The Meaning of 1 Samuel 6:9 Explained

1 Samuel 6:9

KJV: And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

YLT: and ye have seen, if the way of its own border it goeth up to Beth-Shemesh -- He hath done to us this great evil; and if not, then we have known that His hand hath not come against us; an accident it hath been to us.'

Darby: And see, if it go up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, it is he who has done us this great evil; if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that touched us; it was a chance that happened to us.

ASV: And see; if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And see,  if it goeth up  by the way  of his own coast  to Bethshemesh,  [then] he hath done  us this great  evil:  but if not, then we shall know  that [it is] not his hand  [that] smote  us: it [was] a chance  [that] happened to us. 

What does 1 Samuel 6:9 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 6:9 mean?

And watch if the road to its own territory it goes up to Beth Shemesh [then] He has done us - disaster great this but if not then we shall know that [it is] not His hand [that] struck us by chance it happened to us
וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם אִם־ דֶּ֨רֶךְ גְּבוּל֤וֹ יַֽעֲלֶה֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ ה֚וּא עָ֣שָׂה לָ֔נוּ אֶת־ הָרָעָ֥ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְאִם־ לֹ֗א וְיָדַ֙עְנוּ֙ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָדוֹ֙ נָ֣גְעָה בָּ֔נוּ מִקְרֶ֥ה ה֖וּא הָ֥יָה לָֽנוּ

וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם  And  watch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
דֶּ֨רֶךְ  the  road  to 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
גְּבוּל֤וֹ  its  own  territory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
יַֽעֲלֶה֙  it  goes  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ  Beth  Shemesh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: a town in southwest Judah.
ה֚וּא  [then]  He 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עָ֣שָׂה  has  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
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.
הָרָעָ֥ה  disaster 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הַזֹּ֑את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְאִם־  but  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
וְיָדַ֙עְנוּ֙  then  we  shall  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֣י  that  [it  is] 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יָדוֹ֙  His  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נָ֣גְעָה  [that]  struck 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
בָּ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מִקְרֶ֥ה  by  chance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִקְרֶה  
Sense: unforeseen meeting or event, accident, happening, chance, fortune.
הָ֥יָה  happened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָֽנוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural