1 Samuel 6 21

1 Samuel 6:21 kjv

And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

1 Samuel 6:21 nkjv

So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up with you."

1 Samuel 6:21 niv

Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to your town."

1 Samuel 6:21 esv

So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you."

1 Samuel 6:21 nlt

So they sent messengers to the people at Kiriath-jearim and told them, "The Philistines have returned the Ark of the LORD. Come here and get it!"

1 Samuel 6 verses

1 Samuel 6 21 Meaning

This verse describes the urgent request of the terrified inhabitants of Beth-shemesh for the people of Kirjath-jearim to take custody of the Ark of the Lord. Following a divine judgment on them for looking into the Ark, they perceive its holy presence as an unbearable burden and a threat to their lives, desiring to pass on this dangerous sacred object.

1 Samuel 6 21 Context

This verse is the culmination of a sequence of events demonstrating the immense holiness and dangerous power of the Ark of the Lord, especially when treated irreverently. Chapter 4 recounts its capture by the Philistines due to Israel's misuse of it as a mere battle charm. Chapter 5 details the devastating plagues and humiliation brought upon the Philistine cities as the Ark of the Lord remained among them. In Chapter 6, after seven months, the terrified Philistines return the Ark to Beth-shemesh, an Israelite priestly city. The people of Beth-shemesh rejoice but then commit the grave error of looking into the Ark, an act explicitly forbidden by divine law, resulting in a swift and devastating judgment from God that killed many thousands. Overwhelmed by terror and their unworthiness to house such a holy object, they cried out, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?" Verse 21 describes their immediate response to this profound dread: to dislodge the Ark from their midst and transfer this sacred, yet terrifying, burden to a neighboring community. Their concern is not where the Ark should be, but rather where it can go away from them.

1 Samuel 6 21 Word analysis

• And they sent messengers: (וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ מַלְאָכִים - vayishl'khu mal'akhim)
  • "sent": From the verb שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning "to send," "to stretch out." Here, it signifies a deliberate and formal act of delegation.
  • "messengers": מַלְאָכִים (mal'akhim), which also means "angels" or "delegates." It emphasizes that these were official representatives bearing an urgent and significant communication, highlighting the gravity of the situation felt by the Beth-shemites. This was not a casual invitation but a plea from a community in distress.
• to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim: (אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי קִרְיַת יְעָרִים - el yosh'vei Qiryat Ye'arim)
  • "inhabitants": יֹשְׁבֵי (yosh'vei), plural of "dwellers."
  • "Kirjath-jearim": (קִרְיַת יְעָרִים - Qiryat Ye'arim). The name means "city of forests" or "city of woods." It was a Gibeonite city within the territory allotted to Judah (Josh 9:17, Josh 15:9). Its geographic location, likely on a prominent hill (indicated by "come ye down" from Beth-shemesh), made it a defensible and appropriate (if temporary) repository for the Ark. The choice suggests a place with perceived strength or readiness, contrasting with the priestly but presently broken Beth-shemesh.
• saying, The Philistines have brought again: (לֵאמֹר הֵשִׁיבוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים - lemor heshivū Pelishtim)
  • "brought again": הֵשִׁיבוּ (heshivū), from the verb שׁוּב (shuv), "to return," "to bring back." The emphasis is on the Philistines' involuntary, God-compelled act of returning the Ark, confirming the terrifying power that forced even their enemies to send it away. This establishes the context for Kirjath-jearim, noting that even the Philistines could not keep it.
  • "the Philistines": (פְלִשְׁתִּים - Pelishtim). Mentioning them underscores the Ark's powerful display against a pagan enemy, further justifying Beth-shemesh's fear.
• the ark of the LORD; (אֲרוֹן יְהוָה - aron Yahweh)
  • "the ark": (אֲרוֹן - aron). This sacred chest symbolized God's presence, His throne, and the repository of the covenant (Ex 25:10-22).
  • "of the LORD": (יְהוָה - Yahweh). The covenant name of God. This directly connects the Ark's power and demands of holiness to the Sovereign God of Israel. It emphasizes that this is not merely a box, but the representation of an active, powerful, and holy deity whose presence is glorious yet dangerous to the irreverent.
• come ye down, and fetch it up to you. (רְדוּ וְהַעֲלוּ אֹתוֹ אֲלֵיכֶם - r'du v'ha'alu oto aleikhem)
  • "come ye down": (רְדוּ - r'du), imperative plural of יָרַד (yarad), "to go down." This suggests Beth-shemesh was on a lower elevation than Kirjath-jearim, geographically accurate given typical settlement patterns on hilltops.
  • "fetch it up": (וְהַעֲלוּ - v'ha'alu), imperative plural of עָלָה (alah), "to go up," "to bring up." This reinforces the geographical direction and the active responsibility they are asking Kirjath-jearim to take on themselves.
  • "to you": (אֲלֵיכֶם - aleikhem). This direct address implies the transfer of an undesirable burden; "take it from us, make it yours."

Words-Group Analysis:

• "sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim": This indicates a formal appeal from a community in distress. They are actively seeking to offload the responsibility for the sacred Ark, suggesting they felt unable to fulfill the sacred obligations due to their terror and lack of understanding of its handling.
• "The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD": This statement serves as both an explanation and a warning. It contextualizes why the Ark is currently available and implicitly communicates its devastating power, as even Israel's powerful enemies could not tolerate its presence. It suggests a handover of a highly potent, albeit unwanted, divine presence.
• "come ye down, and fetch it up to you": This phrase captures the desperation of the Beth-shemites. They are not merely asking Kirjath-jearim to store it; they are instructing them to actively take possession of it and bear its associated responsibilities and dangers. It highlights their relief at its departure and their pressing need for it to be removed.

1 Samuel 6 21 Bonus section

The request to Kirjath-jearim highlights the haphazard nature of the Ark's location during this tumultuous period. It contrasts sharply with the precise regulations given in the Pentateuch for the care and transport of the Ark by the Kohathite Levites (Num 4). The Beth-shemites, being a Levitical city, should have been knowledgeable regarding these laws. Their failure to abide by the stipulations of covering the Ark before looking at it led to judgment, and their subsequent act of dispatching the Ark shows a desperation born of fear rather than a reverent, guided approach. This moment marks the beginning of the Ark's nearly two-decade-long residence at Kirjath-jearim, largely removed from the national life and active worship of Israel, demonstrating a lapse in national spiritual priority regarding God's dwelling place among His people (1 Sam 7:1-2).

1 Samuel 6 21 Commentary

1 Samuel 6:21 powerfully conveys the aftermath of a traumatic divine encounter. The Beth-shemites, reeling from God's swift judgment, were overwhelmed not by gratitude for the Ark's return, but by a profound terror of God's unapproachable holiness. Their desperate plea to Kirjath-jearim stems from a broken sense of ability to "stand before this holy LORD God" (1 Sam 6:20). They saw the Ark as a perilous burden rather than a blessed symbol of divine presence, highlighting their spiritual immaturity and failure to understand proper reverence and atonement for sin. This incident starkly reveals God's unyielding demand for holiness in handling sacred things and His presence. It shows that mishandling sacred things brings immediate judgment, instilling a healthy fear of the Lord among those who witnessed His wrath. It paved the way for the Ark's extended, yet somewhat neglected, stay at Kirjath-jearim, symbolizing a period of spiritual decline in Israel before David's reign would bring it back to central prominence.