Matthew Henry Commentary 1 Samuel 6
Matthew Henry Commentary
1 Samuel 6
Matthew Henry Commentary
1 Samuel 6
"And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 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. 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. 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. Wherefore ye shall make images of your tumors, 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. 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? 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; and take the ark of Jehovah, 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. 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 6:1-9 (ASV)
For seven months, the Philistines were punished with the presence of the ark; it was a plague to them for all that time because they would not send it home sooner. Sinners prolong their own miseries by refusing to part with their sins. The Israelites made no effort to recover the ark.
Alas! Where will we find concern for religion prevailing above all other matters? In times of public calamity, we fear for ourselves, for our families, and for our country; but who cares for the ark of God? We are favored with the gospel, but it is treated with neglect or contempt. We need not wonder if it should be taken from us; to many persons this, though the heaviest of calamities, would occasion no grief.
There are multitudes whom any religious profession would please as well as that of Christianity. But there are those who value the house, the word, and the ministry of God above their richest possessions, who dread the loss of these blessings more than death. How willing bad men are to shake off their convictions, and when they are in trouble, to believe it is merely a chance occurrence; and that the rod has no voice which they should hear or heed!
"And the men did so, and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; and they put the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they 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. 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. And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering unto Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite." — 1 Samuel 6:10-18 (ASV)
These two cows knew their owner, their great Owner, whom Hophni and Phinehas did not know. God's providence takes notice even of animals, and serves its own purposes by them. When the reapers saw the ark, they rejoiced; their joy over it was greater than the joy of harvest. The return of the ark, and the revival of holy ordinances, after days of restraint and trouble, are matters of great joy.
"And he smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah, he smote of the people seventy men, [and] fifty thousand men; and the people mourned, because Jehovah had smitten the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." — 1 Samuel 6:19-21 (ASV)
It is a great affront to God, for vain men to pry into and meddle with the secret things that do not belong to them (Deuteronomy 29:29; Colossians 2:18).
Humanity was ruined by desiring forbidden knowledge. God will not allow His ark to be profaned. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Those who will not fear His goodness and reverently use the tokens of His grace will be made to feel His justice.
The number struck is expressed in an unusual manner in the original, and it is probable that it means 1,170. They desired to get rid of the ark. Foolish people run from one extreme to the other. They should instead have asked, “How can we have peace with God and recover His favor?” (Micah 6:6–7).
Thus, when the Word of God works with terror on sinners' consciences, they, instead of taking the blame and shame upon themselves, quarrel with the Word and reject it. Many stifle their convictions and turn away from salvation.
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