And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.
Watch and see if it goes up the road toward its own territory to Beth Shemesh. If it does, then he has brought this terrible disaster on us. But if it doesn't go that way, then we'll know it wasn't his power that struck us down—it was just a random accident that happened to us.
The Philistines are devising a test to see if their suffering was really caused by God or just bad luck.
📚 Historical Context
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant from Israel and experienced severe plagues and disasters. They were now trying to determine if these calamities were divine judgment from Israel's God or mere coincidence. Beth Shemesh was an Israelite town on the border, so if the ark naturally returned there, it would confirm God's involvement.
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