Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 6:10
And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
And the men did so,…. Made a new cart, not the lords of the Philistines, but workmen by their orders:
and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart; with the gear that horses, asses, or oxen, were usually fastened to a carriage they drew:
and shut up their calves at home; or, “in the house” s; the cow house or stable where they used to be put; this they did to restrain them from following the cows, which would disturb them in drawing the cart.
s “in domo”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The God of Israel actually did what the idolatrous priests hardly considered possible. When the Philistines, in accordance with the advice given them by their priests, had placed the ark of the covenant and the expiatory gifts upon the cart to which the two cows were harnessed, “ the cows went straight forward on the way to Bethshemesh; they went along a road going and lowing (i.e., lowing the whole time), and turned not to the right or to the left; and the princes of the Philistines went behind them to the territory of Bethshemesh.” , lit., “ they were straight in the way,” i.e., they went straight along the road. The form for is the imperf. Kal, third pers. plur. fem., with the preformative instead of , as in Gen 30:38 (see Ges. 47, Anm. 3; Ewald, 191, b.). Bethshemesh, the present Ain-shems, was a priests’ city on the border of Judah and Dan (see at Jos 15:10).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Restoration of the Ark. | B. C. 1119. |
10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 11 And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. 12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, 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 Beth-shemesh. 13 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. 14 And 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. 15 And 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 Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. 16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17 And 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; 18 And 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.
We are here told,
I. How the Philistines dismissed the ark, 1Sa 6:10; 1Sa 6:11. They were made as glad to part with it as ever they had been to take it. As God had fetched Israel out of the house of bondage, so now he fetched the ark out of its captivity, in such a manner as that Egypt was glad when they departed, Ps. cv. 38. 1. They received no money or price for the ransom of it, as they hoped to do, even beyond a king’s ransom. Thus it is prophesied of Cyrus (Isa. xlv. 13), He shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward. Nay, 2. They gave jewels of gold, as the Egyptians did to the Israelites, to be rid of it. Thus the ark that was carried into the land of the Philistines, a trophy of their victory, carried back with it trophies of its own, and lasting monuments of the disgrace of the Philistines. Note, God will be no loser in his glory, at last, by the successes of the church’s enemies against his ark, but will get himself honour from those that seek to do dishonour to him.
II. How the kine brought it to the land of Israel, v. 12. They took the straight way to Beth-shemesh, the next city of the land of Israel, and a priests’ city, and turned not aside. This was a wonderful instance of the power of God over the brute-creatures, and, all things considered, no less than a miracle, that cattle unaccustomed to the yoke should draw so even, so orderly, and still go forward,–that, without any driver, they should go from home, to which all tame creatures have a natural inclination, and from their own calves, to which they had a natural affection,–that, without any director, they should go the straight road to Beth-shemesh, a city eight or ten miles off, never miss the way, never turn aside into the fields to feed themselves, nor turn back home to feed their calves. They went on lowing for their young ones, by which it appeared that they had not forgotten them, but that nature was sensible of the grievance of going from them; the power of the God of nature therefore appeared so much the greater, in overruling one of the strongest instincts of nature. These two kine, says Dr. Lightfoot, knew their owner, their great owner (Isa. i. 3), whom Hophni and Phinehas knew not, to which I may add they brought home the ark to shame the stupidity of Israel, that made no attempt to fetch it home. God’s providence is conversant about the motions even of brute-creatures, and serves its own purposes by them. The lords of the Philistines, with a suitable retinue no doubt, went after them, wondering at the power of the God of Israel; and thus those who thought to triumph over the ark were made to go like menial servants after it.
III. How it was welcomed to the land of Israel: The men of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest, v. 13. They were going on with their worldly business, and were in no care about the ark, made no enquiries what had become of it; if they had, it is likely they might have had private intelligence beforehand of its coming, and might have gone to meet it, and conduct it into their own border. But they were as careless as the people that ceiled their own houses and let God’s house lie waste. Note, God will in his own time effect the deliverance of his church, not only though it be fought against by its enemies, but though it be neglected by its friends. Some observe that the returning ark found the men of Beth-shemesh, not idling or sporting in the streets of the city, but busy, reaping their corn in their fields, and well employed. Thus the tidings of the birth of Christ were brought to the shepherds when they were keeping their flock by night. The devil visits idle men with his temptations. God visits industrious men with his favours. The same invisible hand that directed the kine to the land of Israel brought them into the field of Joshua, and in that field they stood, some think for the owner’s sake, on whom, being a very good man, they suppose God designed to put this honour. I rather think it was for the sake of the great stone in that field, which was convenient to put the ark upon, and which is spoken of, 1Sa 6:14; 1Sa 6:15; 1Sa 6:18. Now, 1. When the reapers saw the ark, they rejoiced (v. 13); their joy for that was greater than the joy of harvest, and therefore they left their work to bid it welcome. When the Lord turned again the captivity of his ark they were like men that dream; then was their mouth filled with laughter,Psa 126:1; Psa 126:2. Though they had not zeal and courage enough to attempt the rescue or ransom of it, yet, when it did come, they bade it heartily welcome. Note, The return of the ark, and the revival of holy ordinances, after days of restraint and trouble, cannot but be matter of great joy to every faithful Israelite. 3. They offered up the kine for a burnt-offering, to the honour of God, and made use of the wood of the cart for fuel, v. 14. Probably the Philistines intended these, when they sent them, to be a part of their trespass-offering, to make atonement, 1Sa 6:3; 1Sa 6:7. However, the men of Beth-shemesh looked upon it as proper to make this use of them, because it was by no means fit that ever they should be put to any other use; never shall that cart carry any common thing that has once carried that sacred symbol of the divine presence: and the kine had been under such an immediate guidance of heaven that God had, as it were, already laid claim to them; they were servants to him, and therefore must be sacrifices to him, and no doubt were accepted, though females, whereas, in strictness, every burnt-offering was to be a male. 3. They deposited the ark, with a chest of jewels that the Philistines presented, upon the great stone in the open field, a cold lodging for the ark of the Lord and a very mean one; yet better so than in Dagon’s temple, or in the hands of the Philistines. It is desirable to see the ark in its habitation in all the circumstances of solemnity and splendour; but better have it upon a great stone, and in the fields of the wood, than be without it. The intrinsic grandeur of instituted ordinances ought not to be diminished in our eyes by the meanness and poverty of the place where they are administered. As the burning of the cart and cows that brought home the ark might be construed to signify their hopes that it should never be carried away again out of the land of Israel, so the setting of it upon a great stone might signify their hopes that it should be established again upon a firm foundation. The church is built upon a rock. 4. They offered the sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, some think upon the great stone, more probably upon an altar of earth made for the purpose, v. 15. And, the case being extraordinary, the law for offering at the altar in the court of the tabernacle was dispensed with, and the more easily because Shiloh was now dismantled; God himself had forsaken it, and the ark, which was its chief glory, they had with them here. Beth-shemesh, though it lay within the lot of the tribe of Dan, yet belonged to Judah, so that this accidental bringing of the ark hither was an indication of its designed settlement there, in process of time; for, when God refused the tabernacle of Joseph, he chose the tribe of Judah,Psa 78:67; Psa 78:68. It was one of those cities which were assigned out of the lot of Judah to the sons of Aaron, Josh. xxi. 16. Whither should the ark go but to a priests’ city? And it was well they had those of that sacred order ready (for though they are here called Levites, v. 15, yet it should seem they were priests) both to take down the ark and to offer the sacrifices. 5. The lords of the Philistines returned to Ekron, much affected, we may suppose, with what they had seen of the glory of God and the zeal of the Israelites, and yet not reclaimed from the worship of Dagon; for how seldom has a nation changed its gods, though they were no gods! Jer. ii. 11. Though they cannot but think the God of Israel glorious in holiness and fearful in praises, yet they are resolved they will think Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, at least as good as he, and to him they will cleave because he is theirs. 6. Notice is taken of the continuance of the great stone in the same place; there it is unto this day (v. 18), because it remained a lasting memorial of this great event, and served to support the traditional history by which it was transmitted to posterity. The fathers would say to the children, “This is the stone upon which the ark of God was set when it came out of the Philistines’ hands, a thing never to be forgotten.”
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
The Ark Sent Home, vs. 10-18
The Philistine lords adopted the proposal of their priests and magicians. They found the two untrained milk cows with young calves, tied them to the new cart, shut up the calves, laid the ark and the box of gold emerods and mice on the cart and let them go. The cows took the shortest route to the Beth-shemesh road, then went straight up the highway toward the country of Israel. It was against their nature, and the cows did not want to go, for they lowed for their calves all along the road. The mighty power of Israel’s God compelled them to do what they did not naturally want to do.
The Philistine lords followed the cows at a distance, all the way to Beth-shemesh to see what would happen. It was about eight straightline miles from Ekron to Beth-shemesh, but the cows did not stop anywhere, nor did they turn off the road to the right or to the left. But when they reached the first field of the Israelites, that of a man of the place whose name was Joshua, they stopped still beside a huge rock in his field. The people were harvesting their wheat, and when they looked up to see the ark coming home they rejoiced and interrupted their work.
In stopping by the great stone there seemed to be a suggestion that here were the makings of a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord. So the men of Beth-shemesh chopped up the cart for fuel and sacrificed the two cows to the Lord. Then the Levites came and took the ark and the coffer of gold jewels and set them on the rock. They proceeded then to make more offerings and sacrifices unto the Lord.
The Philistine lords had seen enough. They were forced to admit that God had judged them by their plagues for their misuse of His ark and their misconception of His power. They turned and went back to their cities. The five cities (named above) are now designated, each one sharing in the trespass offering of the golden mice and emerods, together with their tributary villages and countryside. At the time when the inspired author of First Samuel wrote the great stone of Abel still stood as a monument of the event in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The Ark Returned. 1Sa. 6:10-18
10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, 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 Beth-shemesh.
13 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.
14 And 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.
15 And 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 Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And 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;
18 And 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 Beth-shemite.
9.
Was the plan successful? 1Sa. 6:9-12
The plan was successful. The Philistines knew that it was because the cows took a beeline right through Beth-shemesh, never turning to the right hand or the left. The apparent redundancy is due to the authors desire to make the miracle plain. The lowing of the kine shows their natural desire to return to the calves. The cows stopped in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite. When the men of Beth-shemesh stood in unrighteousness and looked into the Ark, God smote them; the men of Kirjath-jearim were called to take the Ark to their land. It remained here for twenty years.
10.
What time of year was it when the Ark was returned? 1Sa. 6:13
It was the time of reaping in the wheat harvest when the Ark came back to Israel. This would be about the height of the growing season in Palestine, and would be in the time we mark as late June or early July. This would permit the people to be out in the fields where they would soon catch a glimpse of the strange sight.
11.
Who was Joshua the Beth-shemite? 1Sa. 6:14
This man is unknown except for this reference. He is called Joshua the Beth-shemite to distinguish him from Joshua the son of Nun, who was the leader of the people of Israel following Moses (Jos. 1:1). The fact that he owned the field would indicate that he was not a Levite himself, but a farmer in Judah.
12.
What kind of offering did the men make? 1Sa. 6:15
The fact that they offered the female animals would indicate that this was a peace offering. The specifications of the peace offering are found in Leviticus 3. It is stipulated there that the peace offering might be either male or female, but it was to be without blemish. If these men offered this sacrifice in an acceptable way, they must have followed the regulations laid down in this chapter.
13.
What was the stone of Abel? 1Sa. 6:18
The Hebrew word Abel is translated with the phrase grassy place. We might define it as a meadow. The word is used as a prefix in a number of cases. Here it signifies the marker which located the spot where the offering was made as the Ark was returned. The fact that the stone remained unto the day of writing would indicate that it was there for a number of yearsthroughout the judgeship of Samuel and into the reign of Saul.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(10) And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: (11) And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. (12) And 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.
Behold! when God works, how wonderful are his works. He ruleth over the minds of men. Here are God’s enemies, and the enemies of his church and people, obliged to send home his ark without money and without price: nay, with gold and costly offerings of their own, to beg the acceptance of the very ark again, which seven months before they brought away in triumph, and no doubt concluded that Israel would give half their kingdom for its ransom. But this is not all. God ruleth over the instinct of beasts also. For here are the mulch kine going away from their young, unaccustomed to the yoke, without guide, or driver, or direction, and yet instinctively, as it were, travelling on with their burden to the distance of eight miles at least, neither once missing their way, nor seeking food: and though lowing as they went, by which they intimated their wish for their young, yet never once growing restive, or attempting to turn back to their own home, until that they had accomplished the service to which they were yoked. What but God himself, could have caused such influence? Well might the Prophet exclaim: This also cometh from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Isa 28:29 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 6:10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
Ver. 10. And the men did so. ] According to the advice of the priests and diviners, who were of no small authority amongst them: as likewise were the Brachmanni among the Indians, the Druids among the Gauls, and the Bards here in Albion: of such esteem they are said to have been among the greatest commanders, that if two armies were even at push of pike, and a bard or priest had stepped in between them, they would have held their hands, hearkened to his advice, and not have offered to strike till he were out of danger.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the men. Hebrew. ‘enosh. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: 1Ki 18:44 – Prepare
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2. The return of the ark to Bethshemesh 6:10-18
Bethshemesh was the closest Israelite town to Ekron. It stood about 12 miles east-southeast of Ekron. To get there the cows walked east up the Sorek Valley, Samson’s home area. Evidently the Israelites, who were reaping their wheat harvest (in June) when the ark appeared, remembered that only Levites were to handle the ark (Num 4:15-20; 1Sa 6:15). Bethshemesh was a Levitical town (Jos 21:13-16; 1Ch 6:57-59), so Levites were perhaps nearby. Even though the ark had been absent from Israel for seven months God had not removed His blessing of fertile crops from His chosen people during that time. This indicates His grace.