1 Samuel 6:3
in 1 Samuel 6They 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 6
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Send it not empty - See the marginal references. The pagan idea of appeasing the gods with gifts, and the scriptural idea of expressing penitence, allegiance, or love to God, by gifts and offerings to His glory and to the comfort of our fellow worshippers, coincide in the practical result.
This site's exposition
in the land of the Philistines seven months
on 1 Samuel 6:1-3
The ark spends seven months among the Philistines before they summon “the priests and diviners” to ask what to do with it. Their answer echoes Israel's own law: send it back with “a guilt offering”, and they will learn “why His hand has not been lifted from you”. The priests never name the Lord, yet they fear him.
This site's exposition
If you return the ark of the God of Israel
The priests call for a guilt offering, an offering that pays for a trespass against the God of Israel. Adam Clarke read the promise this way: if the plague lifts once the offering is sent, the Philistines will know why it stayed so long. The cure would prove the cause.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
But they said: If you send back, they said, the ark of the God of Israel to its place, etc. And we, seeing the vengeance of the impious, and washing our hands in the blood of sinners, if we decide to send back the ark …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
3. What is an empty ark, but divine knowledge without good works? For to send back an empty ark is to bear no fruit of good works from the knowledge of spiritual mysteries. The ark is therefore sent back empty when the mind of one coming to the faith already desires to pass over to the eternal contemplation of God, and yet takes no care to labor at good works in this life.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
But those who by wilful sin have imprisoned the truth in unrighteousness, as the Philistines did the ark ( Rom. i. 18 ), may conclude that there is no making their peace with him whom they have thus injured but by a sin-offering; and we know but one that can take away sin.
It shall be known - You shall understand, what is hitherto doubtful, whether he was the author of these calamities, and why they continued so long upon you.
And they said, if ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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
Send it not empty - As it appears ye have trespassed against him, send him an offering for this trespass. Why his hand is not removed - The sense is, If you send him a trespass-offering, and ye be cured, then ye shall know why his judgments have not been taken away from you previously to this offering. It is a common opinion, says Calmet, among all people, that although the Supreme Being needs nothing of his creatures, yet he requires that they should consecrate to him all that they have; for the same argument that proves his independence, infinitude, and self-sufficiency, proves our dependence, and the obligation we are under to acknowledge him by offering him due marks of our gratitude and submission. Such sentiments were common among all people; and God himself commands his people not to appear before him without an offering, Exo 23:15: None shall appear before me empty.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִֽם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים | meshalechim | [you are] about to send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֨וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֤י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּ | teshalechu | you send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֵיקָ֔ם | reikam | empty | H7387 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָשֵׁ֥ב | hashev | certainly <to send back> | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ | tashivu | you will send back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אָשָׁ֑ם | ʾasham | a guilt offering | H817 → | 46 times |
| אָ֤ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | |
| תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ | terafeu | you will be healed | H7495 → | |
| וְנוֹדַ֣ע | venoda' | and it will be known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | by <the> you | ||
| לָ֛מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תָס֥וּר | tasur | does it turn aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| יָד֖וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מִכֶּֽם׃ | mikem | from <the> you |
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אִֽם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים[you are] about to send away
meshalechimH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֨וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
אֱלֹהֵ֤י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּyou send away
teshalechuH7971 →845 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
רֵיקָ֔םempty
reikamH7387 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָשֵׁ֥בcertainly <to send back>
hashevH7725 →1056 times
תָּשִׁ֛יבוּyou will send back
tashivuH7725 →1056 times
ל֖וֹto <the> him
lo
אָשָׁ֑םa guilt offering
ʾashamH817 →46 times
אָ֤זthen
ʾazH227 →
תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙you will be healed
terafeuH7495 →
וְנוֹדַ֣עand it will be known
venoda'H3045 →945 times
לָכֶ֔םby <the> you
lakhem
לָ֛מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תָס֥וּרdoes it turn aside
tasurH5493 →299 times
יָד֖וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
מִכֶּֽם׃from <the> you
mikem
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
Deuteronomy 16:16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 96:8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.
- Haggai 1:9
You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you…
- Exodus 23:14–17
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Through
Exodus 34:20You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 13:13
You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Through
Job 10:2I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me.
it leads to
- Psalms 139:23–24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
- Psalms 139:23–24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.