1 Samuel 6:8
in 1 Samuel 6Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
KJV
And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 6
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe jewels of gold - The word קלי keley, which our translators so often render jewels, signifies vessels, implements, ornaments, etc. A jewel of gold has an odd sound to those who always attach the idea of a precious stone to the term.
This site's exposition
prepare one new cart with two milk cows
on 1 Samuel 6:7-9
The priests' test is “one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked”. Cows fresh from calving would by instinct turn back for their young, so a straight road to Beth-shemesh would show “it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster”. Numbers 4 and 7 had assigned the ark to Kohathite shoulders, and David will later copy this cart before learning that law.
This site's exposition
Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown noted that the law forbade carrying the ark this way, and they held that the Philistines' ignorance excused them. John Gill observed that the Philistines who handled it went unpunished, while Uzzah, an Israelite, was punished for touching it at 2 Samuel 6:6. The gold rode beside it in a chest.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And you will take the Ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, etc. Place the more secret parts of the heavenly mysteries, imbued with the new commandment of Christ, upon it, and also set forth for all together as an example to …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
11. Moreover, it is commanded that the golden vessels, which were rendered to the ark as a guilt offering, be placed at its side. For he calls "golden vessels" what he mentioned above, saying: "You shall make likenesses of your tumors and of your mice." In these vessels, as we had said, the memory of sins and temptations was signified. What does it mean, then, that above he declared them to be likenesses of tumors and mice, but now has called them golden vessels?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the L ORD , and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the L ORD .
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:92%@v15
And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart--This mode of carrying the sacred symbol was forbidden; but the ignorance of the Philistines made the indignity excusable (see on 2Sa 6:6). put the jewels . . . in a coffer by the side thereof--The way of securing treasure in the East is still in a chest, chained to the house wall or some solid part of the furniture.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם | ulekachtem | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם | unetatem | and you will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָ֣עֲגָלָ֔ה | haagalah | the cart | H5699 → | 25 times |
| וְאֵ֣ת׀ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כְּלֵ֣י | kelei | [the] articles of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הַזָּהָ֗ב | hazahav | <the> gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֲשֵׁבֹתֶ֥ם | hashevotem | you have sent back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אָשָׁ֔ם | ʾasham | a guilt offering | H817 → | 46 times |
| תָּשִׂ֥ימוּ | tasimu | you will put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| בָאַרְגַּ֖ז | vaargaz | in the box | H712 → | 3 times |
| מִצִּדּ֑וֹ | mitzido | from side its | H6654 → | 33 times |
| וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם | veshilachtem | and you will send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְהָלָֽךְ׃ | vehalakh | and it will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
וּלְקַחְתֶּ֞םand you will take
ulekachtemH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּנְתַתֶּ֤םand you will put
unetatemH5414 →2011 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָ֣עֲגָלָ֔הthe cart
haagalahH5699 →25 times
וְאֵ֣ת׀and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כְּלֵ֣י[the] articles of
keleiH3627 →325 times
הַזָּהָ֗ב<the> gold
hazahavH2091 →389 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֲשֵׁבֹתֶ֥םyou have sent back
hashevotemH7725 →1056 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
אָשָׁ֔םa guilt offering
ʾashamH817 →46 times
תָּשִׂ֥ימוּyou will put
tasimuH7760 →584 times
בָאַרְגַּ֖זin the box
vaargazH712 →3 times
מִצִּדּ֑וֹfrom side its
mitzidoH6654 →33 times
וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥םand you will send away
veshilachtemH7971 →845 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְהָלָֽךְ׃and it will go
vehalakhH1980 →1546 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
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 on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; 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.