1 AND the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3 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.
4 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.
5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8 And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.
10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
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.
13 And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.
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.

1And the Arke of the Lord was in the countrey of the Philistines seuen moneths.

2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diuiners, saying, What shall we doe to the Arke of the Lord ? Tell vs wherewith we shall send it to his place?

3And they said, If yee send away the Arke of the God of Israel, send it not empty: but in any wise returne him a trespasse offring: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be knowen to you, why his hand is not remooued from you.

4Then said they, What shall be the trespasse offering, which wee shall returne to him? They answered, Fiue golden Emerods, and fiue golden mice, according to the number of the lordes of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

5Wherefore ye shall make images of your Emerodes, and images of your Mice, that marre the land, and ye shall giue glory vnto the God of Israel: peraduenture hee will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

6Wherefore then doe yee harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people goe, and they departed?

7Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch-kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring the calues home from them.

8And take the Arke of the Lord, and lay it vpon the cart, and put the iewels of golde, which ye returne him for a trespasse offering, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away, that it may goe.

9And see, if it goeth vp by the way of his owne coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done vs this great euill: but if not, then wee shall know that it is not his hand that smote vs; it was a chance that happened to vs.

10 And the men did so: and tooke two milch-kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut vp their calues at home.

11And they layde the Arke of the Lord vpon the cart, and the coffer, with the mice of golde, and the images of their Emerods.

12And the kine tooke the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the high way, 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, vnto the border of Bethshemesh.

13And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat haruest in the valley: and they lifted vp their eyes, and saw the Arke, and reioyced to see it.

14And the cart came into the field of Ioshua a Bethshemite, & stood there, where there was a great stone: and they claue the wood of the cart, and offered the kine, a burnt offering vnto the Lord.

15And the Leuites tooke downe the Arke of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the iewels of golde were, and put them on the great stone: And the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offrings, and sacrificed sacrifices the same day vnto the Lord.

16And when the fiue lordes of the Philistines had seene it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17And these are the golden Emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespasse offering vnto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.

18And the golden Mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the fiue lordes, both of fenced cities, and of countrey villages, euen vnto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set downe the Arke of the Lord; which stone remaineth vnto this day, in the field of Ioshua the Bethshemite.

19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord, euen he smote of the people fiftie thousand, and threescore and tenne men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

20And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shal he goe vp from vs?

21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-iearim, saying, The Philistines haue brought againe the Arke of the Lord; come ye downe, and fetch it vp to you.

II == Gen 41:8 ; Ex 7:11 ; Dan 2:2 ; 5:7 ; Matt 2:4

 

 

III == Ex 23:15 ; Lev 5:16 ; Deut 16:16 ; 1st Sam 6:9

 

 

IV == Josh 13:3 ; 1st Sam 6:17-18

V == Josh 7:19 ; 1st Sam 5:3-4 , 6-7 , 11 ; Ps 39:10 ; Isa 42:12 ; Mal 2:2 : John 9:24

 

 

 

 

VI == Ex 7:13 ; 8:15 ; 12:31 ; 14:17

 

 

 

VII == Num 19:2 ; 2nd Sam 6:3

 

VIII == 1st Sam 6:4-5

 

 

 

IX == Josh 15:10 ; 1st Sam 6:3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == Josh 13:3

 

XVII == 1st Sam 6:4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Ex 19:21 ; Num 4:5 , 15 , 20 ; 2nd Sam 6:7

 

 

 

XX == 2nd Sam 6:9 ; Mal 3:2k

 

 

XXI == Josh 18:14 ; Judg 18:12 ; Chr 13:5-6

1 The ark of the LORD had been in the land of the Philistines seven months

2 when they summoned priests and fortune-tellers to ask, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us what we should send back with it."

3 They replied: "If you intend to send away the ark of the God of Israel, you must not send it alone, but must, by all means, make amends to him through a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and will learn why he continues to afflict you."

4 When asked further, "What guilt offering should be our amends to him?", they replied: "Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice to correspond to the number of Philistine lords, since the same plague has struck all of you and your lords.

5 Therefore, make images of the hemorrhoids and of the mice that are infesting your land and give them as a tribute to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will cease to afflict you, your gods, and your land.

6 Why should you become stubborn, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh were stubborn? Was it not after he had dealt ruthlessly with them that the Israelites were released and departed?

7 So now set to work and make a new cart. Then take two milch cows that have not borne the yoke; hitch them to the cart, but drive their calves indoors away from them.

8 You shall next take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart, putting in a box beside it the golden articles that you are offering, as amends for your guilt. Start it on its way, and let it go.

9 Then watch! If it goes to Beth-shemesh along the route to his own territory, he has brought this great calamity upon us; if not, we will know it was not he who struck us, but that an accident happened to us."

10 They acted upon this advice. Taking two milch cows, they hitched them to the cart but shut up their calves indoors.

11 Then they placed the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the box containing the golden mice and the images of the hemorrhoids.

12 The cows went straight for the route to Beth-shemesh and continued along this road, mooing as they went, without turning right or left. The Philistine lords followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting the wheat in the valley. When they looked up and spied the ark, they greeted it with rejoicing.

14 The cart came to the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stopped there. At a large stone in the field, the wood of the cart was split up and the cows were offered as a holocaust to the LORD.

15 The Levites, meanwhile, had taken down the ark of God and the box beside it, in which the golden articles were, and had placed them on the great stone. The men of Beth-shemesh also offered other holocausts and sacrifices to the LORD that day.

16 After witnessing this, the five Philistine lords returned to Ekron the same day.

17 The golden hemorrhoids the Philistines sent back as a guilt offering to the LORD were as follows: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron.

18 The golden mice, however, corresponded to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, including fortified cities and open villages. The large stone on which the ark of the LORD was placed is still in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite at the present time.

19 The descendants of Jeconiah did not join in the celebration with the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh when they greeted the ark of the LORD, and seventy of them were struck down. The people went into mourning at this great calamity with which the LORD had afflicted them.

20 The men of Beth-shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of this Holy One? To whom shall he go from us?"

21 They then sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD; come down and get it."

 

v 1,2. The deaths and agony had gone on for seven months, so the priests and diviners were called in to see what would be the best method to send the ark away.

v 3-9. The consensus was that they should send a trespass offering of five gold images of their tumors and five gold mice, one for each of the five kings. They are told not to be like the Egyptians who hardened their hearts, refusing to let Israel go. The priests and diviners were still not completely convinced this problem was from the God of Israel and the ark, so they arranged a test. They were to put the ark and the trespass offering on a new cart and hitch it to two milk cows that had never been hitched before. To make the test even more foolproof, they were to confine their calves. If the cows left their calves and went on their own directly to the border Israelite town of Bethshemesh, then they would know the problems were not just by chance, but of God.

v 10-12. The test went against all natural tendencies. First, cows hitched for the first time would have jumped around and had the cart upset before they ever got out of Ekron. Second, they would not have left their calves but come bawling back to them on the run. I have experienced cows tearing fences down in order to get back with their calves which are shut up. Notice, these were bawling for their calves as they went, but kept plodding onward. Third, even without calves,they would not have taken a direct route, but would have wandered around, eventually getting back to their home. This would have been very convincing to the rulers who followed to observe.

v 13-18. The cart finally came to a stop at a great stone in the field of a man  of Bethshemesh named Joshua. The Israelites who were harvesting wheat rejoiced, and using the cart for wood, offered the cows as a burnt offering to God. The Levites placed the ark and the golden images on the great rock, and after observing all this, the five Lords of the Philistines returned to Ekron. Bethshemesh was a city of priests and Levites, Josh. 21:16, so the time was ripe for setting up a tabernacle and having a revival. 

v 19,20. Instead of a revival, some of the men disobeyed what they knew was against God’s laws and looked into the ark, possibly under pretense to see if the tables of stone had been left in it. As a result the Lord slew many of the people. KJV says that 50,070 people died. Since this was a village of only 1,400 people, it may best be understood that 50 out of every 1,000 men were killed, or a total of 70. There are various other explanations, but Josephus says that only 70 were slain. Some think 50,000 Philistines

v 21. This slaughter so alarmed and depressed the men of the town that they sent messengers to Kiriath-jearim, about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem, to come and take the ark there. It probably was not taken to Shiloh because it was quite likely destroyed by the Philistines in the battle of chapter four, Jer. 26:9. We will see in 7:1 that the ark was taken to the property of Abinadab, and it was there about 100 years.