already been destroyed, but means simply to the land of Israel, where it belongs.

“The priests and the diviners” are the religious functionaries among the Philistines (note “us” in v. 9). The priests were in charge of the worship of the Philistine gods, while Philistine diviners had a reputation (Isa. 2:6) regarding their claims of obtaining information about the future by interpreting signs and omens—activities forbidden in Israel (Deut. 18:10–14).

6:3 The conditional response (“if”) of the religious personnel shows that they are unwilling to concede what is patently obvious: the Lord has acted powerfully in their land. Since they still seek to claim that it all might have been a coincidence, they propose a twofold plan of action (cf. comment on 6:7).

The priests first recommend that restoration of the ark be accompanied by a “guilt offering.” In Israel, such offerings were regulated by Leviticus 5:14–6:7; 7:1–10 and involved payment by way of reparation for an offense committed unintentionally (Lev. 6:4; Num. 5:7–8). Elsewhere in the ancient Near East, peoples sought to offer compensation to their gods for improper use of religious artifacts. The priests’ reading of the situation seems to be that the deity associated with the ark has been offended by being taken from his land and placed in a subordinate position to Dagon. The offering will appease the anger of the God of Israel, and he will withdraw the plague he has inflicted on them. If the plague then ceases, it will be obvious that relief had not come earlier because they had not made reparation for their offense.

6:4 When the Philistines ask what should constitute the guilt offering, the priests advise a double reparation offering of “five golden tumors and five golden mice.” The use of gold is intended to both honor and appease God. The number five is chosen to represent the five lords of the Philistines and their five cities, that is, the whole of the land (vv. 17–18). “Plague” had been used to describe the plagues against Egypt (Ex. 9:14), in which the Lord confronted the nature gods of Egypt (Ex. 12:12)—a parallel situation to that which prevails here.

This is the first mention of mice, and some suppose that there are not ten objects in view but only five (translating as “namely five gold mice”; also in 1 Sam. 6:5, 11, 18), with mice being chosen because of the appearance of the lesions,¹ but the further explanation of verse 5 runs counter to such an understanding. More probably there has been a second disaster in which short-tailed field mice have swarmed in substantial numbers and are devouring crops (v. 5)—a challenge to the power of Dagon as a grain deity. The golden images therefore model both the symptoms of the plague—the tumors—and the rodent pests. Together they constitute an offering to the Lord and an attempt at sympathetic magic, whereby removal of the symbols will initiate a purge of the plague and infestation.

6:5 “Your mice that ravage the land” implies they are destroying the grain everywhere. “Give glory to the God of Israel” calls for according him respect and honor, possibly seen as the consequence of making and sending the offering. This extends the motif of weight/glory already found in 4:21–22; 5:6 (cf. comment on 2:30). The God who seemed to have lost glory will now be accorded glory by those who thought they had deprived him of it. “Perhaps” shows the priests leaving wiggle room in their prescription by not claiming certainty that the Lord will “lighten his hand,” the opposite of his hand’s weighing heavily (5:6). The triplet “you and your gods and your land” emphasizes the comprehensive impact of the Lord’s infliction.

6:6 Two rhetorical questions presuppose opposition to the proposals or, at any rate, hesitation in adopting them. The first is an exhortation not to “harden your hearts,” that is, to display obstinate refusal to comply with what the situation demands, probably evidenced by the seven-month delay (v. 1). The priests’ question again discloses awareness of the exodus (cf. 4:8) in that intransigence had characterized the Egyptians (Ex. 8:15, 32; 9:34). Will it take ten plagues, as it did in Egypt, to change their attitudes? “The Egyptians and Pharaoh” fits in with this advice being given to both the Philistines and their lords.

The second question acts as a reminder that in Egypt the Lord had his way no matter what resistance the Egyptians put up or how reluctant they were to let the people go. “Dealt severely” (cf. Ex. 10:2) indicates one’s negative action toward another, with the exodus parallel indicating that the Lord (not Pharaoh) is the subject of the verb. The priests urge the people not to repeat the mistakes of others.

6:7 The second part of the advice relating to the ark probably comes from the diviners as an experiment to discern what is happening. They are still not ready to concede that the God of Israel is as powerful as he seems or that their god is unable to help them. Even so, they counsel that preparations be made with due reverence: (1) The ark is to be conveyed on a “new cart,” probably one with four wheels, as it is to be pulled by two cows. Being “new,” it will not be contaminated by any previous use (2 Sam. 6:3). (2) The cows to be used are to be ones that have never been yoked to a cart before. While this might be an instance of propriety in a sacred function (cf. Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3), here it also means that the animals drawing the cart will be performing a task for which they have not been trained. (3) The “milk cows” are ones that have recently given birth, and they are now to be separated from their calves.

6:8 The ark is to be loaded on the cart, and there is to be a container beside it containing the gold tumors and gold mice. Then the ark is to be sent on its way, with no one to guide it. Since the animals are to be left to follow their instincts, only a strong impetus from a higher power would compel them to pull the cart without upsetting it and to move away from their young.

6:9 Beth-shemesh (“house of the sun”) is a name reflecting Canaanite sun worship. Here it refers to a town on the northwest border of Judah, abutting Philistine territory.² It is the nearest major Israelite settlement lying higher up the Valley of Sorek, some 7.5 miles (12 km) east of Ekron. If the ark and the cart are conveyed in the right direction without mishap, and if the cattle abandon their young, this will be demonstration that it is indeed the God of Israel—whom they do not name, saying simply, “It is he”—who has been supernaturally at work; otherwise it has all been “coincidence,” a natural turn of events. “Coincidence” encapsulates the Philistine perception of a chance happening that cannot be attributed to any specific power. The diviners have certainly devised a biased scenario in which it is improbable that events will work in favor of recognizing the Lord.

6:10–11 The instructions given by the priests and diviners are complied with. They “shut up their calves at home,” so that they were unable to follow their mothers, and the cart was laden with the ark and the offering (cf. comment on 6:4).

6:12 The expectations of the pagan priests are confounded by what happens next, as the cows set out immediately for Israelite territory, going “straight” there even though they have no previous experience of pulling a cart. No human hand guides them; their behavior is a display of the power of the Lord—one Dagon could not emulate (cf. Isa. 46:1–2). “Along one highway” reinforces the notion that their action is without deviation as they follow the road up the Valley of Sorek. The cows were “lowing as they went,” protesting being separated from their calves, but they do not deviate from their route because they are being urged on by a supernatural impulse.

The cows are followed all the way by none less than the lords of the Philistines, who are thus provided with direct proof of the Lord’s active governance and power. He cannot be ignored or defeated, as he is in sovereign control of events in Philistine territory as well as elsewhere.

6:13 “Now” shifts the focus from the Philistines to the reception of the ark in Beth-shemesh (v. 9), where the people are “reaping their wheat harvest,” which indicates it is spring (late May to June). Their immediate reaction is one of joy, but of itself this does not disclose whether they are right in heart before God or merely welcoming the return of part of their national heritage.

6:14 Outwardly, at any rate, the people respond piously. Nothing further is known of Joshua of Beth-shemesh, in whose field the cart stops at a “great stone.” Contrary to what might be expected, this stone is used not as an altar but as a resting place for the ark (v. 15). However, the wood of the cart is taken as fuel for a fire, and the two cows are offered as a burnt offering to the Lord. This is not totally in accordance with the ritual regulations: males were specified for a burnt offering (Lev. 1:3), which should have been offered at the tabernacle. But the ark is present, and the times and circumstances are both exceptional and appropriate for an offering of thanksgiving.

6:15 This verse begins literally, “Now, as for the Levites,” marking the verse as a parenthesis introduced to detail the action of the previous verse. Since Beth-shemesh is a city where Levites are permitted to reside (Josh. 21:13–16), they are readily summoned to handle the ark (2 Sam. 15:24; 1 Chron. 15:11–15). While some attempt is made to observe the appropriate protocols, the ark is not covered (Num. 4:5, 17–20) but left exposed on the stone, with the box of golden figures beside it. An altar is constructed, presumably before the ark, and various offerings are made.

6:16 This has all been watched from a distance by the five lords of the Philistines. After observing the sacrifices being offered, they return to Ekron. There is no hint of their thinking. The test they devised has been passed, and they should be convinced of the power and control of the Lord, but there is no indication that their policy toward Israel changes in any way.

6:17–18 These verses are an appendix providing further details about what has occurred. First is a formal heading followed by a detailed list of the items sent by the Philistines. In it Gaza and Ashkelon, the other two cities of the Philistine pentapolis, are also named. It may be implied that the number of mice exceeded the recommended five, since no number is stated for them. Perhaps while five tumors sufficed for the plague, which was concentrated in the five cities, the plague of mice was a more rural phenomenon, requiring more images.

6:19 The proceedings then take a decided turn for the worse, but the details are unclear. The Septuagint has an entirely different text for the first part of the verse: “But the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the rest of the men of Beth-shemesh when they welcomed the Ark of the Lord, and he struck down seventy of them” (NEB; cf. NRSV). In this reading, the sin is apathy or hostility toward the Lord. This reading is, however, largely ignored in English translations.

The Hebrew text presents two main problems: how many are killed, and what is their offense? “They looked upon the ark of the Lord” uses the ordinary verb “to see” but with the preposition “in” or “on.” The phrasal verb indicates something more than merely observing the ark, which had been done on its approach without repercussion. “Look upon” conveys an unholy interest in the ark, perhaps not lifting its cover and looking inside but instead simply treating the uncovered ark as a mere tourist attraction. The preceding seven months have not changed Israel’s irreverent and disrespectful attitude toward the ark (and thus toward the Lord).

“And he struck” uses the verb found in 5:6, 9, and for emphasis the root is repeated four times in this verse, rendered “struck” (three times) and “blow.” The Lord demands that Israel, just as much as the Philistines, treat him and what is connected with him with due reverence. When Israel’s conduct mimics that of the Philistines, they too become liable to punishment.

The Hebrew text reads “50,070 men” (lit., “seventy men, fifty thousand men”; ESV mg.), which is impossibly large for a small agricultural village such as Beth-shemesh, which would have had a population totaling a few thousand at most. The text must have become corrupt at an early stage, because this reading is attested in all of the ancient versions. Modern translations generally read “seventy,” as is found in Josephus (Antiquities 6.16).

When the Lord vindicates his holiness and majesty by striking those who have acted impiously, the community as a whole mourns because of the setback. Their joy has turned to grief.

6:20 The two questions asked by the people of Beth-shemesh convey their mixed reaction to what has happened. “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” reveals their trepidation, lest they further violate his majesty. “Stand before” is used of Levitical service before the Lord (Deut. 10:8) but here may simply imply life under divine scrutiny (Ps. 130:3). The people are rightly aware of their own sinfulness and inadequacy.

Their second question, however, reveals that they view the presence of the ark as a problem to be solved in Philistine fashion. Rather than facing up to the spiritual challenge of the ark’s presence by repentance and reconsecration to the Lord, they seek to be rid of its threatening presence, asking, “To whom shall he go up away from us?” “He” (the Lord) might also be rendered “it,” in reference to the ark. “Go up” implies movement further into the hill country of Judah.

6:21 The people of Beth-shemesh request those in Kiriath-jearim to come and take the ark. Kiriath-jearim (“city of woods”) was located on the border of Judah and Benjamin, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Beth-shemesh and about 1,400 feet (425 m) higher in elevation.³ This invitation seems to be economical with the truth: what they say is accurate enough, but they fail to present the whole picture.