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1 Samuel 6:4

in 1 Samuel 6

“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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then 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.

KJV

Then 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.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 6

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Five golden emerods, and five golden mice - One for each satrapy. The emerods had afflicted their bodies; the mice had marred their land. Both, they considered, as sent by God; and, making an image of each, and sending them as a trespass-offering, they acknowledged this. See at the end.

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 in a votive practice common among ancient nations. They ask “Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs”, a question that shows the exodus story had reached Philistine ears. Wesley reads the gold as an offering meant to gain favor from the God who sent the plague.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Cassiodorus

EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 77.66 · Written before 585.

proposed

We read in the first book of Kings [Samuel] that because of the damage done to the consecrated ark the foreigners were smitten on their hinder parts, so that they even suffered the dreadful fate of being gnawed alive by mice. This remains a perennial …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

According to the number of the provinces of the Philistines, etc. According to the number of the five senses of the body, which you contaminated by looking back, whose fruits you all lost by poorly handling faith, now in all that you do by seeing, …

A commentator

Gregory the Dialogist

Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.

proposed

5. What does it mean that five likenesses of tumors, and as many likenesses of mice, according to the number of the provinces, are commanded to be made, and thus the debt to the ark is paid? These things indeed, if weighed in the Jewish manner according to the lowliness of the letter, are not only to be despised, but not even worthy of hearing. He indeed receives these things worthily who understands that the more lowly they sound by the letter, the more useful they are through their spiritual meaning.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Emerods - Figures representing the disease. These they offered not in contempt of God, for they fought to gain his favour hereby; but in testimony of their humiliation, that by leaving this monument of their own shame and misery, they might obtain pity from God.
Then said they, what shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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 Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Five golden emerods--Votive or thank offerings were commonly made by the heathen in prayer for, or gratitude after, deliverance from lingering or dangerous disorders, in the form of metallic (generally silver) models or images of the diseased parts of the body.
It was a prevalent custom in pagan antiquity to make offerings to the gods expressive of the particular mercy received. Thus, those saved from shipwreck offered pictures of the shipwreck, etc., and the custom still exists among Christians in certain countries. The plague of the mice is analogous to that of the frogs in Egypt. The destructive power of field-mice was very great.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said

    vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times

  • מָ֣הwhat?

    mahH4100 →752 times

  • הָאָשָׁם֮[is] the guilt offering

    haashamH817 →46 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • נָשִׁ֣יבwe will send back

    nashivH7725 →1056 times

  • לוֹ֒to <the> him

    lo

  • וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said

    vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times

  • מִסְפַּר֙[the] number of

    misparH4557 →134 times

  • סַרְנֵ֣י[the] rulers of

    sarneiH5633 →22 times

  • פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines

    felishtimH6430 →287 times

  • חֲמִשָּׁה֙five

    chamishahH2568 →343 times

  • טְחֹרֵ֣יtumors of

    techoriH2914 →8 times

  • זָהָ֔בgold

    zahavH2091 →389 times

  • וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖הand five

    vachamishahH2568 →343 times

  • עַכְבְּרֵ֣יmice of

    ʾakhbereiH5909 →6 times

  • זָהָ֑בgold

    zahavH2091 →389 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • מַגֵּפָ֥הa plague

    magefahH4046 →

  • אַחַ֛תone

    ʾachatH259 →971 times

  • לְכֻלָּ֖ם[belongs] to all of them

    lekhulamH3605 →5413 times

  • וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם׃and to rulers your

    ulesarneikhemH5633 →22 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

13 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joshua 13:3All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;5 worksJudges 3:3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.5 works1 Samuel 6:17–18As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.5 works1 Samuel 5:9But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.4 works1 Samuel 5:6Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.4 worksPsalms 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.3 works
The other 7 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 6:16And when the five rulers of the Philistines saw this, they returned to Ekron that same day.3 worksExodus 12:35Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.2 works1 Samuel 6:5Make 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.2 works1 Samuel 5:12Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.2 works1 Samuel 29:2As the Philistine leaders marched out their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish.2 worksPsalms 78:66He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.2 worksExodus 11:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will drive you out completely.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Samuel 5:9

    But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with…

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 5:6

      Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

    • Deuteronomy 2:15

      Indeed, the LORD’s hand was against them, to eliminate them from the camp, until they had all perished.

    • 1 Samuel 7:13

      So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 5:6

    Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 5:11

      Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us…

    • Psalms 32:4

      For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah

    • Exodus 9:3

      then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.

    • Deuteronomy 28:27

      The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.

    • Acts 13:11

      Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him,…

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Samuel

The Ark Is Returned to Beth-shemesh — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Ark Is Returned to Beth-shemesh — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
1 Samuel: the study guide →Read 1 Samuel 6 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

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; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 77.66; 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.

Read on in 1 Samuel 6 →