1 Samuel 6:16
ESV
And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.
NIV
The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.
NASB
When the five governors of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.
CSB
When the five Philistine rulers observed this, they returned to Ekron that same day.
NLT
The five Philistine rulers watched all this and then returned to Ekron that same day.
KJV
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
NKJV
So when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
What does 1 Samuel 6:16 mean?
The five lords of the five major Philistine cities had followed the cows pulling the cart as far as the Israelite border at Beth-shemesh (1 Samuel 6:12). They likely wanted to make sure that the ark reached the Israelites and the cows did not turn around and walk it back into Philistine territory.Now Scripture reveals they stayed and watched from a distance as the Israelites in Beth-shemesh removed the ark from the cart and sacrificed the cows to the Lord on a large stone. This apparently concluded the matter for them, and the five lords returned to the Philistine city of Ekron, hoping the return of the ark of the Lord would bring an end to the plague in their land (1 Samuel 5:6–12; 6:2–9).
