1 Samuel 6:4

1 Samuel 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
• New International Version (NIV)The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?” They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they said, "What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.

Context of 1 Samuel 6:4

2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners (seers), saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Let us know how we can send it back to its place.” 3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty [without a gift]; but be sure to return [it] to Him [together with] a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.” Then they said, “What shall the guilt offering be which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords (governors) of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5So you shall make replicas of your tumors and of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand [of judgment] on you and your gods and your land. 6Why then do you harden your hearts [allowing pride to cause your downfall] just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them and mocked them, did they not allow the people [of Israel] to go, and they departed?

1 Samuel 6:4 word by word

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָ֣ה הָאָשָׁם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָשִׁ֣יב לוֹ֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מִסְפַּר֙ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֲמִשָּׁה֙ טְחֹרֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה עַכְבְּרֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב כִּֽי־מַגֵּפָ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לְכֻלָּ֖ם וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the trespass offeringאָשָׁם'âshâm · guilt (offering)H817
• which we shall returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• Fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• goldenזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• emerodsעֹ֫פֶל‛ôphel · hillH6076
• emerodsטְחֹרţechôr · tumorH2914
• miceעַכְבָּר‛akbâr · mouseH5909
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• of the lordsסֶ֫רֶןseren · lordH5633
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• for oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• plagueמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 6:4

• 1 Samuel 6:5So you shall make replicas of your tumors and of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand [of judgment] on you and your gods and your land.
• 1 Samuel 5:6Then the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He caused them to be dumbfounded and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.
• Exodus 12:35Now the Israelites had acted in accordance with the word of Moses; and they had asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing.
• Joshua 13:3from the Shihor [waterway] which is east of Egypt [at the southern end of Canaan], northward to the border of Ekron (all of it regarded as Canaanite); the five rulers of the Philistines: the Gazite, Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite
• Judges 3:3The remaining nations are: the five lords (governors) of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Five golden emerods, and five golden mice - One for each satrapy. The emerods had afflicted their bodies; the mice had marred their land. Both, they considered, as sent by God; and, making an image of each, and sending them as a trespass-offering, they acknowledged this. See at the end.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4It was a prevalent custom in pagan antiquity to make offerings to the gods expressive of the particular mercy received. Thus, those saved from shipwreck offered pictures of the shipwreck, etc., and the custom still exists among Christians in certain countries. The plague of the mice is analogous to that of the frogs in Egypt. The destructive power of field-mice was very great.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4rats: See study note on 1 Samuel 5:6.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Five golden emerods--Votive or thank offerings were commonly made by the heathen in prayer for, or gratitude after, deliverance from lingering or dangerous disorders, in the form of metallic (generally silver) models or images of the diseased parts of the body. This is common still in Roman Catholic countries, as well as in the temples of the Hindus and other modern heathen. five golden mice--This animal is supposed by some to be the jerboa or jumping…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 6:4

• Hemorrhoids
• Kirjath-Jearim
• Lord
• Miracles
• Mouse
• Philistines
• Plague
• Tumor

In the dictionaries

• Philistines
• Trespass offering
• Lords of the Philistines
• Along
• David
• Ekron
• Harden
• Mouse
• Return
• Samuel, Books of

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings