17 ¶ So these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines gave for a sin offering to the Lord: for [a]Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, and for Ekron one,

18 And golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five princes, both of walled towns, and of towns unwalled unto the great stone of [b]Abel, whereon they set the Ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth Shemite.

19 And he smote of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they [c]had looked in the Ark of the Lord: he slew even among the people fifty thousand men and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had slain the people with so great a slaughter.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:17 These were the five principal cities of the Philistines, which were not all conquered unto the time of David.
  2. 1 Samuel 6:18 Or, the plaint, or lamentation.
  3. 1 Samuel 6:19 For it was not lawful to any either to touch or to see it, save only to Aaron and his sons, Num. 4:15, 20.

17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord—one each(A) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

19 But God struck down(B) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[a] of them to death because they looked(C) into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint 50,070