1 Samuel 6:19

1 Samuel 6:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he smote the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
• New International Version (NIV)But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

Context of 1 Samuel 6:19

17Now these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite. Now He fatally struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” 21So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to yourselves.”

1 Samuel 6:19 word by word

וַיַּ֞ךְ בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּ֤י רָאוּ֙ בַּאֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֤ךְ בָּעָם֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֑ישׁ וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־הִכָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בָּעָ֖ם מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽהRead the interlinear

• Now He fatallyנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• some of the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Beth-shemeshבֵּית שֶׁ֫מֶשׁbêyth shemesh · Beth-shemeshH1053
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• they had lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• into the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• 50,070שִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• 50,070חֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• 50,070אֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• among the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• mournedאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
• with a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• slaughterמַכָּהmakkâh makkeh · woundH4347

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 6:19

• Exodus 19:21Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to stare, and many of them perish.
• Leviticus 10:1Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on the fire and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.
• Numbers 4:4This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.
• Deuteronomy 29:29“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may follow all the words of this Law.
• 2 Samuel 6:7And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
• 1 Chronicles 13:9When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly overturned it.
• Colossians 2:18Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
• 1 Peter 4:17For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 6:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19He smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men - The present Hebrew text of this most extraordinary reading stands thus: בית־שמש באנשי ויך - איש אלף חמשים איש שבעים בעם ויך vaiyach beanshey Beith -shemesh - vaiyach baam shibim ish, chamishshim eleph ish ; "And he smote among the men of Beth-shemesh, (because they looked into the ark of Jehovah), and he smote among the people Seventy men, Fifty Thousand men." From the manner in which the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Fifty thousand and three score and ten - Read “three” score and “ten”, omitting “fifty thousand”, which appears to have crept into the text from the margin. It is not improbable that in their festive rejoicing priests, Levites, and people may have fallen into intemperance, and hence, into presumptuous irreverence (compare Leviticus 10:1, Leviticus 10:9). God had just vindicated His own honor against the Philistines; it must now be seen that He would be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-21Verses 19-21 It is a great affront to God, for vain men to pry into, and meddle with the secret things which belong not to them, De 29:29; Col 2:18. Man was ruined by desiring forbidden knowledge. God will not suffer his ark to be profaned. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Those that will not fear his goodness, and reverently use the tokens of his grace, shall be made to feel his justice. The number smitten is expressed in an unusual manner in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19seventy men: Beth-shemesh was a small village. because they looked inside the ark: Touching the ark was not allowed (Numbers 4:15; 2 Samuel 6:6–8), as was looking inside it (Numbers 4:20). The men who died did not respect God's holiness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark--In the ecstasy of delight at seeing the return of the ark, the Beth-shemesh reapers pried into it beneath the wagon cover; and instead of covering it up again, as a sacred utensil, they let it remain exposed to common inspection, wishing it to be seen, in order that all might enjoy the triumph of seeing the votive offerings presented to it, and gratify curiosity with the sight of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 6:19

• Curiosity
• Kirjath-Jearim
• Miracles
• Presumption
• Sacrilege

In the dictionaries

• Beth-Shemesh
• Along
• David
• Harden
• Mourn
• Return
• Samuel, Books of
• Ark of the Covenant
• God
• Judges, Period 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