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Texts -- 1 Samuel 6:1-6 (NET)

Context
The Philistines Return the Ark
6:1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months , 6:2 the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers , saying , “What should we do with the ark of the Lord ? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place .” 6:3 They replied , “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel back , don’t send it away empty . Be sure to return it with a guilt offering . Then you will be healed , and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.” 6:4 They inquired , “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?” They replied , “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice , for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders . 6:5 You should make images of the sores and images of the mice that are destroying the land . You should honor the God of Israel . Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods , and your land . 6:6 Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When God treated them harshly , didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way ?

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Miracles

    [nave] MIRACLES. Index of Sub-topics Catalog of, and Supernatural Events, Of Jesus, in Chronological Order, Of the Disciples of Jesus; Convincing Effect of; Design of; Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miscellany of Minor Sub-...

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...

  • Kirjath-jearim

    [nave] KIRJATH-JEARIM, called also Baalah, one of the four cities of the Gibeonites. Inhabitants of, not killed, on account of the covenant made by the Israelites with the Gibeonites, but put under servitude, Josh. 9:17, with verses...

  • Ark

    [nave] ARK 1. Noah's. Directions for building of, Gen. 6:14-16. Noah and family preserved in, Gen. 6:18; 7:8; Matt. 24:38; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20. Animals saved in, Gen. 6:19, 20; 7:1-16. 2. Of Bulrushes, Ex. 2:3. 3. In the Tab...

  • PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2B

    [isbe] PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2B - 4. Central Palestine: (1) Jerusalem. See above, III, 1, (2). (2) Samaria. (Harvard Expedition).--Although the ancient capital of the Northern Kingdom, yet Samaria was Centrally located, being 20 m...

  • Philistines

    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • Ekron

    [ebd] firm-rooted, the most northerly of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was assigned to Judah (Josh. 13:3), and afterwards to Dan (19:43), but came again into the full po...

  • Haemorrhoids

    [ebd] or Emerods, bleeding piles known to the ancient Romans as mariscae, but more probably malignant boils of an infectious and fatal character. With this loathsome and infectious disease the men of Ashdod were smitten by the han...

  • Mouse

    [ebd] Heb. 'akhbar, "swift digger"), properly the dormouse, the field-mouse (1 Sam. 6:4). In Lev. 11:29, Isa. 66:17 this word is used generically, and includes the jerboa (Mus jaculus), rat, hamster (Cricetus), which, though decla...
    [smith] (the corn-eater). The name of this animal occurs in (Leviticus 11:29; 1 Samuel 6:4,5; Isaiah 66:17) The Hebrew word is in all probability generic, and is not intended to denote any particular species of mouse. The original...
    [nave] MOUSE Forbidden as food, Lev. 11:29; used as food, Isa. 66:17. Images of, 1 Sam. 6:4, 5, 11, 18.

  • MOUSE; MICE

    [isbe] MOUSE; MICE - mous, mis (`akhbar; Septuagint mus, "mouse"; compare Arabic `akbar, "jerboa" not 'akbar, "greater"; compare also proper noun, `akhbor, "Achbor" (Gen 36:38 f; 1 Ch 1:49; also 2 Ki 22:12,14; Jer 26:22; 36:12)): T...

  • Plague

    [isbe] PLAGUE - plag (negha`, makkah, maggephah; mastix, plege): This word which occurs more than 120 times is applied, like pestilence, to such sudden outbursts of disease as are regarded in the light of divine visitations. It is ...
    [nave] PLAGUE As a judgment on the Egyptians, Psa. 105; 135:8, 9; Acts 7:36. The plague of blood, Ex. 7:14-25; frogs, Ex. 8:1-15; lice, Ex. 8:16-19; flies, Ex. 8:20. On cattle, Ex. 9:1-7. Of boils and sores, Ex. 9:8-12; hail, Ex...

  • Tumor

    [isbe] TUMOR - tu'-mer, tu'-mor (`ophel): the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes this word for "emerods" in 1 Sam 5:12; 6:4; Dt 28:27 margin. See EMERODS.
    [nave] TUMOR, a morbid swelling, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 5, 11, 17. See: Boil; Hemorrhoids.

  • SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2

    [isbe] SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 - V. The Mosaic Sacrificial System. 1. The Covenant Sacrifice: The fundamental function of Moses' work was to establish the covenant between Israel and God. This important transaction took ...

  • IMAGES

    [isbe] IMAGES - im'-aj-iz (tselem; eikon): 1. Definition 2. Origin 3. Historical Beginnings and Early Developments 4. Bible References and Palestinian Customs 5. Most Important Technical Terms (1) Matstsebhah ("pillar") (2) 'Ashera...

  • EMERODS

    [smith] (28:27; 1 Samuel 5:6,9,12; 6:4,5,11) Probably hemorrhiodal tumors , or bleeding piles, are intended. These are very common in Syria at present, Oriental habits of want of exercise and improper food, producing derangement o...

  • Hemorrhoids

    [nave] HEMORRHOIDS, a disease with which the Philistines were afflicted, 1 Sam. 5:6, 12; 6:4; 5:11; Deut. 28:27. See: Disease; Tumor.

  • Offerings

    [nave] OFFERINGS Offered at the door of the tabernacle, Lev. 1:3; 3:2; 17:4, 8, 9; of the temple, 2 Chr. 7:12; 1 Kin. 8:62; 12:27. All animal sacrifices must be eight days old or over, Lev. 22:27. Must be salted, Lev. 2:13; Ezek....

  • Lord

    [nave] LORD, a prince, Josh. 13:3; Judg. 3:3; 1 Sam. 5:8; 6:4. See: God; Jesus.

  • Heart

    [nave] HEART, seat of the affections. Renewed Deut. 30:6; Psa. 51:10; Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26; Rom. 2:29; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10. Regenerated, John 3:3, 7. Graciously affected of God, 1 Sam. 10:26; 1 Chr. 29:18; Ezra 6:22; 7:27;...

  • Boil

    [nave] BOIL, a tumor. Plague of Egyptians, Ex. 9:9, 10; Deut. 28:27, 35; of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9; 1 Sam. 6:5. Of Hezekiah, healed, 2 Kin. 20:7; Isa. 38:21. Of Job, Job 2:7, 8. Levitical ceremonies prescribed for, Lev. 1...
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Arts

Questions

  • The Ark of the Covenant was definitely real and was a part of the tabernacle, being placed in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. I will include articles below from three Bible Dictionaries that will give you some informat...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • Most serious students of 1 Samuel have noted the writer's emphasis on the ark of the covenant beginning here in the text. Critical scholars have long argued that 4:1b-7:1 and 2 Samuel 6 are the only remaining fragments of an ...
  • A new subject comes to the forefront in this section and continues to be a significant motif throughout the rest of Samuel. It is the ark of the covenant. The writer drew attention to the ark in this chapter by mentioning it ...
  • The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines.655:1-5 Having captured the ark the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their ma...
  • The Philistines acknowledged Yahweh's superiority over Dagon, but they believed they could manipulate Him (v. 3). Guilt offerings were common in ancient Near Eastern religions."Ancient religious protocol mandated that the wor...
  • Not all the people who later assembled to see the ark were as careful as those from Bethshemesh, however. The Mosaic Law specified that no one was to look into the ark or that person would die (Num. 4:5, 20; cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-7)...
  • God used a humble weapon to give His people a great victory in response to one person's faith. This is another instance of God bringing blessing to and through a person who committed himself to simply believing and obeying Go...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Baale-judah (v. 2) may have been the later name of Kiriath-jearim (cf. Josh. 15:9-10).76This was where the ark had evidently rested since the Israelites had moved it from Bethshemesh in Samuel's days (1 Sam. 6; cf. Ps. 132:6-...
  • Second Kings begins with Ahaziah's reign that fell during the 33-year period of Israel and Judah's alliance (874-841 B.C.; -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29). This period in turn fits within the larger context of the divided kingdo...
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