This verse portrays the Philistines’ desperate and reverent attempt to rectify their offense against the God of Israel.
When the Philistine leaders are faced with a bewildering crisis after taking the ark of God, they ask, “What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him?” and receive specific instructions: “Five golden tumors and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords” (v.4). This verse highlights the deep fear and conscience-stricken state of the Philistines, who recognize that the affliction plaguing their people is a result of dishonoring the God of Israel. They believe by making a guilt offering in gold, shaped to represent the tumors and mice that ravaged their land, they might appease His wrath. This practice hearkens back to the Old Testament principle of offering specific sacrifices to atone for sin, an idea that also foreshadows the ultimate atonement fulfilled in Jesus (Hebrews 10:10).
The Philistines were a powerful people group living in the southwestern coastal region of Canaan (modern-day Israel/Palestine area), organized into five major cities—Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron—each ruled by its own leader. During the approximate timeframe of the 11th century B.C., Israel was in a tumultuous era governed by judges and transitioning into a monarchy. The prophet Samuel, an influential figure in Israel’s history, was active around this time (around late 11th century and early 10th century B.C.), and his ministry overlapped with significant conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines.
In the call for “Five golden tumors and five golden mice” (v.4), the Philistine rulers provide a symbolic illustration that the calamity was both collective and widespread, affecting all five principal cities under their control. Acknowledging that “…one plague was on all of you and on your lords” (v.4) indicates the disaster impacted every social stratum in Philistia, underlining the seriousness with which they regarded this divine punishment. Their response also aligns with biblical patterns of guilt offerings, which, as prescribed in Leviticus, address wrongdoing through a costly sacrifice. Here, the Philistines adapt that principle not only by recognizing their guilt but also by hoping to remove God’s judicial hand from their entire society.
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1 Samuel 6:4 meaning
When the Philistine leaders are faced with a bewildering crisis after taking the ark of God, they ask, “What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him?” and receive specific instructions: “Five golden tumors and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords” (v.4). This verse highlights the deep fear and conscience-stricken state of the Philistines, who recognize that the affliction plaguing their people is a result of dishonoring the God of Israel. They believe by making a guilt offering in gold, shaped to represent the tumors and mice that ravaged their land, they might appease His wrath. This practice hearkens back to the Old Testament principle of offering specific sacrifices to atone for sin, an idea that also foreshadows the ultimate atonement fulfilled in Jesus (Hebrews 10:10).
The Philistines were a powerful people group living in the southwestern coastal region of Canaan (modern-day Israel/Palestine area), organized into five major cities—Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron—each ruled by its own leader. During the approximate timeframe of the 11th century B.C., Israel was in a tumultuous era governed by judges and transitioning into a monarchy. The prophet Samuel, an influential figure in Israel’s history, was active around this time (around late 11th century and early 10th century B.C.), and his ministry overlapped with significant conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines.
In the call for “Five golden tumors and five golden mice” (v.4), the Philistine rulers provide a symbolic illustration that the calamity was both collective and widespread, affecting all five principal cities under their control. Acknowledging that “…one plague was on all of you and on your lords” (v.4) indicates the disaster impacted every social stratum in Philistia, underlining the seriousness with which they regarded this divine punishment. Their response also aligns with biblical patterns of guilt offerings, which, as prescribed in Leviticus, address wrongdoing through a costly sacrifice. Here, the Philistines adapt that principle not only by recognizing their guilt but also by hoping to remove God’s judicial hand from their entire society.