1 Samuel 6 9

1 Samuel 6:9 kjv

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.

1 Samuel 6:9 nkjv

And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us?it happened to us by chance."

1 Samuel 6:9 niv

but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance."

1 Samuel 6:9 esv

and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence."

1 Samuel 6:9 nlt

If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the LORD who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don't, we will know it was not his hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance."

1 Samuel 6 verses

1 Samuel 6 9 Meaning

This verse details the Philistine priests' and diviners' prescribed test to determine the true cause of the severe plagues afflicting their land. It states that if the ark, carried on a new cart by milk cows, returns directly to its designated territory in Beth-shemesh (a Levitical city in Israel), then it is undeniable proof that the God of Israel has inflicted the suffering upon them. Conversely, if the ark does not take this specific, counter-intuitive route, they will conclude that their misfortunes were merely a random occurrence, independent of divine action. The passage highlights their desperate search for certainty and their proposed method to differentiate between divine judgment and mere chance.

1 Samuel 6 9 Context

1 Samuel chapter 6 follows seven months of the Ark of the Covenant being in Philistine territory, causing devastating plagues (tumors, mice, and death) in various Philistine cities, specifically Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron (1 Sam 5). The Philistine lords and people were suffering severely, experiencing divine judgment rather than mere misfortune. In desperation, the Philistines summoned their priests and diviners to ask how to deal with the Ark and alleviate their affliction. Their recommendation, outlined in verses 7-9, was to return the Ark to Israel accompanied by a guilt offering (described in 1 Sam 6:4-5). This verse (1 Sam 6:9) details the crucial test by which they proposed to confirm if their suffering was indeed from the God of Israel, or just a random "chance." The unique circumstances of the test (new cart, milk cows separated from calves, no human driver) were designed to rule out natural or coincidental explanations, thus making a positive outcome undeniable proof of divine intervention.

1 Samuel 6 9 Word analysis

• And watch (וּרְאִיתֶם - u-re'item): A command, "and you shall see/perceive." This emphasizes observation and a calculated attempt to deduce the cause of their calamity. It points to a deliberate method of verification.
• if it goes up (אִם־תַּעֲלֶה - im-ta'aleh): This is a conditional clause ("if"). The verb ta'aleh (goes up) often signifies movement towards a higher place or specifically towards the land of Israel (which is geographically higher than the coastal plain where the Philistines were). It highlights the chosen direction as pivotal to the test's outcome.
• on the way to its own territory (אֶל־דַּרְכּוֹ אֶל־גְּבוּלָהּ - el-darko el-gebulah):
  • darko: "its way/path," referring to the intended direction for the ark.
  • gebulah: "its border/territory," specifying the Ark's proper dwelling place, the land of Israel. The Philistines recognized that the Ark belonged not with them, but within Israel's boundaries.
• to Beth-shemesh (אֶל־בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ - el-Bet Shemesh):
  • A specific Levitical city in Judah (Josh 21:16), making it a plausible first destination within Israel for the ark returning from Ekron. Its name "House of the Sun" presents a stark, almost ironic, contrast. A pagan city named for a deity is the designated destination for the Ark of the One True God, highlighting the Lord's power over false gods and natural forces.
• then it is He who has done us this great harm (וְהוּא עָשָׂה לָנוּ הָרָעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת - ve-hu 'asah lanu ha-ra'ah ha-gedolah ha-zot):
  • He (hu): Initially ambiguous, this pronoun points to a powerful, responsible agent. Given the context, it implicitly refers to the God of Israel. The Philistines were careful not to utter the name YHWH directly, yet acknowledge His formidable power.
  • great harm (ha-ra'ah ha-gedolah ha-zot): Explicitly calls the plagues and affliction a "great evil/calamity." They acknowledge that their suffering is not minor, but a severe, deliberate misfortune. The repetition of the definite article ("the great the evil the this") emphasizes the certainty and magnitude of the harm.
• But if not (וְאִם לֹא - ve'im lo): The alternative condition, posing the counter-scenario.
• then we will know (וְיָדַעְנוּ - ve-yada'nu): A shift from speculation to confident certainty ("we shall know"). Their elaborate test aims to eliminate ambiguity.
• that it was not His hand that struck us (לֹא יָדוֹ הִגִּיעָה בָּנוּ - lo yado higgi'ah banu):
  • His hand (yado): A common biblical anthropomorphism representing God's power, authority, and active intervention (e.g., Ex 3:20, Dt 3:24). Negating "His hand" is a denial of direct divine action. This phrase is a more specific and anthropomorphic reference to the divine power compared to the more indirect "He" earlier.
  • struck us (higgi'ah banu): Literally "reached us" or "touched us." It denotes the impact or affliction experienced.
• it was a chance that happened to us (קֶרִי הִוא הָיְתָה לָנוּ - qeri hi hayetah lanu):
  • chance (קֶרִי - qeri): A pivotal theological term. It signifies an accident, coincidence, or randomness, implying no divine orchestrating hand. In other biblical contexts (Lev 26), qeri describes people living 'contrary' to God or acting 'randomly' towards His laws, resulting in judgment they might misinterpret as bad luck. For the Philistines, it represents the antithesis of divine agency. This term stands in stark opposition to the biblical worldview of a sovereign God who works all things according to His will (Prov 16:33).
  • This stark dichotomy reflects their limited theological framework, where events are either directly divine or purely random, lacking a concept of God's overarching providence or secondary causes working within His plan.

1 Samuel 6 9 Bonus section

• Theological Acumen (of Philistines' Priests): Despite being pagan, their priests and diviners demonstrate a remarkable (though limited) theological astuteness. They understood that to ascertain a supernatural cause, the natural variables must be controlled or eliminated. Their methodology created a scenario where any human influence or animal instinct was removed, thereby heightening the certainty of a divine cause if the ark indeed returned to Israel.
• Pagan Polemic against Dagon and other gods: While not explicit here, the very act of seeking an answer outside their traditional worship (they consulted their own priests, but the test concerns the God of Israel) and the earlier humiliation of Dagon before the Ark (1 Sam 5:2-5) implicitly demonstrated the inadequacy and powerlessness of their own deities against the Lord. This test provides a definitive means for them to acknowledge the true superior power.
• Significance of "Beth-shemesh" again: The city's name, "House of the Sun," suggests a place historically associated with sun worship. The return of the Ark of the Lord to such a place powerfully underscores the superiority of the God of Israel over false gods and pagan idolatry. The Sun-God's "house" now became a waypoint for the Ark of YHWH, demonstrating who truly governs all creation, including natural phenomena and the supposed domains of other gods.

1 Samuel 6 9 Commentary

1 Samuel 6:9 reveals the desperate, yet cunning, approach of the Philistines in their attempt to understand and mitigate the plagues that ravaged their land due to the presence of the Ark. Their pagan worldview compelled them to seek clarity through a form of oracle or omen, distinct from direct revelation. By designing a test involving new, untrained animals and a specific, counter-intuitive route, they meticulously eliminated all "natural" explanations: no human driver, no familiar path, and cows instinctively seeking their calves instead of an unfamiliar destination.

This test was constructed to leave only two possibilities: either the extraordinary occurrence was a direct, purposeful act of the Israelite God, or it was an improbable, yet purely random "chance" (qeri). The significance of this distinction is profound. The Philistines, though pagan, grappled with the concept of an active, intervening deity versus a world governed by mere randomness. While they acknowledged a potent force behind their suffering, they were still prone to interpret events through the lens of coincidence, a perspective challenged by the biblical understanding of God's absolute sovereignty where nothing is truly by "chance" (Prov 16:33). This verse, therefore, sets the stage for a dramatic, undeniable demonstration of the Lord's power over pagan nations and the futility of human attempts to escape His will through naturalistic explanations. The test ultimately served to magnify the God of Israel even in the eyes of His enemies.