1 samuel 6:4 - Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
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What does "1 samuel 6:4" mean?
This verse comes from a story in 1 Samuel where the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites. However, after the Ark brought plagues upon them, they decided to return it. They wanted to know what kind of offering they should give along with the Ark to appease the God of Israel.
Here's a breakdown of the verse:
"Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” This sets the scene. The Philistine leaders are consulting on what they should offer to the God of Israel as they return the Ark to atone for their sin (trespass) of taking it.
"They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines;" This is the suggested offering. They decided on five golden tumors and five golden mice, corresponding to the number of ruling Philistine cities/leaders. The use of golden images of what was afflicting them suggests they believed these were the cause of the plague and hoped appeasing God with these symbols would lift the curse.
"for one plague was on you all, and on your lords." This explains the rationale behind the offering. A single, unified plague affected both the general Philistine population and their leaders, signifying a shared guilt or a divine act targeting everyone. This underscores the severity of the situation and the urgency to appease the God of Israel.
In essence, the verse indicates:
The Philistines recognized the need to atone for their actions.
They were instructed to create and offer golden images of the sources of the plague they were experiencing.
The number of offerings corresponded to the number of Philistine leaders, suggesting collective responsibility and a unified effect of the plague.
The story reflects an ancient Near Eastern belief in appeasing deities with offerings and sympathetic magic, where symbolic representations were thought to influence the divine.
1 samuel 6:4 - Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
What does "1 samuel 6:4" mean?
This verse comes from a story in 1 Samuel where the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites. However, after the Ark brought plagues upon them, they decided to return it. They wanted to know what kind of offering they should give along with the Ark to appease the God of Israel.
Here's a breakdown of the verse:
"Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” This sets the scene. The Philistine leaders are consulting on what they should offer to the God of Israel as they return the Ark to atone for their sin (trespass) of taking it.
"They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines;" This is the suggested offering. They decided on five golden tumors and five golden mice, corresponding to the number of ruling Philistine cities/leaders. The use of golden images of what was afflicting them suggests they believed these were the cause of the plague and hoped appeasing God with these symbols would lift the curse.
"for one plague was on you all, and on your lords." This explains the rationale behind the offering. A single, unified plague affected both the general Philistine population and their leaders, signifying a shared guilt or a divine act targeting everyone. This underscores the severity of the situation and the urgency to appease the God of Israel.
In essence, the verse indicates:
The Philistines recognized the need to atone for their actions.
They were instructed to create and offer golden images of the sources of the plague they were experiencing.
The number of offerings corresponded to the number of Philistine leaders, suggesting collective responsibility and a unified effect of the plague.
The story reflects an ancient Near Eastern belief in appeasing deities with offerings and sympathetic magic, where symbolic representations were thought to influence the divine.