1 Samuel 6 · Verse 18

1 Samuel 6:18

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite.
1 Samuel 6:18, King James Version

1 Samuel 6:18 in other translations

BSBThe number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
WEBand the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the LORD’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
ASVand the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
YLTand the golden mice--the number of all the cities of the Philistines--for the five princes, from the fenced city even unto the hamlet of the villages, even unto the great meadow on which they placed the ark of Jehovah-- are unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-Shemeshite.
DARBYand the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and villages of the peasantry; and they brought them as far as the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, which is to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite.
BBEAnd the gold mice, one for every town of the Philistines, the property of the five lords, walled towns as well as country places: and the great stone where they put the ark of the Lord is still in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite to this day.
WebsterAnd the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities, and of country villages, even to the great stone of Abel, on which they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

What does 1 Samuel 6:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 6:17-18

17-18. And these are the golden emerods ... and the mice--There were five representative images of the emerods, corresponding to the five principal cities of the Philistines. But the number of the golden mice must have been greater, for they were sent from the walled towns as well as the country villages.

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 6:17-18 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 And the golden mice - The desolation that had been made through the land by these animals had excited a general concern; and it appears from the text, that all the cities of the Philistines, as well fended as without walls, sent a golden mouse as a trespass-offering. Remaineth unto this day - Some think the ark is intended, which continued on the stone of Abel for some considerable time after it was placed there; and that the memoranda from which this book was afterwards compiled, were made before it was removed: but it is not likely that it remained any time exposed in the open field. Therefore it is most natural to suppose that it is the stone of Abel which is here intended; and so our translators have understood the place, and have used supplementary words to express this sentiment: "Which stone remaineth unto this day."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 6:10-18

These two kine knew their owner, their great Owner, whom Hophin and Phinehas knew not. God's providence takes notice even of brute creatures, and serves its own purposes by them. When the reapers saw the ark, they rejoiced; their joy for that was greater than the joy of harvest. The return of the ark, and the revival of holy ordinances, after days of restraint and trouble, are matters of great joy.

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 6:10-18 →

1 Samuel 6:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעַכְבְּרֵ֣יve.'akh.be.Reiand [the] mice ofH5909
הַזָּהָ֗בha.za.Hav<the> goldH2091
מִסְפַּ֞רmis.Par[the] number ofH4557
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
עָרֵ֤י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
פְלִשְׁתִּים֙fe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
לַחֲמֵ֣שֶׁתla.cha.Me.shetof [the] fiveH2568
הַסְּרָנִ֔יםha.se.ra.Nimthe rulersH5633
מֵעִ֣ירme.'Irfrom a city ofH5892
מִבְצָ֔רmiv.TzarfortificationH4013
וְעַ֖דve.'Adand untoH5704
כֹּ֣פֶרKo.fer<the> village[s] ofH3724
הַפְּרָזִ֑יha.pe.ra.Zithe hamlet-dweller[s]H6521
וְעַ֣ד\׀ve.'Adand toH5704
אָבֵ֣ל'a.VelAbelH59
הַגְּדוֹלָ֗הha.ge.do.Lahthe greatH1419
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhichH834
הִנִּ֤יחוּhi.Ni.chuthey set downH5117
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙'a.Lei.haon itH5921
אֵ֚ת'et<obj.>H853
אֲר֣וֹן'a.Ron[the] ark ofH727
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
עַ֚ד'aduntilH5704
הַיּ֣וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
הַזֶּ֔הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
בִּשְׂדֵ֥הbis.Dehin [the] field ofH7704
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
בֵּֽית\־beit-[the] BethH1030
הַשִּׁמְשִֽׁי\׃ha.shim.Shi<the> ShemeshiteH1030

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 6:18

  • 1 Samuel 6:14-16

    And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth–shemite, 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. And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth–shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

  • Deuteronomy 3:5

    All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.

  • Joshua 13:3

    From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the five lords.
16; Jos 13:3
great stone of. or, great stone.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 6:17

    And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

  • 1 Samuel 6:18

    And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite.

  • 1 Samuel 6:19

    And he smote the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

Read all of 1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 6:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y ratones de oro conforme al número de todas las ciudades de los Filisteos pertenecientes á los cinco príncipes, desde las ciudades fuertes hasta las aldeas sin muro; y hasta la gran piedra sobre la cual pusieron el arca de Jehová, piedra que está en el campo de Josué Beth-semita hasta hoy.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et les souris d’or, selon le nombre de toutes les villes des Philistins, des cinq princes, depuis les villes fortifiées jusqu’aux villages des campagnards; et ils les amenèrent jusqu’à la grande pierre d’Abel, sur laquelle ils posèrent l’arche de l’ Éternel; elle est jusqu’à ce jour dans le champ de Josué, le Beth-Shémite.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und die goldenen Mäuse nach der Zahl aller Städte der Philister, nach den fünf Fürsten, von den festen Städten bis zu den offenen Dörfern; und sie brachten sie bis zu dem großen Stein Abel, auf welchen sie die Lade Jehovas niedersetzten, der bis auf diesen Tag im Felde Josuas, des Beth-Semiters, ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et mures aureos secundum numerum urbium Philisthiim, quinque provinciarum, ab urbe murata usque ad villam quæ erat absque muro, et usque ad Abelmagnum, super quem posuerunt arcam Domini, quæ erat usque in illum diem in agro Josue Bethsamitis.