Bible Chapter Summary
1 Samuel 6 Summary
The Ark's Return to Israel
After seven months, the Philistine lords gather and consult their priests and diviners about returning the ark. They are advised to send it with a trespass offering of five golden emerods and five golden mice according to the number of their lords. The Philistines make a new cart, place the ark upon it with the golden offerings, and yoke two milch kine to it, sending it toward Beth-shemesh to test whether the calamity came from God. The kine go straight toward Beth-shemesh, where the people joyfully receive the ark and sacrifice burnt offerings. However, the Lord strikes down fifty thousand and seventy men of Beth-shemesh because they looked into the ark.
Key themes
Key verses
1 Samuel 6:3-4
“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.”
1 Samuel 6:12
“And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, 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 Beth-shemesh.”
1 Samuel 6:19
“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.”
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