The Meaning of 1 Samuel 6:3 Explained

1 Samuel 6:3

KJV: And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

YLT: And they say, 'If ye are sending away the ark of the God of Israel, ye do not send it away empty; for ye do certainly send back to Him a guilt-offering; then ye are healed, and it hath been known to you why His hand doth not turn aside from you.'

Darby: And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; ye must at any rate return him a trespass-offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

ASV: And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but by all means return him a trespass-offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they said,  If ye send away  the ark  of the God  of Israel,  send  it not empty;  but in any wise  return  him a trespass offering:  then ye shall be healed,  and it shall be known  to you why his hand  is not removed  from you. 

What does 1 Samuel 6:3 Mean?

Study Notes

then ye
Contra. Hebrews 9:22 .

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 6:3 mean?

So they said if you send away - the ark of the God of Israel not do send it empty but by all means return [it] to Him [with] a trespass offering then you will be healed and it will be known to you why not is removed His hand from you
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אִֽם־ מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים אֶת־ אֲר֨וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַל־ תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ רֵיקָ֔ם כִּֽי־ הָשֵׁ֥ב תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ ל֖וֹ אָשָׁ֑ם אָ֤ז תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ וְנוֹדַ֣ע לָכֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה לֹא־ תָס֥וּר יָד֖וֹ מִכֶּֽם

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ  So  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים  you  send  away 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
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.
אֲר֨וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
אֱלֹהֵ֤י  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּ  do  send 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
רֵיקָ֔ם  empty 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רֵיקָם  
Sense: vainly, emptily.
הָשֵׁ֥ב  by  all  means 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ  return  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
ל֖וֹ  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אָשָׁ֑ם  [with]  a  trespass  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָשָׁם  
Sense: guilt, offense, guiltiness.
תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙  you  will  be  healed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
וְנוֹדַ֣ע  and  it  will  be  known 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
לָכֶ֔ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לָ֛מָּה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תָס֥וּר  is  removed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
יָד֖וֹ  His  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִכֶּֽם  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.