1 Samuel 6:20 kjv
And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
1 Samuel 6:20 nkjv
And the men of Beth Shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall it go up from us?"
1 Samuel 6:20 niv
And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?"
1 Samuel 6:20 esv
Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?"
1 Samuel 6:20 nlt
"Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?" they cried out. "Where can we send the Ark from here?"
1 Samuel 6 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 10:1-3 | Now Nadab and Abihu... offered unauthorized fire... and fire came out from the LORD and consumed them... "Among those who are near me I will be sanctified..." | God's immediate judgment for irreverence near His holiness. |
| Num 4:15 | ...when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings... afterward the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them... but they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. | Explicit prohibition against touching holy things; penalty is death. |
| Num 4:18-20 | "Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites... lest they die when they approach the most holy things." | Emphasizes strict rules for approaching sacred objects and God's presence. |
| 2 Sam 6:6-7 | ...Uzzah put out his hand to the ark... the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down... because he put out his hand to the ark... | Another instance of immediate divine judgment for improper contact with the Ark. |
| Ex 19:21-22 | And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD and many of them perish... even the priests who come near to the LORD must consecrate themselves..." | God warns against unauthorized approach to His presence at Sinai, with death as consequence. |
| Ps 24:3-4 | Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart... | Answers the question "Who can stand?" by specifying moral purity as a requirement. |
| Isa 6:5 | And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" | Isaiah's recognition of sinfulness and despair upon seeing God's holiness. |
| Mal 3:2 | "But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire..." | Echoes the "who can stand" question in the context of divine judgment. |
| Heb 12:29 | for our God is a consuming fire. | Describes God's holy nature as dangerous to the unholy. |
| Lev 11:44 | For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy... | Command for God's people to reflect His holiness. |
| Ex 15:11 | "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" | Describes God's inherent majesty and holiness. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." | New Testament reiteration of the call to holiness for God's people. |
| Jer 10:10 | ...the LORD is the true God; he is the living God... at his wrath the earth trembles; no nations can endure his indignation. | God's unendurable wrath and supreme power. |
| Rev 6:15-17 | Then the kings of the earth... hid themselves in the caves... crying to the mountains... "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne... for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" | People hide in terror from God's wrath, echoing the "who can stand" question. |
| Rom 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... | Establishes human inability to stand before a holy God due to sin. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | In Christ, believers can now boldly approach God's presence, contrasting the Old Covenant fear. |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... | Christ's sacrifice allows a new, confident approach to God's holiness. |
| Ps 119:120 | My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. | Proper, reverential fear in response to God's righteous judgments. |
| Josh 24:19 | But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God... He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins." | Joshua's warning about the demands of serving a holy God and human inability. |
| Num 1:51 | ...and the unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death. | General principle of death for unauthorized access to holy things. |
| Ex 3:5 | Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." | An example of necessary reverence in God's presence. |
| Ps 76:7 | You, even you, are to be feared; and who may stand in your presence when once you are angry? | Similar rhetorical question about standing before an angry God. |
| Amos 3:6 | ...Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? | Connects divine action/judgment with a natural response of fear. |
| Isa 59:2 | but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. | Sin separates from God, explaining the impossibility of standing. |
1 Samuel 6 verses
1 Samuel 6 20 Meaning
The verse captures the overwhelming terror and awe felt by the men of Beth-shemesh after the Lord struck many of them dead for irreverently looking into the Ark of the Covenant. Their question, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?" expresses a profound realization of God's unapproachable holiness and overwhelming power, leading to an acute sense of their own sinfulness and vulnerability. Their subsequent plea, "and to whom shall he go up from us?", reflects their desire for the Ark—and thus God's active, judgmental presence—to depart from their city, indicating a desire for relief from divine judgment rather than genuine repentance or a proper reverence for His holiness.
1 Samuel 6 20 Context
This verse is located at a pivotal point in the narrative of the Ark of the Covenant's return from Philistine captivity. In 1 Samuel 5, the Ark caused great suffering and judgment in Philistine cities, demonstrating the LORD's supremacy over Dagon and His power even among foreign peoples. The Philistines, recognizing divine judgment, decided to return the Ark to Israel, accompanied by a guilt offering (1 Sam 6:1-12). The Ark arrived in Beth-shemesh, a Levitical city, where the people initially rejoiced (1 Sam 6:13-16). However, out of a misguided curiosity and lack of reverence, some Beth-shemeshites looked directly into the Ark (a forbidden act under the Law of Moses, specifically Numbers 4:15, 20), resulting in the immediate judgment of the LORD, who struck down many of them (1 Sam 6:19). Verse 20 captures the horrified reaction of the survivors, who, now fully aware of the fearful holiness of God's presence, desire its removal from their midst. Historically, Beth-shemesh was a Levitical city, meaning its inhabitants should have been well-versed in the laws pertaining to the Ark, making their transgression all the more egregious. This episode underscores the extreme danger of treating God's sacred commands and symbols lightly, even by those who belong to Him.
1 Samuel 6 20 Word analysis
- And the men of Beth-shemesh (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ, vayyomru 'anshey Bet Shemesh): "Beth-shemesh" literally means "house of the sun," possibly reflecting earlier Canaanite worship in the area, but by this time, it was a Levitical city (Josh 21:16). The reference to "men" signifies a collective and impactful public outcry stemming from shared experience of God's judgment. Their identity as a Levitical city implies they had priestly knowledge and thus should have known better, highlighting the severity of their transgression.
- said (וַיֹּאמְרוּ, vayyomru): This simple verb indicates their immediate verbal expression of terror and desperation. It is not a casual comment but an utterance born of deep shock and fear.
- Who is able to stand (מִי יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד, mi yukhal la'amod): This is a rhetorical question that expects a negative answer—no one is able. "Stand" (la'amod) implies enduring, surviving, or remaining firm in the presence of an overwhelming force. It conveys an inability to withstand God's purity, power, or judgment without being consumed or destroyed due to human sinfulness.
- before this holy LORD God? (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ, lifney Yahweh ha'Elohim haQadosh):
- holy (הַקָּדוֹשׁ, haQadosh): The adjective qadosh (with the definite article) emphasizes God's absolute separateness, moral purity, and transcendence. It means "set apart" or "sacred." Here, His holiness is experienced not as comforting but as a fearsome, consuming quality against sin, leading to judgment and dread.
- LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): God's covenant name, underscoring that this judgment comes from the very God who entered into covenant with Israel, and that even His own people are subject to His holy standards.
- God (הָאֱלֹהִים, ha'Elohim): The generic term for God, often used with Yahweh to emphasize His supreme sovereignty and divine nature.
- and to whom shall he go up from us? (וְאֶל מִי יַעֲלֶה מֵעָלֵינוּ, v'el mi ya'aleh me'alenu):
- go up (יַעֲלֶה, ya'aleh): This verb can mean "to go up" or "ascend." Here, it means to depart or be taken away. This implies the Ark's removal, effectively removing God's immediate and fearful presence.
- This is another rhetorical question expressing their desperate wish for the Ark, symbolizing God's manifest presence, to leave them. They perceive God's presence as a terrifying burden rather than a blessing due to their sin and the severe judgment. They are not asking how to reconcile with God, but who else will endure this deadly presence.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?": This is a direct acknowledgement of divine omnipotence and absolute purity in contrast to human frailty and impurity. It reflects a primitive, awe-filled, yet fearful understanding of God's holiness as dangerous rather than salvific. It implies an overwhelming and consuming power that no human, particularly a sinful one, can resist or survive without dire consequences.
- "and to whom shall he go up from us?": This second question highlights their overwhelming terror and desire for separation from God's judging presence. Instead of repentance and seeking atonement or a right way to approach God, their immediate instinct is to banish the source of their terror. This reveals a fear driven by pain and desire for self-preservation, rather than a reverent fear that leads to obedience.
1 Samuel 6 20 Bonus section
The Beth-shemesh incident serves as a crucial Old Testament precedent alongside the accounts of Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10) and Uzzah (2 Sam 6), all highlighting God's severe and immediate judgment against irreverence towards His holiness or sacred items. The severity of the judgment (the exact number of dead, either 70 or 50,070, depends on translation variance, with modern scholars favoring 70 for textual reasons) reinforces the message regardless of the specific number: treating God's holy presence casually is fatal. As a Levitical city, Beth-shemesh's failure was particularly glaring, implying they, above others, should have known the Law regarding the Ark's handling. This narrative stands as a stark warning against treating spiritual things with mere intellectual curiosity or presumption, devoid of genuine reverence and obedience to God's established protocols. It distinguishes between a healthy, reverential fear of the Lord (the beginning of wisdom) and the terror-filled dread experienced by those confronting God's wrath due to their sin.
1 Samuel 6 20 Commentary
1 Samuel 6:20 vividly portrays the overwhelming impact of God's holiness and judgment upon the Beth-shemeshites. Their initial jubilation at the Ark's return turned to dread when God struck many of them dead for their irreverent gaze. Their horrified questions—“Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?” and “to whom shall he go up from us?”—underscore their sudden and terrifying realization of God's unapproachable sanctity. They grasped that their sinfulness could not abide His unmediated presence. This profound theological statement emphasizes that God's holiness, though essential to His character, is not passively benevolent towards unholiness; it is a fearsome, active force of judgment against those who disrespect His sacred commands and symbols. Their desire for the Ark to depart rather than for personal repentance highlights their self-preserving terror, prioritizing removal of the immediate threat over reconciliation. This episode serves as a powerful reminder of the serious nature of worship and the imperative of reverence when approaching the divine.