17 And these `are' the golden emerods which the Philistines have sent back -- a guilt-offering to Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
Declare `it' not in Gath, Proclaim not the tidings in the streets of Ashkelon, Lest they rejoice -- The daughters of the Philistines, Lest they exult -- The daughters of the Uncircumcised!
And Judah captureth Gaza and its border, and Askelon and its border, and Ekron and its border;
And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.
And the Philistines have taken the ark of God, and bring it in from Eben-Ezer to Ashdod,
And they send and gather all the princes of the Philistines unto them, and say, `What do we do to the ark of the God of Israel?' and they say, `To Gath let the ark of the God of Israel be brought round;' and they bring round the ark of the God of Israel;
And they send the ark of God to Ekron, and it cometh to pass, at the coming in of the ark of God to Ekron, that the Ekronites cry out, saying, `They have brought round unto us the ark of the God of Israel, to put us to death -- and our people.'
And 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,
and Ahaziah falleth through the lattice in his upper chamber that `is' in Samaria, and is sick, and sendeth messengers, and saith unto them, `Go ye, inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron if I recover from this sickness.'
And he goeth forth, and fighteth with the Philistines, and breaketh down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and buildeth cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
And I have sent a fire against the wall of Gaza, And it hath consumed her palaces; And I have cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And a holder of a sceptre from Ashkelon, And have turned back My hand against Ekron, And perished have the remnant of the Philistines, Said the Lord Jehovah.
Pass ye over `to' Calneh and see, And go thence `to' Hamath the great, And go down `to' Gath of the Philistines, Are `they' better than these kingdoms? Greater `is' their border than your border?
See doth Ashkelon and fear, Also Gaza, and she is exceedingly pained, Also Ekron -- for her expectation dried up, And perished hath a king from Gaza, And Ashkelon doth not remain, And dwelt hath a foreigner in Ashdod, And I have cut off the excellency of the Philistines.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 6
Commentary on 1 Samuel 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
In this chapter we have the return of the ark to the land of Israel, whither we are now gladly to attend it, and observe,
1Sa 6:1-9
The first words of the chapter tell us how long the captivity of the ark continued-it was in the country of the Philistines seven months. In the field of the Philistines (so it is in the original), from which some gather that, having tried it in all their cities, and found it a plague to the inhabitants of each, at length they sent it into the open fields, upon which mice sprang up out of the ground in great multitudes, and destroyed the corn which was now nearly ripe and marred the land. With that judgment they were plagued (v. 5), and yet it is not mentioned in the foregoing chapter; so God let them know that wherever they carried the ark, so long as they carried it captive, they should find it a curse to them. Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed in the field, Deu. 28:16. But, most take it to signify, as we render it, The country of the Philistines. Now,
1Sa 6:10-18
We are here told,
1Sa 6:19-21
Here is,