1 samuel 6:8 - and take Yahweh’s ark, and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
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What does "1 samuel 6:8" mean?
This verse from 1 Samuel 6:8 describes the Philistines' plan to return the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites. Let's break down the meaning:
"and take Yahweh’s ark, and lay it on the cart": The Philistines are instructed to place the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments and symbolizing God's presence, onto a cart. This is significant because normally, the Ark was to be carried by Levites using poles passed through rings on its sides, not transported on a cart by oxen. The Philistines, not knowing this law, followed their own practices.
"Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side": The Philistine priests and diviners advised them to send a "trespass offering" (also known as a guilt offering) of golden images of the tumors (or hemorrhoids, depending on the translation) and golden mice that had plagued their land since they captured the Ark. These images were to be placed in a box (a "coffer") next to the Ark. A trespass offering was a sacrifice made to atone for unintentional sins or offenses against God, aiming to restore broken relationships and appease divine anger. The gold images were symbolic representations of the afflictions they had suffered and were intended as a token of their repentance and a plea for relief from the plagues.
"and send it away, that it may go": They were to release the cart, allowing the oxen to pull it freely without human guidance. The direction the cart traveled would indicate whether the plagues were truly caused by Yahweh's anger or were merely coincidental. If the cart went directly to Beth-shemesh (an Israelite city), they would know that Yahweh was indeed responsible for their suffering and that their offering was accepted. If the cart went in another direction, they could conclude that the plagues were not divinely inflicted.
In essence, the verse outlines a test to determine if the misfortunes that had befallen the Philistines were directly caused by Yahweh's displeasure over their possession of the Ark. By sending the Ark back with a trespass offering and allowing the animals to guide its path, they hoped to appease Yahweh and alleviate their suffering. The "go" signifies the Philistines desire for the ark to return to the Israelites, as they believed it was the source of their misfortunes.
1 samuel 6:8 - and take Yahweh’s ark, and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
What does "1 samuel 6:8" mean?
This verse from 1 Samuel 6:8 describes the Philistines' plan to return the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites. Let's break down the meaning:
"and take Yahweh’s ark, and lay it on the cart": The Philistines are instructed to place the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments and symbolizing God's presence, onto a cart. This is significant because normally, the Ark was to be carried by Levites using poles passed through rings on its sides, not transported on a cart by oxen. The Philistines, not knowing this law, followed their own practices.
"Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side": The Philistine priests and diviners advised them to send a "trespass offering" (also known as a guilt offering) of golden images of the tumors (or hemorrhoids, depending on the translation) and golden mice that had plagued their land since they captured the Ark. These images were to be placed in a box (a "coffer") next to the Ark. A trespass offering was a sacrifice made to atone for unintentional sins or offenses against God, aiming to restore broken relationships and appease divine anger. The gold images were symbolic representations of the afflictions they had suffered and were intended as a token of their repentance and a plea for relief from the plagues.
"and send it away, that it may go": They were to release the cart, allowing the oxen to pull it freely without human guidance. The direction the cart traveled would indicate whether the plagues were truly caused by Yahweh's anger or were merely coincidental. If the cart went directly to Beth-shemesh (an Israelite city), they would know that Yahweh was indeed responsible for their suffering and that their offering was accepted. If the cart went in another direction, they could conclude that the plagues were not divinely inflicted.
In essence, the verse outlines a test to determine if the misfortunes that had befallen the Philistines were directly caused by Yahweh's displeasure over their possession of the Ark. By sending the Ark back with a trespass offering and allowing the animals to guide its path, they hoped to appease Yahweh and alleviate their suffering. The "go" signifies the Philistines desire for the ark to return to the Israelites, as they believed it was the source of their misfortunes.