1 Samuel 6:2

1 Samuel 6:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, “What should we do about the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to return it to its own country.”

Context of 1 Samuel 6:2

1When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.” 3They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift; by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.” 4The 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.

1 Samuel 6:2 word by word

וַיִּקְרְא֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים לַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לַאֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה הוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ בַּמֶּ֖ה נְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• for the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and the divinersקָסַםqâsam · to divineH7080
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• What shall we doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• to the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• tellיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• us wherewith we shall sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• it to his placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 6:2

• Genesis 41:8In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
• Exodus 7:11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
• Isaiah 47:12“Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror.
• Daniel 2:2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,
• Daniel 5:7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
• Matthew 2:4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
• Micah 6:6With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 6:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The diviners - קסמים kosemim, from קסם kasam, to presage or prognosticate. See Deuteronomy 18:10. In what their pretended art consisted, we know not.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The word for “priest” here is the same as that used for the priests of the true God; that for diviners is everywhere used of idolatrous or superstitious divining. Three modes of divination are described Ezekiel 21:21-22, by arrows, by teraphim, and by the entrails of beasts. (Compare Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:2).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2priests and diviners: Fortune telling was part of the Philistine religion (see 1 Samuel 28:7; Deuteronomy 18:10–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners--The designed restoration of the ark was not, it seems, universally approved of, and many doubts were expressed whether the prevailing pestilence was really a judgment of Heaven. The priests and diviners united all parties by recommending a course which would enable them easily to discriminate the true character of the calamities, and at the same time to propitiate the incensed Deity for any…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 6:2

• Kirjath-Jearim
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Philistines
• Along
• David
• Divination
• Ekron
• Harden
• Return
• Samuel, Books of
• Soothsayer
• Ark of the Covenant

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