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Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

1 Samuel 6:2

the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Kirjath-Jearim;   Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Divination;   Magic;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ark of the Covenant;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beth-Shemesh;   Ekron;   Gaza or Azzah;   Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Magic;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Priesthood;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Ekron;   Soothsayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Philistia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Divination and Magic;   Sabaoth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Beth-Shemesh;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Divination;   Ekron;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 2;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners and pleaded, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we can send it back to its place.”
Hebrew Names Version
The Pelishtim called for the Kohanim and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Show us with which we shall send it to its place."
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
and the Philistines called to the priests and to those who practiced divination, saying, "What should we do with the ark of Yahweh? Inform us how we should send it to its place."
English Standard Version
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 Century Version
Then they called for their priests and magicians and said, "What should we do with the Ark of the Lord ? Tell us how to send it back home!"
New English Translation
the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, "What should we do with the ark of the Lord ? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place."
Amplified Bible
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners (seers), saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Let us know how we can send it back to its place."
New American Standard Bible
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What are we to do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we may send it to its place."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Philistims called the priests and the soothsayers, saying, What shall we doe with the Arke of the Lord? tell vs wherewith we shall send it home againe.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Make us know how we shall send it to its place."
Contemporary English Version
the Philistines called in their priests and fortunetellers, and asked, "What should we do with this sacred chest? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs!"
Complete Jewish Bible
The P'lishtim summoned the priests and soothsayers and asked them, "What are we to do with the ark of Adonai ? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs."
Darby Translation
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Philistines called their priests and magicians and said, "What must we do with the Lord 's Box? Tell us how to send it back home."
George Lamsa Translation
And the Philistines called for the priests and the lords, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us by what means shall we send it to its place.
Good News Translation
the people called the priests and the magicians and asked, "What shall we do with the Covenant Box of the Lord ? If we send it back where it belongs, what shall we send with it?"
Literal Translation
And the Philistines called for priests and for those divining, saying, What shall we do to the ark of Jehovah? Let us know with what we shall send it to its place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Philistynes called their prestes and soythsayers, and sayde: What shal we do with the Arke of the LORDE? Shewe vs, wher with shal we sende it vnto hir place?
American Standard Version
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? show us wherewith we shall send it to its place.
Bible in Basic English
And the Philistines sent for the priests and those who were wise in secret arts, and said to them, What are we to do with the ark of the Lord? How are we to send it away to its place?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Philistines called for the priestes and the soothsayers, saying: What shall we do with the arke of the Lord? Tell vs wherewith we shall sende it home againe:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: 'What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? declare unto us wherewith we shall send it to its place.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diuiners, saying, What shall we doe to the Arke of the Lord ? Tell vs wherewith we shall send it to his place?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Philistines call their priests, and their prophets, and their enchanters, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? teach us wherewith we shall send it away to its place.
English Revised Version
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? shew us wherewith we shall send it to its place.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and aftir these thingis Filisteis clepiden preestis and false dyuynours, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God? Shewe ye to vs, hou we schulen sende it in to his place.
Young's Literal Translation
and the Philistines call for priests and for diviners, saying, `What do we do to the ark of Jehovah? let us know wherewith we send it to its place?'
Update Bible Version
And the Philistines called for the priests and the fortune-tellers, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? show us with which we shall sent it to its place.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us with what we shall send it to its place.
World English Bible
The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Show us with which we shall send it to its place."
New King James Version
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
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."
New Life Bible
The Philistines called for the religious leaders and those who were wise in secret ways, saying, "What should we do with the special box of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place."
New Revised Standard
Then the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the Lord ? Tell us what we should send with it to its place."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then called the Philistines for the priests and for the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Let us know, wherewith we shall send it to its own place.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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 are to send it back to its place. And they said:
Revised Standard Version
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 American Standard Bible (1995)
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 shall send it to its place."

Contextual Overview

1When the ark of the LORD had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months, 2the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place."3They replied, "If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you." 4"What guilt offering should we send back to Him?" asked the Philistines. "Five gold tumors and five gold rats," they said, "according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. 5Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land. 6Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people on their way as they departed? 7Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way, 9but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

called: Genesis 41:8, Exodus 7:11, Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:13, Daniel 2:2, Daniel 5:7, Matthew 2:4

wherewith: Micah 6:6-9

Reciprocal: Judges 18:17 - the graven Jonah 1:11 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the name of the LORD.
Genesis 6:1
Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:2
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
Genesis 6:3
So the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years."
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and afterward as well, when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:6
And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6:7
So the LORD said, "I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them."
Genesis 6:8
Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Genesis 6:12
And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Philistines called for the priests and for the diviners,.... The one were skilled in the rites and ceremonies of religion, not only of their own, but of other nations, particularly of Israel; and that they were not strangers to the history and affairs of that people is plain from 1 Samuel 6:6 and the other were skilled in judicial astrology, and knowledge of future events, at least as they pretended to; and therefore were both thought fit persons to advise with on the occasion of the ark, and the circumstances they were in through that:

saying, what shall we do to the ark of the Lord? shall we send it back to its own land, or not? the Ekronites had moved it might be sent back, and the five lords sent for the priests and diviners to have their advice upon it, whether it was right or not, and what they should do to it, or with it; for if it was advisable to send it back, then another question follows:

tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place; whether on men's shoulders, or on horses or asses, or on a carriage; and whether just as it was taken, or with some presents with it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 6:2. The diviners — קסמים kosemim, from קסם kasam, to presage or prognosticate. See Deuteronomy 18:10. In what their pretended art consisted, we know not.


 
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