1 Samuel 6:19

But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.

Majority Standard Bible

In The King James Version

And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

In Context

18The number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

20The men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom should the ark go up from here?”

Read all of 1 Samuel 6

Cross References

Exodus 19:21and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.

Leviticus 10:1Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.

Numbers 4:4This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.

Numbers 4:18“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be cut off from among the Levites.

Deuteronomy 29:29The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

1 Chronicles 13:9When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen had stumbled.

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 6:11-19

The Restoration of the Ark. ( b. c. 1119.) 10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. 12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 Samuel 6:19