I Samuel 6:1-12 · Bible study
1 Samuel 6:1-12 Commentary: The Philistines Return the Ark
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the Philistines wait seven months? The test with the cows reveals God's sovereignty in returning the ark.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Philistines return the ark with a guilt offering, and God confirms His hand through the miraculous guidance of the cows to Beth Shemesh.
- Key words: empty (H7387 reiqam), guilt offering (H0817 asham), perhaps (H0194 ulai), chance (H4745 miqreh), right/left (H3225/H8040).
- Main debate: Was the Philistine test a legitimate request for a sign from God or a pagan attempt to manipulate divine power? Most agree it shows God accommodating human weakness.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over nature and pagan nations; the necessity of reverence for holy things; God reveals Himself even to outsiders who seek honestly.
- Best use: Teaching on discernment, the danger of holding onto what grieves God, and how God can make His will unmistakable.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1When the ark of the LORD had been in the land of the Philistines seven months,
2the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place.”
3They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.”
4“What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
5Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.
6Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people on their way as they departed?
7Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.
8Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way,
9but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”
10So the men did as instructed. They took two milk cows, hitched them to the cart, and penned up their calves.
11Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the chest containing the gold rats and the images of the tumors.
12And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with Yahweh’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.”
3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”
4Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.
6Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?
7“Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk cows on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
8and take Yahweh’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
9Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”
10The men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.
12The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
KJV King James Version 1769
1And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth–shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.
10And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? show us wherewith we shall send it to its place.
3And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but by all means return him a trespass-offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4Then said they, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5Wherefore ye shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke; and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
8and take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9And see; if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.
10And the men did so, and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home;
11and they put the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
12And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And the ark of Jehovah is in the field of the Philistines seven months,
2and the Philistines call for priests and for diviners, saying, `What do we do to the ark of Jehovah? let us know wherewith we send it to its place?'
3And they say, `If ye are sending away the ark of the God of Israel, ye do not send it away empty; for ye do certainly send back to Him a guilt-offering; then ye are healed, and it hath been known to you why His hand doth not turn aside from you.'
4And they say, `What is the guilt-offering which we send back to Him?' and they say, `The number of the princes of the Philistines--five golden emerods, and five golden mice--for one plague is to you all, and to your princes,
5and ye have made images of your emerods, and images of your mice that are corrupting the land, and have given honour to the God of Israel; it may be He doth lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land;
6and why do ye harden your heart as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart? do they not--when He hath rolled Himself upon them--send them away, and they go?
7`And now, take and make one new cart, and two suckling kine, on which a yoke hath not gone up, and ye have bound the kine in the cart, and caused their young ones to turn back from after them to the house,
8and ye have taken the ark of Jehovah, and put it on the cart, and the vessels of gold which ye have returned to Him--a guilt-offering--ye put in a coffer on its side, and have sent it away, and it hath gone;
9and ye have seen, if the way of its own border it goeth up to Beth-Shemesh--He hath done to us this great evil; and if not, then we have known that His hand hath not come against us; an accident it hath been to us.'
10And the men do so, and take two suckling kine, and bind them in the cart, and their young ones they have shut up in the house;
11and they place the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer, and the golden mice, and the images of their emerods.
12And the kine go straight in the way, on the way to Beth-Shemesh, in one highway they have gone, going and lowing, and have not turned aside right or left; and the princes of the Philistines are going after them unto the border of Beth-Shemesh.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place.
3And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; ye must at any rate return him a trespass-offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4Then they said, What is the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden hemorrhoids, and five golden mice, the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague is upon them all, and upon your lords.
5And ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids, and images of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off yourgods, and from off your land.
6And why will ye harden your heart, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart? When he had wrought mightily among them, did they not let them go, and they departed?
7And now make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there has come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
8and take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart, and the golden jewels, which ye return him as a trespass-offering, put in the coffer by the side thereof; and send it away that it may go.
9And see, if it go up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, it is he who has done us this great evil; if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that touched us; it was a chance [that] happened to us.
10And the men did so, and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11And they laid the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the golden mice and the images of their sores.
12And the kine went straight forward on the way to Beth-shemesh; they went by the one high way, lowing as they went; and they turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1Now the ark of God was in the land of the Philistines seven months.
2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? tell us how we are to send it back to its place. And they said:
3If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, send it not away empty, but render unto him what you owe for sin, and then you shall be healed: and you shall know why his hand departeth not from you.
4They answered: What is it we ought to render unto him for sin? and they answered:
5According to the number of the provinces of the Philistines you shall make five golden emerods, and five golden mice: for the same plague hath been upon you all, and upon your lords. And you shall make the likeness of your emerods, and the likeness of the mice, that have destroyed the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: to see if he will take off his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.
6Why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? did not he, after he was struck, then let them go, and they departed?
7Now, therefore, take and make a new cart: and two kine that have calved, on which there hath come no yoke, tie to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
8And you shall take the ark of the Lord, and lay it on the cart, and the vessels of gold, which you have paid him for sin, you shall put into a little box at the side thereof: and send it away, that it may go.
9And you shall look: and if it go up by the way of his own coasts, towards Bethsames, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, we shall know that it is not his hand hath touched us, but it hath happened by chance.
10They did therefore in this manner: and taking two kine, that had sucking calves, they yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11And they laid the ark of God upon the cart, and the little box that had in it the golden mice, and the likeness of the emerods.
12And the kine took the straight way, that leadeth to Bethsames, and they went along the way, lowing as they went: and turned not aside neither to the right hand nor to the left: and the lords of the Philistines followed them as far as the borders of Bethsames.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 6:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the Philistines' seven-month delay shows deep reluctance to part with the ark. Matthew Henry notes they kept it as a trophy of victory. Their priests and diviners (Barnes distinguishes these from Israelite priests) advised a test: a guilt offering with gold images of tumors and mice, and a cart with unyoked milk cows. If the cows went straight to Beth Shemesh, the plagues were from God. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the cows' lowing for their calves made their straight path a decisive sign of divine intervention. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown state that this confirmed to the Philistines that they had been afflicted by the God of Israel. The consensus is that the experiment served both to validate the source of the plagues and to honor God through the offering and the ark's return.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Pagan superstition: The Philistines used divination and votive offerings typical of ancient religion.
- God accommodates: God meets the Philistines within their own framework to demonstrate His power.
- A legitimate test: Some argue that testing God is wrong, but here the Philistines were not believers; God used their method to reveal truth.
What is clear: God acted decisively to return the ark and show His power over the Philistines' gods and nature.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The seven-month delay | The Philistines were reluctant to release the ark. | Some see this as simple stubbornness; others as a political debate among the five lords about what to do with such a dangerous trophy. |
| The role of divination | The Philistines used pagan methods to seek guidance. | Catholics and traditional Protestants generally condemn such practices, while some note that God worked through them nonetheless. |
| The test with the cows | The cows' straight path was a sign from God. | Was the test a legitimate way to discern God's will, or was it a pagan superstitious practice? Many theologians caution against setting conditions for God. |
| The guilt offering | It was an attempt to appease God. | Catholics interpret this as a foreshadowing of sacramental penance; Protestants see it as a flawed human attempt at propitiation. Both agree it acknowledges sin. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Philistines were a confederation of five city-states on the southwestern coast of Canaan, often at war with Israel. Their religion included the god Dagon (1 Sam 5:1, 3) and other deities. The term 'diviners' (H7080 qasam) refers to practitioners of occult arts, forbidden in Israel (Deut 18:10). The Philistines frequently consulted them, as noted in Isaiah 2:6.
The ark had caused plagues of tumors and mice, ravaging the land (1 Sam 5:6, 6:5). The seven months likely involved deliberation among the lords, some wanting to keep the ark despite the suffering. The gold offerings were common in ancient votive practice: making images of the afflicted body part or of the plague, as Barnes notes. The new cart and unyoked cows reflected a sense of reverence for the sacred object, a pagan attempt to treat it honorably.
Beth Shemesh was a Levitical city on the border of Judah, making it a fitting destination. The lords followed to witness the outcome, to prevent fraud and to be certain that the God of Israel was behind this. The entire procedure shows how God used even pagan customs to demonstrate His sovereignty.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Septuagint adds 'And their land swarmed with mice' at the end of verse 1, probably an explanatory gloss. The Hebrew text of 1 Samuel 5:6 does not mention mice, but 6:5 does. No other significant textual variants affect the interpretation of this passage.
Reception History
This passage has been interpreted as a demonstration of God's sovereignty over pagan nations. Early church fathers saw the cows' lowing as a type of the Church yearning for Christ while journeying away from the world. Medieval commentators often allegorized the new cart and the unyoked cows as the new covenant and the Gentile church. The passage has also been used in homilies on discernment and the need to give glory to God when His hand is recognized.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Stubbornness of Sin: The Philistines held the ark for seven months despite repeated plagues. Their reluctance mirrors our own tendency to cling to what harms us rather than submit to God.
- The Test of God's Hand: The diviners' test with the cows was a pagan way to confirm divine action. Yet God met them there. This shows that God can make His will clear even to those who do not know Him.
- The Glory of God's Power: The cows, lowing for their calves, walked straight to Beth Shemesh. Natural instincts were overruled. God's power is not limited by our circumstances or expectations.
Five-point outline
- Delayed Obedience: The seven months of hesitation (v.1).
- Seeking Wrong Counsel: Consulting diviners instead of turning to God (v.2).
- Acknowledgment with Offerings: The guilt offering of gold tumors and mice (vv.4, 5).
- A Test of Faith: The new cart and unyoked cows as a means of discernment (vv.7, 9).
- Final Proof: The cows' straight path confirms God's hand (v.12).
Illustration hooks
- When your car's warning light stays on but you keep driving instead of pulling over.
- A tenant who refuses to move out even after repeated eviction notices.
- Someone who prays for guidance but sets up conditions to test whether God answers.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know whether my suffering is a consequence of sin or just life's circumstances?
- Is it okay to ask God for a sign when making a decision?
- How do I let go of something I know is damaging but still want?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a pagan people trying to make sense of the God of Israel. Their process was imperfect, but God used it to reveal His power. As you discuss, think about how God makes Himself known even in our flawed attempts to find Him.
Discussion questions
- What reasons might the Philistines have had for keeping the ark seven months despite the plagues? (v.1)
- Why do you think they consulted priests and diviners rather than turning to the God of Israel? (v.2)
- What was the significance of the guilt offering, especially the gold tumors and mice? (vv.4, 5)
- How does the reference to Pharaoh and Egypt (v.6) shape the way we understand Israel's history being known among the nations?
- Why did the diviners suggest using a new cart and unyoked cows? What were they looking for? (vv.7, 8)
- What does the cows' behavior (v.12) tell us about God's control over nature? How does that challenge or strengthen your faith?
- Where in your life might you be holding on too long to something that God is telling you to release?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 5:1 | Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. |
| I Samuel 5:3 | When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again. |
| I Samuel 5:10 | So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.” |
| I Samuel 5:11 | They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. |
| Psalms 78:61 | and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand. |
| Genesis 41:8 | In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. |
| Exodus 7:11 | Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments. |
| Isaiah 2:6 | For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Philistines deliberately chose milking cows for the test: their lowing for their calves made their natural instinct to turn back obvious, so their heading toward Israel instead showed a clear divine impulse overriding nature. The five Philistine lords personally escorting the ark also prevented any possibility of Israelite trickery.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights that the Philistines offered golden images of their plagues—mice and boils—not as mere amulets, but as a deliberate acknowledgment that Israel's God inflicted the suffering. This act, compared to the brazen serpent, served as a test: if the cows defied instinct and went straight to Israel, they would know their calamity was no chance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Philistine priests and diviners devised a test: if the cows drawing the Ark went straight toward Israelite territory, the plagues were from Israel's God; if not, their suffering was just chance. They also insisted on a guilt offering of golden tumors and mice, to give glory to God and secure healing.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights how the Philistine priests designed a specific test: if the milk cows, separated from their calves, went straight to Bethshemesh, it would prove the plagues came from Israel's God, not mere chance. Their straight journey, lowing but never turning aside, was a clear miracle confirming divine judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the Philistine priests' clever test: if untrained cows, separated from their calves, pull the ark straight to Israelite territory instead of back home, the plagues are from Israel's God. The cows' natural instinct to return to their young would make any contrary path unmistakably supernatural.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that the Philistine priests designed a test using milch cows whose calves were penned up, expecting them to turn back. The cows headed directly for Bethshemesh instead, proving the plagues came from Yahweh, not chance. The golden images were a trespass offering, compensation for wrongfully taking the ark.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights the Philistine priests’ surprising theological insight: they recognize
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes the Philistines kept the Ark for seven months because they were reluctant to lose such a prize. Their offerings of golden emerods and mice were not contempt but a public admission of shame, meant to appease God. The test with the untamed cows would prove whether God was truly behind their calamities.