1 Samuel 6:6
in 1 Samuel 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?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore 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?
KJV
Wherefore 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?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 6
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWherefore, &c. - They express themselves thus, either because some opposed the sending home the ark, though most had consented to it; or because they thought they would hardly send it away in the manner prescribed, by giving glory to God, and taking shame to themselves.
This site's exposition
Five gold tumors and five gold rats
on 1 Samuel 6:4-6
The priests prescribe “Five gold tumors and five gold rats”, one for each ruler, images of the two plagues. They ask “Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs”. Wesley reads the gold as an offering to gain favor from the God who sent the plague.
This site's exposition
Why harden your hearts
The priests cite the exodus as a warning. Matthew Henry observed that Pharaoh's hardened heart had drawn out Egypt's plagues to ten. John Wesley read the question as aimed at those in Philistia who still opposed sending the ark home.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
8. For the heart hardens, like Egypt and Pharaoh, when one already understands the wounds of his sins through knowledge of sacred Scripture, and yet does not direct his mind toward the true joys of the future life through the improvement of his life or through the bitterness of repentance. Rightly, then, is he compared to the Egyptians in hardness of heart. For Egypt means "darkness." What then is understood by the name of Egypt, if not the multitude of angels who fell from the heavenly seats?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It seems they were well acquainted with the Mosaic history, and could cite precedents out of it. This good use we should make of the remaining records of God's judgments upon obstinate sinners, we should by them be warned not to harden our hearts as they did. It is much cheaper to learn by other people's experience than by our own.
Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?....
The church is built upon a rock. They offered the sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, some think upon the great stone, more probably upon an altar of earth made for the purpose,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?--The memory of the appalling judgments that had been inflicted on Egypt was not yet obliterated.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts - They had heard how God punished the Egyptians, and they are afraid of similar plagues. It appears that they had kept the ark long enough. Did they not let the people go - And has he not wrought wonderfully among us? And should we not send back his ark?
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָ֤מָּה | velamah | and <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תְכַבְּדוּ֙ | tekhabedu | will you harden | H3513 → | 113 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבַבְכֶ֔ם | levavkhem | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כִּבְּד֛וּ | kibedu | they hardened | H3513 → | 113 times |
| מִצְרַ֥יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| וּפַרְעֹ֖ה | ufaroh | and Pharaoh | H6547 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבָּ֑ם | libam | heart their | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הֲלוֹא֙ | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל | hitalel | he dealt wantonly | H5953 → | |
| בָּהֶ֔ם | bahem | with <the> them | ||
| וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם | vayshalechum | and they sent away them | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃ | vaiyelekhu | and they went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
וְלָ֤מָּהand <to> why?
velamahH4100 →752 times
תְכַבְּדוּ֙will you harden
tekhabeduH3513 →113 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבַבְכֶ֔םheart your
levavkhemH3824 →252 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֧רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
כִּבְּד֛וּthey hardened
kibeduH3513 →113 times
מִצְרַ֥יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
וּפַרְעֹ֖הand Pharaoh
ufarohH6547 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבָּ֑םheart their
libamH3820 →595 times
הֲלוֹא֙¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רjust when
kaasherH834 →5497 times
הִתְעַלֵּ֣לhe dealt wantonly
hitalelH5953 →
בָּהֶ֔םwith <the> them
bahem
וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּםand they sent away them
vayshalechumH7971 →845 times
וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃and they went
vaiyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 95:8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,
it leads to
- Exodus 17:7
He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
- Hebrews 3:8–9
do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,
- Numbers 20:13
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
- Numbers 14:11
And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
- Numbers 14:22
not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—
- Exodus 17:7
Through
Exodus 7:13Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
it leads to
- Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 4:21
Through
Exodus 8:15When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 8:11
When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11
Through
Exodus 14:17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
it leads to
- Exodus 14:8
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
- Exodus 14:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.