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 Bethshemite.
And the golden mice matched the number of all the Philistine cities that belonged to the five rulers, both the fortified cities and the country villages. They brought these offerings all the way to the great stone of Abel, where they set down the ark of the LORD. That stone is still there today in the field of Joshua from Beth Shemesh.
This verse records that the Philistines made golden mice offerings equal to the number of their cities, and describes the landmark stone where they placed God's ark when returning it to Israel.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant during a battle with the Israelites, which resulted in devastating plagues of tumors and mice sent by God as judgment on their cities. To rid themselves of these afflictions, the Philistine leaders prepared guilt offerings, including golden mice to represent the plague, and returned the Ark to Israelite territory. This verse specifically notes the Ark's placement on a great stone in the field of Joshua in Beth Shemesh, marking the end of its time among the Philistines and emphasizing God's sovereignty over the events.
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