Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 6:15
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.
15. And the Levites took down ] Rather, in accordance with 1Sa 6:14, Now the Levites had taken down. As Beth-shemesh was a priestly city, “Levites” appears to be used here in a general sense to mean “members of the tribe of Levi,” not in its technical sense of “Levites” as distinguished from “priests.” Cp. Exo 4:14; Jos 3:3.
the men of Beth-shemesh, &c.] In addition to the offering of the kine mentioned in the previous verse, the inhabitants of the town brought offerings of their own. The burst-offerings symbolized renewed consecration of the worshippers to the service of Jehovah: the sacrifices were thank-offerings to Jehovah for His goodness in restoring the Ark.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The word Levites here probably means priests Exo 4:14, sons of Levi, since Bethshemesh was one of the cities of the priests Jos 21:13-16. The burnt offering of the kine was not in any sense the offering of the men of Bethshemesh, but rather of the Philistine lords to whom the cart and the kine belonged. But the Bethshemites themselves, in token of their gratitude for such a signal mercy, now offered both burnt offerings and sacrifices, probably peace offerings, and doubtless feasted together with great joy and gladness (see 1Ki 8:62-66; Ezr 6:16-17). There is nothing whatever in the text to indicate that these sacrifices were offered otherwise than in the appointed way by the priests.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. The Levites took down] It appears there were some of the tribe of Levi among the people of Beth-shemesh: to them appertained the service of the tabernacle.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And the Levites took down, or, for the Levites had taken down; for this, though mentioned after, was done before the sacrifices were offered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord,…. Or, “had took it down” x; for this, though here related, was done as soon as the ark came into the field, or quickly after, and before the burnt offering could be made, which was burnt with the wood of the cart; and though the persons that took it down are called Levites, they were priests, who were of the tribe of Levi; for it was the work of the priests to take it down, though the Levites then might carry it; and it is remarkable that Bethshemesh was given to the Kohathite Levites, whose business it was to carry the ark on their shoulders; see
Jos 21:10
and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were; the purse or bag in which were the five golden mice, and the five golden emerods:
and put them on the great stone; both the ark and the coffer, by which the cart stood, and on which the sacrifice of burnt offering was probably offered:
and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices, the same day unto the Lord; besides the burnt offering of the two cows, they offered others to testify their thankfulness for the return of the ark; and also peace offerings, on which they feasted with one another, to express their greater joy.
x “deposuerant”, Meudoza; so Pool.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1Sa 6:15 contains a supplementary remark, therefore is to be translated as a pluperfect. After sacrificing the cart, with the cows, as a burnt-offering to the Lord, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh gave a further practical expression to their joy at the return of the ark, by offering burnt-offerings and slain-offerings in praise of God. In the burnt-offerings they consecrated themselves afresh, with all their members, to the service of the Lord; and in the slain-offerings, which culminated in the sacrificial meals, they sealed anew their living fellowship with the Lord. The offering of these sacrifices at Bethshemesh was no offence against the commandment, to sacrifice to the Lord at the place of His sanctuary alone. The ark of the covenant was the throne of the gracious presence of God, before which the sacrifices were really offered at the tabernacle. The Lord had sanctified the ark afresh as the throne of His presence, by the miracle which He had wrought in bringing it back again. – In 1Sa 6:17 and 1Sa 6:18 the different atoning presents, which the Philistines sent to Jehovah as compensation, are enumerated once more: viz., five golden boils, one for each of their five principal towns (see at Jos 13:3), and “ golden mice, according to the number of all the Philistian towns of the five princes, from the fortified city to the village of the inhabitants of the level land ” ( perazi; see at Deu 3:5). The priests had only proposed that five golden mice should be sent as compensation, as well as five boils (1Sa 6:4). But the Philistines offered as many images of mice as there were towns and villages in their five states, no doubt because the plague of mice had spread over the whole land, whereas the plague of boils had only fallen upon the inhabitants of those towns to which the ark of the covenant had come. In this way the apparent discrepancy between 1Sa 6:4 and 1Sa 6:18 is very simply removed. The words which follow, viz., , “ upon which they had set down the ark,” show unmistakeably, when compared with 1Sa 6:14 and 1Sa 6:15, that we are to understand by the great stone upon which the ark was placed when it was taken off the cart. The conjecture of Kimchi, that this stone was called Abel ( luctus), on account of the mourning which took place there (see 1Sa 6:19), is extremely unnatural. Consequently there is no other course left than to regard as an error in writing for , according to the reading, or at all events the rendering, adopted by the lxx and Targum. But (even unto) is quite unsuitable here, as no further local definition is required after the foregoing , and it is impossible to suppose that the Philistines offered a golden mouse as a trespass-offering for the great stone upon which the ark was placed. We must therefore alter into : “ And the great stone is witness (for in this sense, see Gen 31:52) to this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemeshite,” sc., of the fact just described.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
15. The Levites took down We have already noticed that Beth-shemesh was a city of the Levites, (see on 1Sa 6:9.) There was fitness in the kine stopping and standing still, when they had brought the sacred treasure to those whose duty it was to look after it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
(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 Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
Probably some Levites were in the neighbourhood, and were therefore instantly sent for, as it was their office to minister to the ark of the Lord. It is somewhat singular, that the over-ruling providence of God should have directed the ark to Bethshemesh. For though Bethshemesh, strictly speaking, was in the portion of Dan, yet was it belonging to Judah. And ever after this period the ark rested in Judah. This event is celebrated in the Song. The Lord refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high places, like the earth which he hath established forever. Psa 78:67-69 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 6:15 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 Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
Ver. 15. And put them on the great stone. ] Or, Beside it, rather, as Comestor hath it, for upon the stone they offered their sacrifices: which they might the better do in that place, because they had the ark with them, which was the visible sign of God’s presence.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sacrificed sacrifices = made great sacrifices. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6. See note on Gen 26:28. Gen 26:17 Ashdod one. See note on Gen 10:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: 1Sa 7:9 – a sucking