I Samuel · Chapter 6 King James Version

I Samuel 6:19

🔍 Text

The Scripture

(19) And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
Chapter overview (whole chapter)

First Samuel 6 records the Philistines' return of the ark after seven months, following the advice of their priests and diviners to send it back with a trespass offering of five golden emerods and five golden mice on a new cart drawn by milk cows that had never been yoked. The cows head straight toward Bethshemesh, confirming that the calamity was from the Lord, but the men of Bethshemesh are struck down for looking into the ark. Survivors then send messengers to Kirjathjearim asking them to come and fetch the ark.

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