1 Samuel 6
2 Samuel 6 develops around the process in which David brings the ark of the covenant of the Lord to Jerusalem. This chapter shows where the center of faith and worship is for the community of Israel, and how reverence and joy before God are balanced.
1verseThe LORD’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2verseThe Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the LORD’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.”
3verseThey said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”
4verseThen they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5verseTherefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.
6verseWhy then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?
7verse“Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk cows on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
8verseand take the LORD’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
9verseBehold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”
10verseThe men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11verseThey put the LORD’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.
12verseThe cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
13verseThe people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14verseThe cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the LORD.
15verseThe Levites took down the LORD’s ark and the box that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
16verseWhen the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17verseThese are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18verseand 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.
19verseHe struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the LORD’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.
20verseThe men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?”
21verseThey sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the LORD’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1–5: David gathers with the leaders of Israel to move the ark of the covenant. This expresses a longing to bring God’s presence back among the people.
- Verses 6–11: An incident occurs in which Uzzah touches the ark while it is being carried, and he dies on the spot. As a result, David and the people experience fear, and the ark remains in the house of Obed-edom.
- Verses 12–15: After hearing that Obed-edom’s household was blessed, David brings the ark to Jerusalem again—with renewed joy and reverence.
- Verses 16–23: While David joyfully dances and worships in the presence of the ark, Michal watches from a window and despises it. Through this, you can see the attitude of worship offered to God and a perspective on external evaluation.
Meaning of the Entire Chapter
This chapter makes you think about reverence and joy before God, and the essence of true worship. In the process of moving the ark of the covenant, the lack of godliness that was overlooked—and David’s second attempt to restore it—shows that the place of faith must always follow God’s will and ways. Meanwhile, David’s deep joy and worship, and Michal’s criticism, point to the importance of the posture with which we come to worship.
Points to Ponder
- When you worship, let’s think about what you put at the center. Are you truly exalting God?
- When you encounter God’s presence, what kind of attitude do you have? Are you perhaps treating it with a light heart or in the way of an ordinary daily habit?
- In the journey of faith, it’s worth reflecting on whether you respect the methods and order that God has established.
Applying It to Me
- Let’s check whether there is a heart of reverence for God in today’s worship and in everyday life.
- In your life of faith, place God’s will as a priority, and try to put into practice how you can concretely make efforts to live in a way that pleases Him.
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