1 Samuel 6:4

“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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Philistines deliberate among themselves after being struck by a plague of tumors and rats. They ask how to properly return the captured ark of the God of Israel following the priests' instruction to send a guilt offering.

The words — The Hebrew מָה (mah) asks "what?" regarding the specific nature of the required payment. הָאָשָׁם (ha'asham) denotes a "guilt offering," indicating a mandatory restitution for transgression rather than a voluntary gift.

The thread — The phrase "five rulers of the Philistines" appears in Joshua 13:3 and Judges 3:3 to describe the same political structure. In 1 Samuel 6:17, the Philistines fulfill this directive by sending one gold tumor for each of the five major cities.

Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that even hostile powers must quantify their restitution when confronting divine judgment. It requires the reader to recognize that spiritual authority operates independently of human political structures.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

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;
Judges 3:3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
1 Samuel 6:17 As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
1 Samuel 5:6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
1 Samuel 5:9 But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
Exodus 12:35 Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.
1 Samuel 5:12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
1 Samuel 6:5 Make 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.