1 Samuel 6:3

And they said—If ye are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away, empty, but ye must, surely return, to him, a guilt-offering,—then, shall ye be healed, and it shall be known to you, wherefore his hand would not turn away from you.

The Emphasised Bible by J. B. Rotherham

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

2Then called the Philistines for the priests and for the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Let us know, wherewith we shall send it to its own place.

4And they said—What shall be the guilt-offering, that we shall return to him? And they said—By the number of the lords of the Philistines, five tumours of gold, and five mice of gold,—for, one plague, was on you all, and on your lords.

Read all of 1 Samuel 6

Cross References

Exodus 23:15The festival of unleavened cakes, shalt thou keep,—seven days, shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, as I commanded thee at the appointed time of the month Abib; for, therein, camest thou forth out of Egypt,—and they shall not see my face, empty-handed.

Leviticus 5:6and shall bring in as his guilt-bearer unto Yahweh for his sin which he hath committed, a female from the flock—a lamb or a kid of the goats—as a sin-bearer,—so shall the priest put propitiatory-covering over him, because of his sin.

Leviticus 5:16that, moreover, which he took away from the sanctuary, shall he make good and the fifth part thereof, shall he add thereunto, and shall give it to the priest,—and, the priest, shall put a propitiatory-covering over him with the guilt-bearing ram and it shall be forgiven him.

Leviticus 7:1And this, is the law of the guilt-bearer,—most holy, it is!

1 Samuel 5:7And, when the men of Ashdod saw that, so, it was, then kept they saying, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for, hard, is his hand upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

1 Samuel 5:11So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said—Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and restore it to its own place, that it slay not me, and my people. For there had come a deadly consternation, throughout all the city, heavy exceedingly, was the hand of God 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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