John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And see if it goeth up by the way of its own coast to Bethshemesh , etc.] The nearest city to the land of the Philistines, which lay on their borders, and the borders of the tribe of Judah, (see Gill on “ Joshua 15:10”). Now the lords of the Philistines are directed by their priests to observe, whether these kine, that drew the cart on which the ark was, took the direct road to the borders of the land of Israel, and to Bethshemesh, the nearest city that lay on that coast: if so, they might conclude then, he hath done us this great evil ; that is, the God of Israel, whose ark this was; he had inflicted the disease of the emerods on them, and sent such numbers of mice into their fields, that had destroyed the increase of them: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that hath smote us ; but that there is some other cause of it: it was a chance that happened to us ; and so might have been the case if the ark had never been taken or detained, and to be imputed to fate, or to the stars, or some secret causes they know not of.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Seven months the Philistines were punished with the presence of the ark; so long it was a plague to them, because they would not send it home sooner. Sinners lengthen out their own miseries by refusing to part with their sins. The Israelites made no effort to recover the ark Alas! where shall we find concern for religion prevail above all othe matters? In times of public calamity we fear for ourselves, for ou families, and for our country; but who cares for the ark of God? We ar favoured with the gospel, but it is treated with neglect or contempt We need not wonder if it should be taken from us; to many persons this though the heavies of calamities, would occasion no grief. There ar multitudes whom any profession would please as well as that of Christianity. But there are those who value the house, the word, an the ministry of God above their richest possessions, who dread the los of these blessings more than death. How willing bad men are to shif off their convictions, and when they are in trouble, to believe it is chance that happens; and that the rod has no voice which they shoul hear or heed!
Original Hebrew וראיתם7200 אם518 דרך1870 גבולו1366 יעלה5927 בית שׁמשׁ1053 הוא1931 עשׂה6213 לנו את853 הרעה7451 הגדולה1419 הזאת2063 ואם518 לא3808 וידענו3045 כי3588 לא3808 ידו3027 נגעה5060 בנו מקרה4745 הוא1931 היה׃1961
