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. 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.”
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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