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

2Then 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.” 3“Send the Ark of the God of Israel back with a gift,” they were told. “Send a guilt offering so the plague will stop. Then, if you are healed, you will know it was his hand that caused the plague.” “What sort of guilt offering should we send?” they asked. And they were told, “Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land. 5Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land. 6Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go.

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 6:5Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land.
• 1 Samuel 5:6Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.
• Exodus 12:35And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold.
• Joshua 13:3and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites
• Judges 3:3These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-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