1 Samuel 6:4 Meaning and Explanation
“Then 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The offering is to be five golden tumors and five golden mice, one set for each of the five Philistine lords struck by the single plague.
What Does 1 Samuel 6:4 Mean?
Asked what the offering should be, the priests prescribe golden images of the very afflictions that tormented them: the painful swellings on their bodies and the mice ravaging their land. Five of each, matched to the five city-lords of Philistia, because the same plague had fallen on all of them together, rulers and people alike.
There is a hard logic here. To send back golden likenesses of one's torment is to confess, in costly metal, exactly where God's hand had fallen. Honest dealing with God begins by naming the affliction for what it is rather than disguising it. The Philistines could not undo their suffering, but they could acknowledge its source, and acknowledgment is the doorway through which mercy enters.
1 Samuel 6:4 in the Original Language
ophalim (עֳפָלִים), 'emerods' -- painful swellings or tumors; the older English word 'emerod' means a swelling or hemorrhoid.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 6:4
What does 1 Samuel 6:4 mean?
The offering is to be five golden tumors and five golden mice, one set for each of the five Philistine lords struck by the single plague.