The Meaning of 1 Samuel 6:2 Explained

1 Samuel 6:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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?'

Darby: And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 6:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 6:1-12 - Returned With A Trespass-Offering
There is reason to suppose that when the Philistines got possession of the Ark, they destroyed Shiloh. See Psalms 78:60; Psalms 78:64; Jeremiah 26:9. They could not imagine how to rid themselves of the sacred emblem, which brought only destruction in its train, until they had consulted the priests. These priests appear to have been well acquainted with the previous history of the Israelites, though centuries had passed since the passage of the Red Sea. How ignorantly men think of God! He is not their enemy, but the enemy of their sin.
What a striking illustration is afforded by these lowing kine! Their maternal instincts yearned for their young, detained behind; but they were urged forward by a supernatural impulse. So the missionary may leave wife and child, that he may carry the Gospel to the heathen; so the slum-worker may abandon all that others hold dear, in order to change some wretched district into a city of God. Our weak heart clings, but the love of Christ constrains us, and we go forward, urged by a divine and overmastering motive. [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 6:2 mean?

And called the Philistines for the priests and the diviners saying what shall we do with the ark of Yahweh Tell us by what should we send it to its place
וַיִּקְרְא֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים לַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַֽה־ נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לַאֲר֣וֹן ؟ יְהוָ֑ה הוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ בַּמֶּ֖ה נְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ

וַיִּקְרְא֣וּ  And  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
לַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים  for  the  priests 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙  and  the  diviners 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָסַם  
Sense: (Qal) to practice divination, divine.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה  shall  we  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לַאֲר֣וֹן  with  the  ark 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
؟ יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ  Tell  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural, first person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
בַּמֶּ֖ה  by  what 
Parse: Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
נְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ  should  we  send  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ  to  its  place 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.