The Meaning of 1 Samuel 6:14 Explained

1 Samuel 6:14

KJV: And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

YLT: And the cart hath come in unto the field of Joshua the Beth-Shemeshite, and standeth there, and there is a great stone, and they cleave the wood of the cart, and the kine they have caused to ascend -- a burnt-offering to Jehovah.

Darby: And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite, and stood there; and a great stone was there. And they clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine as a burnt-offering to Jehovah.

ASV: And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the cart  came  into the field  of Joshua,  a Bethshemite,  and stood  there, where [there was] a great  stone:  and they clave  the wood  of the cart,  and offered  the kine  a burnt offering  unto the LORD. 

What does 1 Samuel 6:14 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 6:13-21 - Rashness Punished Reverence Blessed
The new cart, with its precious burden, must have come upon the men of Beth-shemesh like an apparition. The Ark was welcomed by them, after its seven months of absence, with great joy. But privilege entails responsibility; and their wanton curiosity and irreverence could not be permitted. Reverence for God Himself demanded the most careful behavior toward the Ark of His Presence, and when this was lacking, swift judgment ensued. See Numbers 1:50-51; Numbers 4:5; Numbers 4:16-30.
It is interesting to notice that when the Israelites were weaned from the Ark, their hearts lamented after the Lord, 1 Samuel 7:2. We cannot be permanently happy without God. Seasons of apathy and irreligion will sooner or later be succeeded by faith and love, as the frost of winter yields to the touch of spring. In this case, the revival was due to the patient labor of Samuel, and he did splendid service in urging the people to deal drastically with the idols of Canaan, which had cut them off from God as clouds hide the sun. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 6:14 mean?

And the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stood there and there a stone [was] large so they split - the wood of the cart and the cows offered as a burnt offering to Yahweh -
וְהָעֲגָלָ֡ה בָּ֠אָה אֶל־ שְׂדֵ֨ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ בֵּֽית־ הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙ וַתַּעֲמֹ֣ד שָׁ֔ם וְשָׁ֖ם אֶ֣בֶן גְּדוֹלָ֑ה וַֽיְבַקְּעוּ֙ אֶת־ עֲצֵ֣י הָעֲגָלָ֔ה וְאֶת־ הַ֨פָּר֔וֹת הֶעֱל֥וּ עֹלָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה ס

וְהָעֲגָלָ֡ה  And  the  cart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲגִילָה 
Sense: cart, wagon.
בָּ֠אָה  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שְׂדֵ֨ה  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ  of  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙  Beth  Shemesh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־שִׁמְשִׁי 
Sense: an inhabitant of Beth-shemesh.
וַתַּעֲמֹ֣ד  and  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
וְשָׁ֖ם  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
אֶ֣בֶן  a  stone  [was] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
גְּדוֹלָ֑ה  large 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַֽיְבַקְּעוּ֙  so  they  split 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲצֵ֣י  the  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הָעֲגָלָ֔ה  of  the  cart 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲגִילָה 
Sense: cart, wagon.
הַ֨פָּר֔וֹת  the  cows 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: פָּרָה  
Sense: cow, heifer.
הֶעֱל֥וּ  offered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עֹלָ֖ה  as  a  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
לַיהוָֽה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation