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."

◄ 1 Samuel 6:2 ►

New International Version
the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back 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.”

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.”

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

King James Bible
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.

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 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.”

NASB 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.”

NASB 1977
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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Holman 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.”

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 sent 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!"

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
when the Philistines called for priests and people skilled in explaining omens. The Philistines asked, "What should we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to return it to its [proper] 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?"

International Standard Version
The Philistines summoned the priests and diviners and asked, "What should we do about the Ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place."

Majority Standard Bible
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.?

NET Bible
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."

New Heart English Bible
The Philistines called for the priests, and for the diviners, and for the magicians, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send 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 Yahweh’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and the Philistines call for priests and for diviners, saying, “What do we do to the Ark of YHWH? Let us know with what we send it to its 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?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Philisteim will call for the priests and for the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of Jehovah? make known to us in what we shall send it to its place?

Catholic Translations

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:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Reveal to us in what manner we should send it back to its place.” And they said:

New American Bible
when they summoned priests and diviners to ask, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us what we should send back with it.”

New Revised Standard Version
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.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistines, the Priests and the Tyrants called and they said: “What shall we do with the Ark of LORD JEHOVAH? Show us by what we shall send it to its place?”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 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.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Ark Returned to Israel
1When the ark of the LORD had been in the land of the Philistines 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.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 7:11-12
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. / Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

Exodus 8:7
But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

Exodus 9:11
The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:12
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. / For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

Isaiah 19:3
Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists.

Isaiah 47:12-13
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! / You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

Daniel 2:2
So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

Daniel 4:7
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.

Daniel 5:7
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

Acts 8:9-11
Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great, / and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.” / They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

Acts 13:6-8
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, / an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. / But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Acts 16:16-18
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. / This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” / She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

Revelation 9:20-21
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. / Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.

Treasury of Scripture

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us with which we shall send it to his place.

called

Genesis 41:8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:11
Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

Isaiah 47:12,13
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail…

wherewith

Micah 6:6-9
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? …

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1 Samuel 6

1. After seven months the Philistines take counsel how to send back the ark
10. They bring it on a new cart with an offering unto Beth Shemesh
19. The people are smitten for looking into the ark
21. They send to them of Kiriath Jearim to fetch it

Berean Study Bible

the Philistines
The Philistines were a significant group of people in the ancient Near East, often in conflict with the Israelites. Archaeological evidence suggests they were part of the Sea Peoples who settled in the coastal regions of Canaan. Their interactions with Israel are pivotal in understanding the historical and cultural tensions of the time. The Philistines' decision to consult religious figures indicates their recognition of the ark's power and their desperation to alleviate the plagues afflicting them.

called for the priests and diviners
In ancient cultures, priests and diviners were seen as intermediaries between the divine and human realms. The Hebrew word for "diviners" (קֹסְמִים, qosemim) refers to those who practiced divination, a common practice in the ancient Near East to discern the will of the gods. This highlights the Philistines' reliance on spiritual guidance to resolve their crisis, acknowledging the ark's divine significance.

saying, 'What shall we do with the ark of the LORD?'
The ark of the LORD, or the Ark of the Covenant, was central to Israelite worship, symbolizing God's presence among His people. The Philistines' question reveals their fear and respect for the ark's power, as they had experienced severe consequences since capturing it. This moment underscores the theme of God's sovereignty and the futility of opposing His will.

Tell us how we should send it back to its place
The Philistines' desire to return the ark "to its place" indicates their recognition that it belonged with the Israelites. This phrase reflects a turning point where the Philistines acknowledge their inability to control or benefit from the ark. It also signifies a broader theological truth: God's presence cannot be manipulated or contained by human hands. The historical context of this event demonstrates the power of God over all nations and the importance of reverence and obedience to His divine order.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) What shall we do to the ark of the Lord?--During the seven months which followed the great Philistine victory of Aphek, the Ark remained in the country of the enemies of Israel. It was removed from temple to temple in the various cities, but the same doom always followed it. The inhabitants of the city where was the Ark were smitten with deadly abscesses, in addition to which, from the statement in 1Samuel 6:5, a plague of field-mice during the same period probably desolated the land. In their distress the Philistine rulers, determining to get rid of the fatal trophy of which they were once so proud, consulted their priests and diviners as to the most graceful and effective way of returning the captured Hebrew emblem. The "diviners" in the counsels of all the nations of antiquity occupy a distinguished place. We hear of them under different designations, as magicians, sorcerers, soothsayers, augurs, oracles, &c. They plied their strange trade, now with the aid of arrows, now with the entrails of slain animals, now with observation of the stars, now with the watching of natural signs, the flight of birds, &c. These men, who in one form or other dabbled in occult science, and perhaps here and there were aided by evil and unclean spirits, but who more frequently traded on the credulity and superstition of their fellows, occupied a considerable position among the nations of antiquity. We hear of them frequently among the Israelites, who seem to have adopted this class of advisers from the heathen nations around them. Isaiah (Isaiah 3:2) specially mentions them, and reckons these diviners among the leading orders of the State. The English Version, however, with singular inconsistency, renders the word in that same passage by "prudent;" possibly, it has been ingeniously suggested, owing to the translators being displeased at finding the professors of a forbidden art ranked so highly among the chosen people.

In the first verse the LXX. add, "and the land swarmed with mice," another of the many explanatory additions so common in the Greek translation of the Hebrew.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

the Philistines
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

summoned
וַיִּקְרְא֣וּ (way·yiq·rə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the priests
לַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים (lak·kō·hă·nîm)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

and diviners,
וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙ (wə·laq·qō·sə·mîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7080: To distribute, determine by lot, magical scroll, to divine

saying,
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“What
מַֽה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

shall we do
נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה (na·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

with the ark
לַאֲר֣וֹן (la·’ă·rō·wn)
Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of the LORD?
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Tell
הוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ (hō·w·ḏi·‘u·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

us how
בַּמֶּ֖ה (bam·meh)
Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

to send it back
נְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ (nə·šal·lə·ḥen·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

to its place.”
לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (lim·qō·w·mōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

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OT History: 1 Samuel 6:2 The Philistines called for the priests (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)