Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 6:19
And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, 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.
1Sa 6:19 to 1Sa 7:1. The Penalty of Irreverence. Removal of the Ark to Kirjath-jearim
19. because they had looked into the ark ] Better, because they had gazed upon the ark. The rendering of the E. V. follows the explanation given by Rabbinic commentators, but the expression used signifies rather “to gaze upon with profane curiosity.” The priests of Beth-shemesh must have known that even the Levites were forbidden to look upon the furniture of the Holy of Holies upon pain of death (Num 4:19-20), but instead of hastening to cover it with befitting reverence, they left it exposed to the public gaze, and brought down a judgment which was intended to vindicate the holiness of Jehovah. Certainly they were not punished for the unavoidable sight of the Ark as it approached them, at which they justly rejoiced ( 1Sa 6:13).
It seems not improbable, however, that there is some corruption in the Heb. text here. The repetition “and he smote,” “even he smote,” is somewhat strange, and the Sept. has the following entirely different reading, which may possibly represent an earlier text. “And the sons of Jechonias rejoiced not among the men of Bethsamus because they saw the ark of the Lord: and he smote among them, &c.” i.e. either from indifference or irreligion they took no part in the general rejoicing and were punished for their impiety.
fifty thousand and threescore and ten men ] It is generally agreed that there is some mistake in the text here. ( a) The anomalous order of the numerals in the Hebrew (70 men 50,000 men), and the absence of the conjunction and mark corruption, ( b) The village of Beth-shemesh cannot possibly have contained such a number of inhabitants. It seems best with Josephus and some Heb. MSS. to omit 50,000 altogether. Possibly the number was originally expressed by a letter used as a numerical sign, and explained once rightly and once wrongly in marginal notes, both of which eventually crept into the text. “A like instance of the intrusion of a number into the text is found in Neh 7:70, where the number 500 is erroneously added to the 30 (or 33) Priests’ garments given by Nehemiah, to make up 100 with the 67 given by the congregation. See Ezr 2:69, and Neh 7:72.” Speaker’s Comm. p. 274.
Many explanations of the passage with the retention of the number 50,000 have been attempted. The only one deserving of notice is that 50,000 is the number of the people, 70 the number of those that were smitten among them. But apart from the improbability that the village contained so many inhabitants, (and 1Sa 6:21 implies that the news of the return of the Ark had not spread so as to bring in others from a distance), this meaning can only be imposed upon the Hebrew and not fairly extracted from it.
Such errors as this, to which the text of any ancient book is liable in the process of transmission, do not affect the general historical trust-worthiness of the narrative, and the freest acknowledgment of them in no way precludes a full belief in the Inspiration of Scripture.
had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter ] Lit., “had smitten the people with a great smiting.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Fifty thousand and three score and ten – Read three score and ten, omitting fifty thousand, which appears to have crept into the text from the margin. It is not improbable that in their festive rejoicing priests, Levites, and people may have fallen into intemperance, and hence, into presumptuous irreverence (compare Lev 10:1, Lev 10:9). God had just vindicated His own honor against the Philistines; it must now be seen that He would be sanctified in them that come near Him Lev 10:3. It is obvious to observe how the doctrine of atonement, and its necessity in the case of sinners, is taught in this and similar lessons as to the awesome HOLINESS of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Sa 6:19-20
And He smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had Looked into the ark of the Lord.
Irreverent curiosity
The prying men of Beth-shemesh have had their counterparts many a time in more recent days. Many men, with strong theological proclivities, have evinced a strong desire to pry into the secret things which belong to the Lord our God. Foreknowledge, election, free will, sins punishment–men have often forgot that there is much in such subjects that exceeds the capacity of the human mind, and that as God has shown reserve in what He has revealed about them, so men ought to show a holy modesty in their manner of treating them. And even in the handling of sacred things generally, in the way of theological discussion, a want of reverence has very often been shown. It becomes us all most carefully to beware of abusing the gracious condescension which God has shown in His revelation, and in the use which He designs us to make of it. It was an excellent rule a foreign theologian laid down for himself, to keep up the spirit of reverence–never to speak of God without speaking to God. (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)
Uncurbed curiosity perilous
Men may soon be too bold with hidden mysteries; he that modestly looks upon the sun, sees a glorious torch, and receives a comfortable light; but he that fixeth his eyes too earnestly upon it, is struck blind, and because he will see more than he should, comes in the end to see nothing at all. (T. Adams.)
Dangerous prying into secret things
He that pryeth into every cloud may be stricken with a thunderbolt. (Eliza Cook.)
The severity and mercy of God
The city of Beth-shemesh (which signifies the House of the Sun) was now under such an eclipse and darkness, as peevishly to think that God was over strict, laying the blame all upon God, and none upon their sins (1Sa 6:20), and therefore desire to dismiss the ark as the cause of this rigour. David himself had something of this sin (2Sa 6:8-9), and the Gadarins much more (Mat 8:54). God always shows most severity in punishing His own people, especially in matters that immediately concerned His worship, and men are not competent judges, because we understand not the unsearchable reasons of His judgments. Who hath been Gods counsellor, etc? (Rom 11:33-34), we ought not to search into Gods secrets, which belong to Him only (Deu 29:29). It is as unmannerly a trick to spy into another mans house with his eyes, as to press into it with his feet: How much more unlawful was this prying and peeping into the secrets of God, so expressly against Gods Law? (Num 4:15; Num 4:18-20). As it is a learned ignorance not to know what is unrevealed, so it is a sort of madness to pry into them. It is a wonder that the Philistines were not all cut off (as the Beth-shemites were here, 1Sa 6:19) when they first laid their foul hands upon it, when they first took it captive; and now again, when they carted the ark (though upon a new cart), seeing the Lord made a breach upon David for his doing the very self-same thing (2Sa 6:8). No reason can be rendered for this severity of God against His servants, and His indulgency towards His enemies, but this, God confers greater privileges upon His own people, and therefore if they transgress against all their light and love, etc., He infers greater punishments upon them (Amo 3:2). David and the Beth-shemites had the light of the law of God by them, and therefore sinned more against knowledge than those poor blind ignorant Philistines could do: Therefore God did not only spare them in carting His ark, but also condescended to work this miracle for their conviction. (C. Ness.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 19. He smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men] The present Hebrew text of this most extraordinary reading stands thus: – vaiyach beanshey Beith-shemesh-vaiyach baam shibim ish, chamishshim eleph ish; “And he smote among the men of Beth-shemesh, (because they looked into the ark of Jehovah,) and he smote among the people SEVENTY men, FIFTY THOUSAND men.”
From the manner in which the text stands, and from the great improbability of the thing, it is most likely that there is a corruption in this text, or that some explanatory word is lost, or that the number fifty thousand has been added by ignorance or design; it being very improbable that such a small village as Beth-shemesh should contain or be capable of employing fifty thousand and seventy men in the fields at wheat harvest, much less that they could all peep into the ark on the stone of Abel, in the corn-field of Joshua.
That the words are not naturally connected in the Hebrew text, is evident; and they do not stand better in the versions.
1. The VULGATE renders it thus: – Et percussit de populo SEPTUAGINTA viros; et QUINQUAGINTA MILLA plebis; “And he smote of the (chief) people SEVENTY men, and FIFTY THOUSAND of the (common) people.” This distinction, I suppose, St. Jerome intended between plebis and populus; which he might think was warranted by the anashim, and ish, of the Hebrew text.
2. The TARGUM of Jonathan is something similar to the Vulgate: – “And he smote besabey amma, of the elders of the people SEVENTY men; ubekahala, and of the congregation FIFTY THOUSAND men.”
3. The SEPTUAGINT follow the Hebrew text: , ; “And he smote of them SEVENTY men; and FIFTY THOUSAND men.” , of the people, is added by some copies.
4. The SYRIAC has forty-five thousand less! It is as follows: [—–Syriac—–] wamacho Morio beamo chamesho alapin weshabein gabrin; “And the Lord smote among the people FIVE thousand and SEVENTY men.”
5. The ARABIC is nearly similar: “And the LORD smote among the people; and there died of them [—Arabic—] FIVE thousand and SEVENTY men.”
We have no other versions from which we can receive any farther light.
6. JOSEPHUS is different from all the rest, and has fifty thousand less, for he renders the place thus, Antiq. Jud. libe. vi., cap. i., sect. 4: , – “But the displeasure and wrath of God pursued them so, that SEVENTY men of the village of Beth-shemesh, approaching the ark, which they were not worthy to touch, (not being priests,) were struck with lightning.” Here we find the whole fifty thousand is omitted.
7. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, giving the opinion of other rabbins as well as his own, says, “Our rabbins say SEVENTY men, and each of them was worth fifty thousand men; or fifty thousand, every one of whom was worth the seventy of the Sanhedrin.” This only shows embarrassment, but gives very little light.
All these discordances, together with the utter improbability of the thing, lead us to suppose there must be a corruption in this place, either by adding or omitting.
Dr. Kennicott has found three very reputable MSS. in which the words chamishshim eleph ish, fifty thousand men, are wanting. The 1st, No. 84, a MS. from Holland; the 2d, No. 210, one of the Parisian MSS.; the 3d, No. 418, a MS. belonging to Milan; all three written about the beginning of the twelfth century, and numbered as above in Dr. K’s Bible.
Perhaps the omission in these MSS. was occasioned by a mistake of the transcriber, which might have easily happened, because of the word ish, which occurs both after shibim and after eleph; for, having written the first, and taking his eye off, when he recommenced he might have supposed he had written the latter, and so proceed, leaving the words in question out of his copy. Two, three, or more persons might have been thus deceived, and so produce the above MSS.; or the mistake once made, all the MSS. copied from that would show the same omission. The common reading may be defended, if we only suppose the omission of a single letter, the particle of comparison ke, like, as, or equal to, before the word chamishshim: thus kechamishshim; the passage would then read: “And he smote of the people SEVENTY men, equal to FIFTY THOUSAND men;” that is, they were the elders or governors of the people.
Some solve the difficulty by translating, “He slew SEVENTY men OUT OF fifty thousand men.” There are various other methods invented by learned men to remove this difficulty, which I shall not stop to examine; all, however, issue in this point, that only SEVENTY MEN were slain; and this is, without doubt the most probable. The FIFTY THOUSAND, therefore, must be an interpolation, or be understood in some such way as that mentioned above. But the omission of the particle of similitude solves every difficulty; and this would account for the reading in Josephus, who in his recital would naturally leave out such an explanation of the worth of the seventy men, as his Roman readers could not easily comprehend such comparisons.
With a great slaughter.] Seventy men slain, out of an inconsiderable village in a harvest day, was certainly a great slaughter.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They had looked into the ark of the Lord; having now an opportunity which they never yet had, nor were ever like to have, it is not strange they had a vehement curiosity and desire to see the contents of the ark; or whether the Philistines had taken them away, and put other things in their place; and they thought they might now presume the more, because the ark had been polluted by the Philistines, and was now exposed to open view, and not yet put into that most holy place, which they were forbidden to approach.
Of the people, i.e. of the people living in and near Beth-shemesh, or coming thither from all parts upon this great and glorious occasion. Heb. and, or also, he smote of the people, to wit, of or belonging to other places, though now here; so these are distinguished from the men of Beth-shemesh, of whom he speaks only in general and indefinitely, he smote the men, i.e. some or many of them, and then sets down the number of the persons smitten or slain, either excluding the Beth-shemites, or including them.
Fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: this may seem an incredible relation, both because that place could not afford so great a number, and because it seems an act of great rigour, that God should so severely punish those people who came with so much zeal and joy to congratulate the return of the ark, and that for so inconsiderable an error. For the latter branch of the objection, it may be said:
1. That God always used to be most severe in punishing his own people, as sinning against more knowledge and warning than others; especially for such sins as immediately concern his own worship and service.
2. That men are very incompetent judges of these matters, because they do not understand all the reasons and causes of Gods judgments. For although God took this just occasion to punish them for that crime which was so severely forbidden even to the common Levites under pain of death; of which see Num 4:18-20; yet it is apparent that the people were at this time guilty of many other and greater miscarriages, for which God might justly inflict the present punishment upon them; and moreover, there are many secret sins which escape mans observation, but are seen by God, before whom many persons may be deeply guilty, whom men esteem innocent and virtuous. And therefore men should take heed of censuring the judgments of God, of which it is most truly said, that they are oft secret, but never unrighteous. And for the former branch of the objection, many things are or may be said:
1. That the land of Israel was strangely populous. See 2Sa 24:9; 2Ch 13:3.
2. That all these were not the settled inhabitants of this place, but most of them such as did, and in all probability would, resort thither in great numbers upon so illustrious an occasion.
3. That all these were not struck dead in the very fact, and upon the place, which would have terrified others from following their example; but were secretly struck with some disease or plague, which killed them in a little time.
4. That divers learned men translate and understand the place otherwise, and make the number much smaller. Josephus the Jew, and the Hebrew doctors, and many others, contend that only seventy persons were slain; which though it seem but a small number, yet might justly be called a great slaughter, either for the quality of the persons slain, or for the greatness and extraordinariness of the stroke; or because it was a great number, considering the smallness of the place, and the sadness of the occasion. The words in the Hebrew are these, and thus placed, he smote of or among the people seventy men, fifty thousand men; whereas, say they, the words should have been otherwise placed, and the greater number put before the less, if this had been meant, that he smote fifty thousand and seventy men. And one very learned man renders the words thus, He smote of the people seventy men, even fifty of a thousand, the particle mem, of, being here understood, as it is very frequently. So the meaning is, that God smote every twentieth man of the transgressors, as the Romans used to cut off every tenth man in case of the general guilt of an army. Or the words may be rendered thus, He smote of or among the people seventy men out of fifty thousand men; the particle mem, of, or out of, being understood before the word fifty, which Bochart puts before a thousand; and it may be thus expressed, to show that God did temper his severity with great clemency; and whereas there were many thousands of transgressors, (every one following his brothers example, as is usual in such cases,) God only singled out seventy of the principal offenders, who either sinned most against their light or office, or were the ringleaders or chief encouragers of the rest. To which may be added, that the ancient translators, the Syriac and Arabic, read the place five thousand and seventy men, being supposed to have read in their Hebrew copies chamesh, five, for chamishim, fifty, which is no great alteration in the word.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. he smote the men ofBeth-shemesh, because they had looked into the arkIn theecstasy of delight at seeing the return of the ark, the Beth-shemeshreapers pried into it beneath the wagon cover; and instead ofcovering it up again, as a sacred utensil, they let it remain exposedto common inspection, wishing it to be seen, in order that all mightenjoy the triumph of seeing the votive offerings presented to it, andgratify curiosity with the sight of the sacred shrine. This was theoffense of those Israelites (Levites, as well as common people), whohad treated the ark with less reverence than the Philistinesthemselves.
he smote of the people fiftythousand and threescore and ten menBeth-shemesh being only avillage, this translation must be erroneous, and should be,”he smote fifty out of a thousand,” being only fourteenhundred in all who indulged this curiosity. God, instead ofdecimating, according to an ancient usage, slew only a twentiethpart; that is, according to JOSEPHUS,seventy out of fourteen hundred (see Nu4:18-22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he smote the men of Bethshemesh,…. That is, God smote them, though they had received the ark with such expressions of joy, and had offered sacrifices on account of it; yet sinning in one particular after mentioned, which was highly resented, they were smitten by him with a thunderbolt, as Josephus says z:
because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; which was forbidden the Levites, Nu 4:20 out of curiosity these men opened the ark, to see whether the Philistines had taken anything out of it, or put anything into it; and this, when in the tabernacle, being only to be seen by the high priest; and supposing they should never have the like opportunity again, to look upon the tables of the law which were in it, took it; and the rather they might be emboldened to this action, since it had been in the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines, who had profaned it; and as yet not restored to its pristine purity, holiness, and place:
even he smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men; but as Bethshemesh was but a small place, a village, as Josephus a calls it, and it seems not likely that there should be such a number of persons in it, and especially that should look into the ark; or that God, who is good and merciful, should destroy so large a number for this offence, however he might think fit to make an example of some, it is thought that the case was not as our version represents it. Some who think there were so many slain, yet distinguish them, seventy of the elders of the people, and 50,000 of the congregation, or common people, as the Targum; which accounts not for the difficulty at all: others think that only seventy of the men of Bethshemesh died, and that 50,000 were such as flocked out of the country on this occasion; but as this was on the same day the ark came into those parts, it can hardly be thought that so great a number should be got together so soon; and still less that they should all of them open the ark, and look into it. Abarbinel is of opinion that only seventy men of Bethshemesh were slain, and that the other 50,000 were the Philistines that died on account of the ark while it was among them; and reads the words, “with the men of Bethshemesh he smote–even he smote of the people seventy”; that is, of the men of Bethshemesh; 50,000, that is, of the Philistines, and so this gives the sum of all that died on account of the ark, both while it was in the hands of the Philistines, and when returned to Bethshemesh, which is not an improbable sense: but others, and perhaps more truly, think that only seventy persons were smitten with death; for the order in which this account is given is different from all others in the Hebrew text, the lesser number being put first with a considerable distinguishing accent upon it, whereas the greater number is always expressed first; it stands thus, “of the people seventy men; 50,000 men”: 5000, according to the Syriac and Arabic versions. Josephus b is express for it that only seventy men were slain, and so some of the ancient Jews c; who say that these seventy were equal to 50,000, because of their superior excellency and dignity, as Ben Gersom observes, being the priests of the Lord, or the sanhedrim; but Bochart’s d sense seems to be preferable to all others, that there is a defect of the particle , “out of”; and so to be read, either seventy men out of fifty thousand; that out of the 50,000 that flocked on this occasion from various parts, seventy were smitten for the reason before given; or rather seventy men, fifty out of 1000 men; that is, a twentieth part of the number of them, so that, out of 1400, seventy men were struck with death for their curiosity e. Something of this story seems to be retained by tradition among the Heathens; we are told f that when Troy was taken an ark was found, in which was the image of Bacchus; which being opened by Eurypylus, he was struck with madness as soon as he saw the image:
and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter; I see no occasion for the supplement “many”; it was a great slaughter, if we consider the awful manner in which it was made, by thunder and lightning, as may be supposed; however, by an immediate stroke from heaven; and the persons on whom it was made, men of a sacred character, priests and Levites; and a great number, considering it was but a small city. Hence the place was called Abel, which signifies weeping, mourning, lamentation, 1Sa 6:18.
z Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 4. a Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 3. b Antiqu. l. 6. c. 1. sect. 3. c T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 35. 2. T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 20. 2. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 5. fol. 186. 2. d Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 36. col. 370. e So Noldius, No. 779. f Pausan. Achaica, sive, l. 7. p. 435.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Disposal of the Ark of God. – 1Sa 6:19. As the ark had brought evil upon the Philistines, so the inhabitants of Bethshemesh were also to be taught that they could not stand in their unholiness before the holy God: “ And He (God) smote among the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked at the ark of Jehovah, and smote among the people seventy men, fifty thousand men.” In this statement of numbers we are not only struck by the fact that the 70 stands before the 50,000, which is very unusual, but even more by the omission of the copula before the second number, which is altogether unparalleled. When, in addition to this, we notice that 50,000 men could not possibly live either in or round Bethshemesh, and that we cannot conceive of any extraordinary gathering having taken place out of the whole land, or even from the immediate neighbourhood; and also that the words are wanting in several Hebrew MSS, and that Josephus, in his account of the occurrence, only speaks of seventy as having been killed ( Ant. vi. 1, 4); we cannot come to any other conclusion than that the number 50,000 is neither correct nor genuine, but a gloss which has crept into the text through some oversight, though it is of great antiquity, since the number stood in the text employed by the Septuagint and Chaldee translators, who attempted to explain them in two different ways, but both extremely forced. Apart from this number, however, the verse does not contain anything either in form or substance that could furnish occasion for well-founded objections to its integrity. The repetition of simply resumes the thought that had been broken off by the parenthetical clause ; and is only a general expression for . The stroke which fell upon the people of Bethshemesh is sufficiently accounted for in the words, “ because they had looked,” etc. There is no necessity to understand these words, however, as many Rabbins do, as signifying “they looked into the ark,” i.e., opened it and looked in; for if this had been the meaning, the opening would certainly not have been passed over without notice. with means to look upon or at a thing with lust or malicious pleasure; and here it no doubt signifies a foolish staring, which was incompatible with the holiness of the ark of God, and was punished with death, according to the warning expressed in Num 4:20. This severe judgment so alarmed the people of Bethshemesh, that they exclaimed, “ Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God! ” Consequently the Bethshemeshites discerned correctly enough that the cause of the fatal stroke, which had fallen upon them, was the unholiness of their own nature, and not any special crime which had been committed by the persons slain. They felt that they were none of them any better than those who had fallen, and that sinners could not approach the holy God. Inspired with this feeling, they added, “ and to whom shall He go away from us? ” The subject to is not the ark, but Jehovah who had chosen the ark as the dwelling-place of His name. In order to avert still further judgments, they sought to remove the ark from their town. They therefore sent messengers to Kirjath-jearim to announce to the inhabitants the fact that the ark had been sent back by the Philistines, and to entreat them to fetch it away.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Ark at Beth-shemesh. | B. C. 1119. |
19 And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, 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. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? 21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
Here is, 1. The sin of the men of Beth-shemesh: They looked into the ark of the Lord, v. 19. Every Israelite had heard great talk of the ark, and had been possessed with a profound veneration for it; but they had been told that it was lodged within a veil, and even the high priest himself might not look upon it but once a year, and then through a cloud of incense. Perhaps this made many say (as we are apt to covet that which is forbidden) what a great deal they would give for a sight of it. Some of these Beth-shemites, we may suppose, for that reason, rejoiced to see the ark (v. 13) more than for the sake of the public. Yet this did not content them; they might see it, but they would go further, they would take off the covering, which it is likely was nailed or screwed on, and look into it, under pretence of seeing whether the Philistines had not taken the two tables out of it or some way damaged them, but really to gratify a sinful curiosity of their own, which intruded into those things that God had thought fit to conceal from them. Note, It is a great affront to God for vain men to pry into and meddle with the secret things which belong not to them, Deu 29:29; Col 2:18. We were all ruined by an ambition of forbidden knowledge. That which made this looking into the ark a great sin was that it proceeded from a very low and mean opinion of the ark. The familiarity they had with it upon this occasion bred contempt and irreverence. Perhaps they presumed upon their being priests; but the dignity of the ministerial office will be so far from excusing that it will aggravate a careless and irreverent treatment of holy things. They should, by their example, have taught others to keep their distance and look upon the ark with a holy awe. Perhaps they presumed upon the kind entertainment they had given the ark, and the sacrifices they had now offered to welcome it home with, for which they thought the ark was indebted to them, and they might be allowed to repay themselves with the satisfaction of looking into it. But let no man think that his service done for God will justify him in any instance of disrespect or irreverence towards the things of God. Or it may be they presumed upon the present mean circumstances the ark was in, newly come out of captivity, and unsettled; now that it stood upon a cold stone, they thought they might make free with it; they should never have such another opportunity of being familiar with it. It is an offence to God if we think meanly of his ordinances because of the meanness of the manner of their administration. Had they looked with an understanding eye upon the ark, and not judged purely by outward appearance, they would have thought that the ark never shone with greater majesty than it did not. It had triumphed over the Philistines, and come out of its house of bondage (like Christ out of the grave) by its own power; had they considered this, they would not have looked into it thus, as a common chest. 2. Their punishment for this sin: He smote the men of Beth-shemesh, many of them, with a great slaughter. How jealous is God for the honour of his ark! He will not suffer it to be profaned. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Those that will not fear his goodness, and reverently use the tokens of his grace, shall be made to feel his justice, and sink under the tokens of his displeasure. Those that pry into what is forbidden, and come too near to holy fire, will find it is at their peril. He smote 50,070 men. This account of the numbers smitten is expressed in a very unusual manner in the original, which, besides the improbability that there should be so many guilty and so many slain, occasions many learned men to question whether we take the matter aright. In the original it is, He smote in (or among) the people three score and ten men, fifty thousand men. The Syriac and Arabic read it, five thousand and seventy men. The Chaldee reads it, seventy men of the elders, and fifty thousand of the common people. Seventy men as valuable as 50,000, so some, because they were priests. Some think the seventy men were the Beth-shemites that were slain for looking into the ark, and the 50,000 were those that were slain by the ark, in the land of the Philistines. He smote seventy men, that is, fifty out of a thousand, which was one in twenty, a half decimation; so some understand it. The Septuagint read it much as we do, he smote seventy men, and fifty thousand men. Josephus says only seventy were smitten. 3. The terror that was struck upon the men of Beth-shemesh by this severe stroke. They said, as well they might, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? v. 20. Some think this expresses their murmuring against God, as if he had dealt hardly and unjustly with them. Instead of quarrelling with themselves and their own sins, they quarrelled with God and his judgments; as David was displeased, in a case not much dissimilar, 2Sa 6:8; 2Sa 6:9. I rather think it intimates their awful and reverent adoration of God, as the Lord God, as a holy Lord God, and as a God before whom none is able to stand. This they infer from that tremendous judgment, “Who is able to stand before the God of the ark?” To stand before God to worship him (blessed be his name) is not impossible; we are through Christ invited, encouraged, and enabled to do it, but to stand before God to contend with him we are not able. Who is able to stand before the throne of his immediate glory, and look full upon it? 1 Tim. vi. 16. Who is able to stand before the tribunal of his enflexible justice, and make his part good there? Psa 130:3; Psa 143:2. Who is able to stand before the arm of his provoked power, and either resist or bear the strokes of it? Ps. lxxvi. 7. 4. Their desire, hereupon, to be rid of the ark. They asked, To whom shall he go up from us? v. 20. They should rather have asked, “How may we make our peace with him, and recover his favour?” Mic 6:6; Mic 6:7. But they begin to be as weary of the ark as the Philistines had been, whereas, if they had treated it with due reverence, who knows but it might have taken up its residence among them, and they had all been blessed for the ark’s sake? But thus, when the word of God works with terror on sinners’ consciences, they, instead of taking the blame and shame to themselves, quarrel with the word, and put it from them, Jer. vi. 10. They sent messengers to the elders of Kirjath-jearim, a strong city further up in the country, and begged of them to come and fetch the ark up thither, v. 21. They durst not touch it to bring it thither themselves, but stood aloof from it as a dangerous thing. Thus do foolish men run from one extreme to the other, from presumptuous boldness to slavish shyness. Kirjath-jearim, that is, the city of woods, belonged to Judah, Jos 15:9; Jos 15:60. It lay in the way from Beth-shemesh to Shiloh, so that when they sent to them to fetch it, we may suppose, they intended that the elders of Shiloh should fetch it thence, but God intended otherwise. Thus was it sent from town to town, and no care taken of it by the public, a sign that there was no king in Israel.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Israelite Woes, vs. 19-21
Now there occurs an interesting event. The Philistines had handled the ark for seven months and, while many of them were stricken with the plague, there is no account of any being stricken dead for touching the ark. But here at Beth-shemesh a great number of the men died because they removed the lid of the ark and looked inside it. Why the Israelites, who were the people of the Lord, and not the pagan Philistines? Surely the answer lies in the fact that the laws of God were given for Israelites who had taken God’s law willingly upon them (Exo 19:5-8; Exo 24:3-8). It was not given for the Philistines unless they willingly came into the Hebrew worship. The Israelites knew that they should not profane God’s holy ark (see Num 4:17-20).
Leading Hebrew scholars think that an error got into the ancient manuscripts relative to the great number of men of Beth-shemesh who were stricken for looking into the ark. It does seem there would hardly be so many as 50,070 people living at Beth-shemesh. It is pointed out that the number is written differently from all other places in the scriptures, so that it is probable that some copyist put it down wrongly. Of course no one now knows how many may actually have been killed. The paramount lesson remains; one must respect the holiness of God. He cannot approach him without the Intercessor.
The upset survivors asked a pertinent question for all ages, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?” The only One who could do this was their promised Messiah, the Christ of the New Testament. By atoning for sin on the cross at Calvary He is able to stand before the holy Lord God and to remove His terror from those who look to Him in salvation as their Intercessor.
The people of Beth-shemesh sent to Kirjath-jearim asking the people of that town in Benjamin, near the border with Judah, to come and take the ark to their place.
Lessons from chapter six: 1) The Lord is supreme over all power, there is none beside Him; 2) the world must ultimately confess that the God of Israel is the God of the universe; 3) the Lord made all things, and He can turn their natural tendencies to the unnatural to suit His purposes; 4) God’s people will be chastised, or judged, for disobedience to His commandments.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The Men of Beth-shemesh Smitten. 1Sa. 6:19-21
19 And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, 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.
20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
14.
Why did God smite the people of Beth-shemesh? 1Sa. 6:19
The people of Israel were glad to have the Ark back within their border. They were evidently overly familiar with the sacred chest, and God smote them. The number slain at this instance for irreverently examining this holy shrine is recorded as 50,070. The fact that the 50,000 is separated from the threescore and ten has caused some to wonder about the total number. But the text enjoys very good integrity. The sin they committed was very gross, and God punished them accordingly.
15.
Why was the Ark taken to Kirjath-jearim? 1Sa. 6:21
Kirjath-jearim was not a Levitical city. It was the nearest large town on the road from Beth-shemesh to Shiloh. The people of Beth-shemesh were anxious to get it out of their community and evidently sent to a nearby town for help. The town was in the rugged wooded highland which looked down on the valley of Sorek. The exact site is not known with certainty, but some archaeologists believe it is the present Kuriet Enab to the north of Mount Jearim. Once the Ark was set in this new location, it was off the border line of the Shephelah, and within Israels proper territory. Here in the fields of the woods it rested until the day David brought it up to Jerusalem (2Sa. 6:2-3; 2Sa. 6:12; 1Ch. 15:1-29). cf. Psalms 132.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(19) They had looked into the ark.Some commentators consider that the words here should be rendered, because they had looked at the Ark with a foolish irreverent staring, which dishonoured the holiness of the sacred mercy-seat; but it is better far to preserve the rendering of our English Version, which is also the favourite Rabbinical explanation of the original. It seems probable that the chief men of the city, most of whom were priests and Levites, after the festive rejoicings which accompanied the sacrificial feast celebrating the Arks joyful return, heated with wine, lost all sense of reverence, and determined to use this opportunity of gazing into that sacred chest of which they had heard so much, and into which no profane eye in Israel had ever peered, since the golden Coveron which the glory of the Eternal loved to resthad sealed up the sacred treasures in the wilderness. Perhaps they wished to see those grey Sinai tablets on which the finger of God had traced His ten solemn commandments; perhaps they excused themselves by a desire to learn if the Philistines had violated the secrets of the holy chest.
Even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men.Here it is perfectly clear that the present Hebrew text, which the English Version literally renders, is corrupt. The system of writing letters for numbers, as we have seen, constantly has occasioned great discrepancies in the several versions, &c. Here the arrangement of the letters which express this enormous number is quite unusual, and taken by itself would be sufficient to excite grave doubts as to the accuracy of this text. The number of stricken ones, 50,070, is simply inconceivable. Beth-shemesh was never a large or important place; there were, in fact, no great cities in Israel, the population was always a scattered one, the people living generally on their farms. Dean Payne Smith computes the population of Jerusalem in its best days as under 70,000. The various versions, LXX., Chaldee, &c, vary in their rendering of these astounding figures. Josephus, Antt. vi. 1, 4, in his account of this occurrence speaks of the smitten as numbering seventy. This is probably the correct number. A strange reading, which the LXX. inserts here, deserves to be quoted; it is another proof of the uncertainty of the text at the close of this sixth chapter: And the children of Jechoniah among the Beth-shemites were not pleased with the men of Beth-shemesh because they saw the Ark, and he smote them, &c. Erdmann, in Lange, is inclined to believe the LXX. Version represents the true text, and thus comments on it: The reason of the sudden death of the seventy of the race of Jechoniah is their unsympathising and, therefore, unholy bearing towards the symbols of Gods presence among His people, which showed a mind wholly estranged from the living Goda symptom of the religious moral degeneracy which had spread among the people, though piety was still to be found.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. He smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark Some irregularities may be observed in their hastily using the cart for their wood, and milch kine for a burnt offering; but these may be apologized for on the supposition that the cart and kine could never be put to nobler uses, and might, if preserved, be put to meaner and unworthy usage. But to look into the ark, which implies the removal of the cover and the golden cherubim, (Exo 25:20-21,) and to do this in the open field, and in full view of all the multitudes that came flocking in from the surrounding harvest fields this was the foulest kind of sacrilege, and justly merited the severest judgment of Heaven.
Fifty thousand and threescore and ten men It is possible, indeed, that the remarkable events here described might have called together such an immense host as is here named, but it is extremely improbable, and the message sent to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, (1Sa 6:21,) which was only six or seven miles distant, implies that they had not until then heard of the return of the ark from Philistia. The Septuagint has the same as the Hebrew, but other versions vary. Syriac and Arabic, Five thousand and seventy. Chaldee, Of the elders of the people seventy men, and of the congregation fifty thousand. Vulgate, Of the people (populo) seventy men, (viros,) and fifty thousand of the common people, (plebis.) An old Rabbinical tradition, with which some more modern expositors partially coincide, says that only seventy men were slain, but, being elders or chief men, they were of as much importance as fifty thousand ordinary persons. But such explanation is hardly worth recording. The Hebrew is, literally, he smote among the people seventy men, fifty thousand men, and some explain this as meaning seventy men of fifty thousand; but this leaves the main difficulty of the passage unsolved, namely, how to account for the presence of fifty thousand men. There is, probably, a corruption in the text. Three codices of Kennicott, and Josephus, omit the words fifty thousand men, and it is, perhaps, best to regard them as an interpolation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 6:19. And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh The people of Beth-shemesh could not but know that God had forbidden, on pain of death, not only the common people, but even the Levites, to look into the ark. But their curiosity caused them to forget their duty, and they were accordingly punished for it. This history, as Bochart remarks, has given rise to many stories among the heathens. See his Canaan, lib. 1: cap. 18. Dr. Waterland renders the next clause, he smote of the people fifty thousand, &c.: thus, he smote of the people threescore and ten men out fifty thousand: which, says he, is a juster rendering of the Hebrew, and is well defended by Le Clerc upon the place. Bochart had before led the way towards correcting the common translations; rendering the words thus: seventy men; viz. fifty out of a thousand men, which was a much better rendering than the common translations; and his reasonings upon the text afforded great light to all that came after. Le Clerc’s will suit as well with the letter of the Hebrew, and appears more natural and less perplexed. Houbigant understands the passage in its rigour, and translates thus; but the Lord smote in Beth-shemesh seventy men, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; and of the people [who he supposed had come from the neighbouring countries to see the ark] fifty thousand men; so that the lamentation was great, &c. One of this great critic’s reasons for supposing that more than seventy were slain is, that this is called a great slaughter: but surely it might well cause much lamentation, and might with propriety be called a great slaughter, when so many as seventy of the people perished at once by a stroke from heaven for an offence of this nature; and as the Hebrew will bear the interpretation given by Dr. Waterland and Le Clerc, one would certainly rather wish to understand it in this light, than in that wherein we see it in the common translation. We just observe, that Josephus mentions only seventy Beth-shemites as punished on this occasion. See his Antiq. book 6: cap. 2 and Kennicott’s Dissert. vol. 1: p. 532.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(19) And 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.
In order to have a right apprehension of the sense of this verse, we must consider in the first place, the sin of the Bethshemites in looking into the ark. If the Reader will consult the scriptures of God upon this point, he will see that the ark was made as a token of a meeting place between Jehovah and his people. See Exo 25:8-9 . That Aaron never was permitted to approach within the vail but once in a year, on the great day of atonement, and this not without blood: evidently teaching thereby the sanctity to be observed towards the ark. See Lev 16:2-13 , etc. And we have authority from the apostle Paul to explain all this, in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ; the Holy Ghost (he tells us) thus signifying: See Heb 9:1-13 . From this view of the subject, we immediately learn in what the sin of the men of Bethshemesh consisted; namely, presumptuously drawing nigh to God without an eye by faith to a Mediator. See the awfulness of such an approach, represented in another place. Exo 19:16 to the end. Concerning the numbers stated in this verse, that God smote of the people, fifty thousand and threescore and ten men; if it be read, (and which without violence to the original it might be read), he smote of the fifty thousand of the people, threescore and ten men; then it will follow, that only seventy persons perished for this presumption of looking into the ark, out of the fifty thousand of the men of Bethshemesh. Josephus is of this opinion.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 6:19 And 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.
Ver. 19. Because they had looked. ] Presumptuously prying into the ark, out of an impious curiosity. Arcaua Dei sunt Arca Dei; be wise to sobriety: abuse not sacraments. a The Israelites were charged on pain of death not to look upon the ark bare or uncovered; Num 4:20 the Philistines might, and not die, because not alike obliged. Peter giveth charge against curiosity, as against theft or murder. 1Pe 4:15
“ Tu fuge ceu pestem .” – Funccius.
a Scilicet in superis etiam fortuna luenda est; Nec veniam laeso numine casus habet.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fifty thousand and threescore and ten men = 50,070. This number being out of all proportion to the size of Beth-shemesh, has led to various readings. Some codices omit 50,000. The Syriac and Arabic versions read “five” instead of fifty. Josephus reads “seventy”. The Hebrew text reads “seventy men two fifties and one thousand ” = 70 + 100 + 1; 000 = 1,170. men. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.
slaughter = smiting, making the Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6,
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he smote: Exo 19:21, Lev 10:1-3, Num 4:4, Num 4:5, Num 4:15, Num 4:20, Deu 29:29, 2Sa 6:7, 1Ch 13:9, 1Ch 13:10, Col 2:18, 1Pe 4:17
fifty thousand: As it is very improbable that the village of Beth-shemesh should contain, or be capable of employing, 50,070 men in the fields at wheat harvest, much less that they could all peep into the ark, and from the uncommon manner in which it is expressed in the original, it is generally allowed that there is some corruption in the text, or that some explanatory word is omitted. The Hebrew is shivim ish, chamishim aileph ish, literally, “seventy men, fifty thousand men.” So LXX . Vulgate, septuaginta viros, et quinquaginta millia plebis. “70 (chief) men, and 50,000 common people.” Targum, besabey amma, “of the elders of the people 70 men, ovekahala, and in the congregation 50,000 men.” But the Syriac, chamsho alphin weshivin gavrin, “5,000 and 70 men;” with which the Arabic agrees; while Josephus has only , seventy men; and three reputable manuscripts of Dr. Kennicott’s also omit “50,000 men.” Some learned men, however, would render, by supplying , mem, “70 men; fifty out of a thousand;” which supposes about 1,400 present, and that a twentieth part were slain.
Reciprocal: Exo 30:20 – die not Lev 10:2 – they died Num 1:51 – the stranger Num 1:53 – there be Num 3:10 – and the stranger Num 4:18 – General Num 8:19 – that there Num 17:13 – any thing Num 18:4 – a stranger 2Sa 24:15 – the Lord 1Ch 21:14 – seventy 2Ch 25:21 – Bethshemesh Psa 9:16 – known Luk 19:21 – because Act 5:5 – great
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 6:19. Because they had looked into the ark Which God had forbidden, not only to the common people, but to the sons of Levi also, Num 4:20. But the people, having now an opportunity which they had not had before, were moved with a vehement curiosity to see the contents of the ark, forgetting the divine prohibition and their duty. Perhaps they were desirous to see whether the Philistines had taken out the tables of the covenant; or to have a view of such an ancient, sacred monument, written with Gods own hand. Even he smote of the people In and near Beth-shemesh, and coming from all parts on this occasion. Fifty thousand threescore and ten men This translation is made by an unaccountable transposition of the words; which, in the Hebrew, lie exactly thus. He smote of the people threescore and ten men, fifty thousand men; the most probable sense of which is this: He smote threescore and ten men, fifty out of a thousand men. That is, God was so merciful as not to slay all that were guilty, but only seventy of them, observing this proportion, that out of a thousand offenders he smote only fifty persons, or a twentieth part. And this interpretation is very easy, by only supplying the letter mem before eleph, a thousand, making the sense to be, out of a thousand. And there are many passages of Scripture where this particle is manifestly wanting to make out the true meaning. This translation was long ago proposed by Bochart, and approved by Dr. Waterland, who renders the passage, He smote of the people threescore and ten men out of fifty thousand: which, he says, is a juster rendering of the Hebrew, and is well defended by Le Clerc upon the place. Josephus, it must be observed, mentions only seventy Beth-shemites as smitten on this occasion; Antiq., book 6, cap. 2. And Dr. Kennicott appeals to three Hebrew MSS., in confirmation of this sense of the clause. A great slaughter It was a great slaughter, considering the smallness of this place, probably only a village.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they {k} 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.
(k) For it was not lawful for anyone either to touch or to see it, only to Aaron and his sons Num 4:15; Num 4:20.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
3. The removal of the ark to Kiriath-jearim 6:19-7:1
Not all the people who later assembled to view the returned ark were as careful as those from Bethshemesh, however. The Mosaic Law specified that no one was to look into the ark or that person would die (Num 4:5; Num 4:20; cf. 2Sa 6:6-7). The number of the slain (50,070, 1Sa 6:19) may represent an error a scribe made as he copied the text [Note: See John Davis, Biblical Numerology, pp. 87-89.] , though there is strong textual support for the large number. Several Hebrew manuscripts omit 50,000, and Josephus mentioned only 70 fatalities. [Note: Josephus, 6:1:4.] Perhaps 70 men died, as the NIV and several other modern translations state.
"The basic point at issue in this verse is that God will brook no irregularity in his people’s treatment of the sacred ark (cf. 2Sa 6:6 f.). [Note: Gordon, p. 103.]
"The power of God was not something that Israel somehow tamed and confined in a box, any more than modern man can banish God to the churches, chapels and cathedrals they take care never to frequent." [Note: Payne, p. 35.]
Why did God strike dead some Israelites who touched the ark inappropriately (1Sa 6:19; 1Ch 13:10; cf. Lev 10:2) and not deal with the Philistines in the same way (1Sa 4:17)? God was merciful to the Philistines. He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious, and He will show compassion on whom He will show compassion (Exo 33:19). The reason for His patience with the Philistines was partially to teach the Israelites and the Philistines His omnipotence. Also, the Israelites’ greater knowledge of God’s will placed them under greater responsibility to do His will.
The Israelites came to a fresh appreciation of Yahweh’s holiness because these men died (1Sa 6:20). The last part of this verse indicates that they wished God would depart from them, because they were sinful and He was holy (cf. Isa 6:5). Thus the capture of the ark resulted in the Philistines recognizing that Yahweh was the true source of fertility and blessing. The Israelites’ also rededicated themselves to investigating and following the revealed will of God in the Mosaic Covenant.
Archaeologists believe they have located the remains of Kiriath-jearim about 10 miles east and a little north of Bethshemesh. Why did the Israelites not return the ark to the tabernacle at Shiloh? One possibility is that the Philistines had destroyed Shiloh (cf. Psa 78:60; Jer 7:12; Jer 7:14; Jer 26:6; Jer 26:9). The ark did not reside in an appropriate place of honor until David brought it into his new capital, Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). Kiriath-jearim was not a Levitical city nor is there any reason to believe Abinadab and Eleazar were priests or Levites. Perhaps the Israelites kept the ark there for convenience sake. It evidently remained there for many years (cf. 2Sa 6:2). Wood calculated that it was there about seventy years. [Note: Wood, Israel’s United . . ., p. 23, n. 8, and p. 190. For a study of the complex history of Kiriath-jearim, see Joseph Blenkinsopp, "Kiriath-jearim and the Ark," Journal of Biblical Literature 88 (1969):143-56.] Baale-judah (2Sa 6:2) may be a later name for Kiriath-jearim. [Note: Youngblood, p. 868.]
"The certainty of God’s presence is always a sign of hope, however dark the circumstances may be." [Note: Payne, p. 37.]
This whole major section of 1 Samuel (1Sa 4:1 b to 1Sa 7:1) advances the fertility motif. Dagon, the chief god of Israel’s chief rival, proved incapable of preventing Yahweh’s curse from falling on the Philistines. Yahweh Himself appears as sovereign and all-powerful. Whereas the ark was the symbol of God’s presence, it was not a talisman that would secure victory for its possessor. The Israelites’ attitude reveals that they did not appreciate the importance of obeying the Mosaic Law. Some individuals probably perceived that God’s presence was essential to Israel’s blessing. Perhaps Eli and Phinehas’ wife did. When God’s presence was near again, there was rejoicing. In spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God gave the nation some blessing and returned the ark to His people. He evidently did this so they would be able to rediscover the true nature of worship at a future time, under David’s leadership.
In this second major section of Samuel, as in the others, there are conflicts and reversals of fortune. These include Israel and the Philistines (1Sa 4:1-22), Dagon and the ark (1Sa 5:1 to 1Sa 6:9), and the people who did not rejoice and those who did (1Sa 6:10-16). [Note: Martin, p. 138.]