Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 6:18
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.
The great stone of Abel … – Probably so called from the lamentation described in 1Sa 6:19.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. And the golden mice] The desolation that had been made through the land by these animals had excited a general concern; and it appears from the text, that all the cities of the Philistines, as well fended as without walls, sent a golden mouse as a trespass-offering.
Remaineth unto this day] Some think the ark is intended, which continued on the stone of Abel for some considerable time after it was placed there; and that the memoranda from which this book was afterwards compiled, were made before it was removed: but it is not likely that it remained any time exposed in the open field. Therefore it is most natural to suppose that it is the stone of Abel which is here intended; and so our translators have understood the place, and have used supplementary words to express this sentiment: “Which stone remaineth unto this day.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Both of fenced cities, and of country villages: this is added for explication of that foregoing phrase,
all the cities; either to show that under the name of the five cities were comprehended all the villages and territories belonging to them, in whose name and at whose charge these presents were made; or to express the difference between this and the former present, the emerods being only five, according to thee five cities mentioned 1Sa 6:17, because it may seem the cities only, or principally, were pestered with that disease; and the mice being many more, according to
the number of all the cities, as is here expressed; the word city being taken generally so, as to include, not only fenced cities, but also the country villages, as is here added, and the fields belonging to them, these being the parts where the mice did most mischief.
The great stone of Abel; which is mentioned as the utmost border of the Philistines territory to which the plague of mice did extend; the word stone being easily understood out of 1Sa 6:14, where this great stone is expressly mentioned, as the place on which the ark was set which is also here repeated in the following words. And this place is here called
Abel, by anticipation, from the great mourning mentioned in the following verse.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. unto the great stone ofAbelAbel, or Aben, means “stone,” sothat without resorting to italics, the reading should be, “thegreat stone.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords,…. That is, as many golden mice as there were cities under the jurisdiction of the five lords, which are the same before mentioned:
both of fenced cities and of country villages; walled and unwalled towns; it seems by this, as it was but reasonable it should be, that the several villages adjacent and belonging to the five principal cities contributed their part towards the expense of the five golden emerods, and five golden mice, since they were afflicted both in their persons, and especially in their fields, as well as those in the cities; though Kimchi and others think that the country villages sent each of them a golden emerod, and a golden mouse, fearing the presents of the five cities would not serve for them; and therefore, though the priests and diviners only ordered five of each, according to the number of the principal cities, yet they of themselves sent more: all the country villages that reached
even unto the great stone of Abel; the Targum is,
“unto the great stone”;
and so the Septuagint version, reading Eben instead of Ebal; or “lamed” is put for “nun”, as “nun” for “lamed”, Ne 13:7. The Vulgate Latin version is unto great Abel, taking it for a city, as does Procopius Gazaeus, who calls it the great city Abel, through which they carried the ark of the Lord; so Jerom y, who takes it to be the same with Bethshemesh, called Abel because of the mourning in it for the men of Bethshemesh after slain; or to distinguish it from another Abel is called “great”, 2Sa 20:15 but it seems plainly to be the same with the great stone, 1Sa 6:14, here called Eben Gedolah, here Abel Gedolah, by the change of a letter, having its latter name by anticipation from the great mourning hereafter made, next mentioned:
whereon they set down the ark of the Lord; when it was taken out of the cart, as also the coffer in which were the presents, 1Sa 6:15,
which: stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite: the supplement, which stone remaineth, seems necessary, lest it should be thought the ark remained there unto the time of the writing this book, which was not true, for it was soon after this fetched to Kirjathjearim; but the stone remained, and might be seen; and posterity in following times were told that was the stone on which the ark was put when it returned to Israel.
y Trad. Heb. ut supra. (Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 75. D.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18)And the golden mice.We have here a far greater number of golden mice mentioned as being offered in expiation than appear specified in the directions of the priests and diviners (1Sa. 6:4). The truth was that whilst the human sickness was confined to the five cities, the plague of field mice no doubt extended over the whole country. The inhabitants of all the villages were anxious to do their part to propitiate the insulted Hebrew God, and to get rid of the plague which was devastating their fields and vineyards; hence this large offering, so much in excess of what was suggested by the diviners.
The great stone of Abel.The LXX. Version reads here, And this great stone on which they placed the Ark of Jehovah, which is in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, is a witness unto this day. With this reading the Chaldee Targum substantially agrees. The Hebrew text here is hopelessly corrupt; the copies which the Greek translators and the Chaldee Targumist apparently had before them, instead of the word Avel (Abel), which signifies mourning, read the word ven, a stone, and the punctuation of vad, and unto, in the last clause was evidently (ved), and a witness. If the reading Avel be the true one (even unto the great Avel), then the conjecture of R. D. Kimchi is probably right, that this stone was known as the Great Avel (or Abel), the great mourning, owing to the terrible judicial calamity, related in the next three verses (1Sa. 6:19-21), which happened there. With this slight change a very good sense is obtained.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Both of fenced cities, and of country villages From which it appears that many more images of the mice were sent than of the boils.
Perhaps the plague of mice had marred the whole land, while that of boils was confined to the places where the ark had been. This statement is not a contradiction of 1Sa 6:4, as Thenius asserts, but additional information which the writer paused not there to record.
Even unto the great stone of Abel , and unto Abel. Instead of , Abel, two codices of Kennicott and one of De Rossi read , a stone, as in 1Sa 6:14-15, and this reading is sustained by the Septuagint and Chaldaic versions, and is most probably the true one. If, now, we simply change the pointing of , unto, to , a witness, we relieve the latter part of this verse of all the obscurity that clings to it in the English version. Thus amended it reads: And a witness is the great stone whereon they set down the ark of the Lord unto this day, in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite; that is, the stone is a witness unto this day of the facts related in 1Sa 6:14-18. This construction has the sanction of Thenius and Keil.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
(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.
This stone of memorial was made similar to others of God’s people; Jacob’s Bethel and Gideon’s Oprah. But were not all these considered, yet more particularly in faith, with an eye to Jesus? that stone which God had laid in Zion. Isa 28:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 6:18 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.
Ver. 18. Both of fenced cities. ] So that the golden mice seem to have been many more than the emerods.
Unto the great stone of Abel,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the five lords: 1Sa 6:16, Jos 13:3
great stone of: or, great stone
Reciprocal: Gen 50:11 – Abelmizraim Jdg 3:3 – five lords 1Sa 6:4 – Five golden Isa 14:29 – whole
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 6:18. Both of fenced cities and country villages This is added, either to show, that under the name of the five cities were comprehended all the villages and territories belonging to them, in whose name, and at whose charge, these presents were made; or to express the difference between this and the former present, the emerods being only five, according to the five cities mentioned 1Sa 6:17; the cities, perhaps, being chiefly afflicted with that disorder; and the mice being many more, according to the number of all the cities and villages, as here expressed. Abel This is mentioned as the utmost border of the Philistines territory, to which the plague of mice extended. And this place is here called Abel by anticipation, from the great mourning mentioned in the following verse. It is desirable to see the ark in its habitation, in all the circumstances of solemnity. But it is better to have it on a great stone, and in the fields of the wood, than to be without it. The intrinsic grandeur of divine ordinances ought not to be diminished in our eyes, by the meanness and poverty of the place where they are administered.