1st Samuel Chapter 6 verse 2 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) What shall we do to the ark of the Lord?--During the seven months which followed the great Philistine victory of Aphek, the Ark remained in the country of the enemies of Israel. It was removed from temple to temple in the various cities, but the same doom always followed it. The inhabitants of the city where was the Ark were smitten with deadly abscesses, in addition to which, from the statement in 1Samuel 6:5, a plague of field-mice during the same period probably desolated the land. In their distress the Philistine rulers, determining to get rid of the fatal trophy of which they were once so proud, consulted their priests and diviners as to the most graceful and effective way of returning the captured Hebrew emblem. The "diviners" in the counsels of all the nations of antiquity occupy a distinguished place. We hear of them under different designations, as magicians, sorcerers, soothsayers, augurs, oracles, &c. They plied their strange trade, now with the aid of arrows, now with the entrails of slain animals, now with observation of the stars, now with the watching of natural signs, the flight of birds, &c. These men, who in one form or other dabbled in occult science, and perhaps here and there were aided by evil and unclean spirits, but who more frequently traded on the credulity and superstition of their fellows, occupied a considerable position among the nations of antiquity. We hear of them frequently among the Israelites, who seem to have adopted this class of advisers from the heathen nations around them. Isaiah (Isaiah 3:2) specially mentions them, and reckons these diviners among the leading orders of the State. The English Version, however, with singular inconsistency, renders the word in that same passage by "prudent;" possibly, it has been ingeniously suggested, owing to the translators being displeased at finding the professors of a forbidden art ranked so highly among the chosen people.In the first verse the LXX. add, "and the land swarmed with mice," another of the many explanatory additions so common in the Greek translation of the Hebrew.Parallel Commentaries ...Hebrewthe Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (p̄ə·liš·tîm)Noun - proper - masculine pluralStrong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistiasummonedוַיִּקְרְא֣וּ (way·yiq·rə·’ū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralStrong's 7121: To call, proclaim, readthe priestsלַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים (lak·kō·hă·nîm)Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine pluralStrong's 3548: Priestand diviners,וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙ (wə·laq·qō·sə·mîm)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralStrong's 7080: To distribute, determine by lot, magical scroll, to divinesaying,לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructStrong's 559: To utter, say“Whatמַֽה־ (mah-)InterrogativeStrong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely whatshall we doנַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה (na·‘ă·śeh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common pluralStrong's 6213: To do, makewith the arkלַאֲר֣וֹן (la·’ă·rō·wn)Preposition-l | Noun - common singular constructStrong's 727: A chest, arkof the LORD?יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of IsraelTellהוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ (hō·w·ḏi·‘u·nū)Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common pluralStrong's 3045: To knowus howבַּמֶּ֖ה (bam·meh)Preposition-b | InterrogativeStrong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely whatto send it backנְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ (nə·šal·lə·ḥen·nū)Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singularStrong's 7971: To send away, for, outto its place.”לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (lim·qō·w·mōw)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularStrong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a conditionJump to PreviousArk Arts Declare Diviners Philistines Priests Secret Show Wherewith Wise