Chapter 6
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And 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.
3And 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.
4Then 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.
5Wherefore 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.
6Wherefore 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?
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 their calves home from them:
8And 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.
9And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, 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.
10And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, 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 Bethshemesh.
13And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, 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.
15And 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 Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
16And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17And 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;
18And 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 Bethshemite.
19And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, 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.
20And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
“And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?”
Overview
After seven months of plagues, the Philistines consult their priests about how to return the ark. They are told to send it back with a guilt offering of golden tumors and golden mice on a new cart pulled by milking cows that have never been yoked. If the cows go straight toward Israel despite their calves being left behind, it will confirm the LORD caused the plagues. The cows go directly to Beth-shemesh, where the Israelites rejoice, but God strikes some who look into the ark.
Key Themes
Even Pagans Acknowledge God
The Philistine priests recognize the LORD's power and counsel their people to give Him glory, echoing the Exodus pattern where God makes Himself known to foreign nations.
God's Sovereign Direction
The cows walking against their natural instinct to return to their calves confirms divine direction, showing that God can guide even nature to accomplish His will.
The Holiness of God's Presence
God strikes those at Beth-shemesh who look into the ark, teaching that even God's own people must approach His presence with reverence, not casual curiosity.
Study Questions
Why do the Philistine priests reference the Exodus (v. 6), and what does this reveal about God's reputation among the nations?
What is the significance of the test with the milking cows, and what does their behavior confirm?
Why does God strike the men of Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark (v. 19)?
What does the people's question — 'Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?' (v. 20) — reveal about the nature of God?
How does this chapter demonstrate both God's power over the nations and His holiness among His own people?
Connection to Christ
The Philistines' guilt offering acknowledges the need for atonement when standing before a holy God — a need perfectly met by Christ, the ultimate guilt offering (Isaiah 53:10). The question 'who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?' is answered only in Christ, through whom believers can 'come boldly unto the throne of grace' (Hebrews 4:16), because His blood has made the way.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 1 Samuel 6. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?