Berean Standard Bible
1 Samuel 6:9
9but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”
1 Samuel 6:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth–shemesh, 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.
- New International Version (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.”
- English Standard Version (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."
- New King James Version (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.”
Context of 1 Samuel 6:9
7Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way, but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.” 10So the men did as instructed. They took two milk cows, hitched them to the cart, and penned up their calves. 11Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the chest containing the gold rats and the images of the tumors.
Read all of 1 Samuel 61 Samuel 6:9 word by word
וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם אִם־דֶּ֨רֶךְ גְּבוּל֤וֹ יַֽעֲלֶה֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ ה֚וּא עָ֣שָׂה לָ֔נוּ אֶת־הָרָעָ֥ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְאִם־לֹ֗א וְיָדַ֙עְנוּ֙ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָדוֹ֙ נָ֣גְעָה בָּ֔נוּ מִקְרֶ֥ה ה֖וּא הָ֥יָה לָֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
- but keep watching itרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- Ifאִם'im · ifH518
- it goes upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- the roadדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- to its homelandגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
- toward Beth-shemeshבֵּית שֶׁ֫מֶשׁbêyth shemesh · Beth-shemeshH1053
- it is the LORDהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- who has broughtעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- thisזֹאתzô'th · thisH2063
- greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- disasterרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- it does notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- then we will knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
- His handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- that punishedנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
- happenedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- by chanceמִקְרֶהmiqreh · accidentH4745
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 6:9
- Joshua 15:10The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah.
- Joshua 21:16Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands.
- Amos 3:6If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?
- 1 Samuel 6:3They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.”
- Isaiah 26:11O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
- 2 Samuel 1:6“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.
- Ecclesiastes 9:11I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
- Luke 10:31Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 6:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9A chance that happened to us - The word מקרה mikreh, from קרה karah, to meet or coalesce, signifies an event that naturally arises from such concurring causes as, in the order and nature of things, must produce it. Thus a bad state of the atmosphere, putrid exhalations, bad diet, occasioned by any general scarcity, might have produced the disease in question; and to something of this kind they would attribute it, if the other evidences did not concur…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Bethshemesh was the first Israelite town they would come to, being on the border of Judah. (See the marginal reference.)Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Beth-shemesh was the nearest Israelite town to Ekron (a Philistine city) (1 Samuel 5:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-129-12. Beth-shemesh--that is, "house of the sun," now Ain Shems [Robinson], a city of priests in Judah, in the southeast border of Dan, lying in a beautiful and extensive valley. Josephus says they were set a-going near a place where the road divided into two--the one leading back to Ekron, where were their calves, and the other to Beth-shemesh. Their frequent lowings attested their ardent longing for their young, and at the same time the supernatural…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 6:9
In the dictionaries
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
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