The Meaning of 1 Samuel 6:5 Explained

1 Samuel 6:5

KJV: Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

YLT: and ye have made images of your emerods, and images of your mice that are corrupting the land, and have given honour to the God of Israel; it may be He doth lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land;

Darby: And ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids, and images of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

ASV: Wherefore ye shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore ye shall make  images  of your emerods,  and images  of your mice  that mar  the land;  and ye shall give  glory  unto the God  of Israel:  peradventure he will lighten  his hand  from off you, and from off your gods,  and from off your land. 

What does 1 Samuel 6:5 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 6:5 mean?

Therefore you shall make images of - your tumors and images of your rats that ravage - the land and you shall give to the God of Israel glory perhaps He will lighten His hand from you and from your gods your land
וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֩ צַלְמֵ֨י [עפליכם] (טְחֹרֵיכֶ֜ם) וְצַלְמֵ֣י עַכְבְּרֵיכֶ֗ם הַמַּשְׁחִיתִם֙ אֶת־ הָאָ֔רֶץ וּנְתַתֶּ֛ם לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּב֑וֹד אוּלַ֗י יָקֵ֤ל יָדוֹ֙ מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמֵעַ֥ל אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם אַרְצְכֶֽם

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֩  Therefore  you  shall  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
צַלְמֵ֨י  images  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צֶלֶם 
Sense: image.
[עפליכם]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
(טְחֹרֵיכֶ֜ם)  your  tumors 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עֹפֶל  
Sense: hill, mound, fort, stronghold, Ophel.
וְצַלְמֵ֣י  and  images 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צֶלֶם 
Sense: image.
עַכְבְּרֵיכֶ֗ם  of  your  rats 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עַכְבָּר  
Sense: mouse.
הַמַּשְׁחִיתִם֙  that  ravage 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
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.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּנְתַתֶּ֛ם  and  you  shall  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לֵאלֹהֵ֥י  to  the  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  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.
כָּב֑וֹד  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
אוּלַ֗י  perhaps 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
יָקֵ֤ל  He  will  lighten 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
יָדוֹ֙  His  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם  from  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וּמֵעַ֥ל  and  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם  your  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַרְצְכֶֽם  your  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.