1 Samuel 6:18

16 And when the five rulers of the Philistines saw this, they returned to Ekron that same day.

17 As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.

The number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.

20 The men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom should the ark go up from here?”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
The number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
KJV
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.
WEB
and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the LORD’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
ASV
and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
DARBY
and the golden mice, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and villages of the peasantry; [and they brought them] as far as the great [stone of] Abel, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, [which] is to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite.
BLB
and the golden rats—the number of all the cities of the Philistines for the five princes, from the fortified city and to the village of the countryside, even to Abel-haggedolah, which they placed in it the ark of YHWH—[are] to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
ÅB
Og gullmusene svarte til tallet på alle filistrenes byer som tilhørte de fem høvdinger, både de faste byer og landsbyene. Vitne herom er den dag idag den store stein på betsemesitten Josvas mark som de satte Herrens ark på.
OTB
Og gullrottene var i samsvar med antallet av alle filisterbyene som tilhørte de fem herskerne, både befestede og landlige. Den store steinen som levittene plasserte Herrens ark på, er et vitne til denne dag i Josvas mark i Bet-Semes.
B1930
Og gullmusene svarte til tallet på alle filistrenes byer som tilhørte de fem høvdinger, både de faste byer og landsbyene. Vidne herom er den dag idag den store sten på betsemesitten Josvas mark som de satte Herrens ark på.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 6:14–16

    The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 3:5

    All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 13:3

    from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;

    Read in context