1 Samuel 6:3

And they say, “If you are sending the Ark of the God of Israel away, you do not send it away empty; for you certainly send back a guilt-offering to Him; then you are healed, and it has been known to you why His hand does not turn aside from you.”

Literal Standard Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

2and the Philistines call for priests and for diviners, saying, “What do we do to the Ark of YHWH? Let us know with what we send it to its place.”

4And they say, “What [is] the guilt-offering which we send back to Him?” And they say, “The number of the princes of the Philistines—five golden lumps, and five golden muroids—for one plague [is] to you all, and to your princes,

Read all of 1 Samuel 6

Cross References

Exodus 23:15you keep the Celebration of Unleavened Things (you eat unleavened things [for] seven days as I have commanded you, at the time appointed [in] the month of Abib; for in it you have come forth out of Egypt, and you do not appear [in] My presence empty);

Leviticus 5:6and has brought in his guilt-offering to YHWH for his sin which he has sinned, a female out of the flock, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering, and the priest has made atonement for him because of his sin.

Leviticus 5:16And that which he has sinned against the holy thing he repays, and is adding to it its fifth, and has given it to the priest, and the priest makes atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering, and it has been forgiven him.

Leviticus 7:1“And this [is] a law of the guilt-offering: it [is] most holy;

1 Samuel 5:7And the men of Ashdod see that [it is] so, and have said, “The Ark of the God of Israel does not abide with us, for His hand has been hard on us, and on our god Dagon.”

1 Samuel 5:11And they send and gather all the princes of the Philistines, and say, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, and it turns back to its place, and it does not put us and our people to death”; for there has been a deadly destruction throughout all the city, the hand of God has been very heavy there,

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 6:2-10

The Ark Among the Philistines. ( b. c. 1120.) 1 And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord ? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. 3 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. 4 Then said… Read the whole commentary →

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Study 1 Samuel 6:3