Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Samuel 6
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Samuel 6
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Samuel 6
"And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? show us wherewith we shall sent it to its place." — 1 Samuel 6:2 (ASV)
The word for “priest” here is the same as that used for the priests of the true God; the word for diviners is always used for idolatrous or superstitious divining. Three modes of divination are described in Ezekiel 21:21–22: by arrows, by teraphim, and by the entrails of beasts (compare to Exodus 7:11 and Daniel 2:2).
"And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but by all means 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 6:3 (ASV)
Send it not empty - See the marginal references. The pagan idea of appeasing the gods with gifts, and the scriptural idea of expressing penitence, allegiance, or love to God through gifts and offerings for His glory and for the comfort of our fellow worshipers, coincide in their practical result.
"Then said they, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, 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 6:4 (ASV)
It was a prevalent custom in pagan antiquity to make offerings to the gods that expressed the particular mercy received. For example, those saved from a shipwreck offered pictures of the shipwreck, and this custom still exists among Christians in certain countries.
The plague of the mice is analogous to the plague of frogs in Egypt. The destructive power of field mice was very great.
"Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke; and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;" — 1 Samuel 6:7 (ASV)
A new cart ... cows on which no yoke has come - This was so ordered in reverence to the ark, and was a right and true feeling. See Mark 11:2 and Matthew 27:60. For the supposed special virtue of new things, see Judges 16:7 and Judges 16:11.
"And see; if it goeth up by the way of its own border 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." — 1 Samuel 6:9 (ASV)
Bethshemesh was the first Israelite town they would come to, as it was on the border of Judah.
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