| 1And the Ark of the Lord was in the field of the Philistines seven months. |
|
אוַיְהִ֧י אֲרוֹן־יְהֹוָ֛ה בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים שִׁבְעָ֥ה חֳדָשִֽׁים: |
| 2And the Philistines called the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the Ark of the Lord? Let us know in what (manner) we shall send it to its place." |
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בוַיִּקְרְא֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים לַכֹּהֲנִ֚ים וְלַקֹּֽסְמִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶֹ֖ה לַאֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֑ה הוֹדִעֻ֕נוּ בַּמֶּ֖ה נְשַׁלְּחֶ֥נּוּ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ: |
| in what. In what manner shall we send it away, so that He will not be angry, and so that His wrath will be removed from us. |
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במה נשלחנו.
באיזה ענין נשלחנו שלא יחרה אפו, וישוב חרונו ממנו:
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| 3And they said, "If you send the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but you shall send back with it a guilt-offering. Then you will be cured, and it will be known to you, why His hand would not turn away from you. |
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גוַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אִֽם־מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים אֶת־אֲר֨וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֚י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַל־תְּשַׁלְּח֚וּ אֹתוֹ֙ רֵיקָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָשֵׁ֥ב תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ ל֖וֹ אָשָׁ֑ם אָ֚ז תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ וְנוֹדַ֣ע לָכֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה לֹא־תָס֥וּר יָד֖וֹ מִכֶּֽם: |
| a guilt offering. An indication that you confess that you have betrayed Him. |
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אשם.
היכר דבר שאתם מודים שמעלתם בו:
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| Then you will be cured, and it will be known to you. that He did this, for why wouldn’t His hand turn away from you then? |
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אז.
תרפאו ונודע לכם שהוא עשה, כי למה לא תסור ידו אז מכם:
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| 4And they said, "What is the guilt-offering which we shall send back to Him?" And they said, "The number of the lords of the Philistines: five hemorrhoids of gold and five mice of gold, for there is one plague for all of them and for your lords. |
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דוַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָ֣ה הָאָשָׁם֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָשִׁ֣יב לוֹ֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מִסְפַּר֙ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֲמִשָּׁה֙ טְחֹרֵ֣י (כתיב עְפֹלֵ֣י) זָהָ֔ב וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה עַכְבְּרֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב כִּֽי־מַגֵּפָ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לְכֻלָּ֖ם וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם: |
| lords of the Philistines. They were five, as it is stated (Jos. 13:3): “The Gazite and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite.” |
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סרני פלשתים.
חמשה הם, כמה שנאמר (ביהושע יג ג): העזתי והאשדודי האשקלוני הגתי והעקרוני:
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| 5And you shall make the images of your hemorrhoids and the images of your mice who destroy the land, and you shall give honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from upon you, and from upon your god, and from upon your land. |
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הוַעֲשִׂיתֶם֩ צַלְמֵ֨י טְחֹרֵיכֶ֜ם (כתיב עְפֹלֵיכֶ֜ם) וְצַלְמֵ֣י עַכְבְּרֵיכֶ֗ם הַמַּשְׁחִיתִם֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּנְתַתֶּ֛ם לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּב֑וֹד אוּלַ֗י יָקֵ֚ל אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמֵעַ֥ל אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם וּמֵעַ֥ל אַרְצְכֶֽם: |
| 6And why should you make your heart heavy as the Egyptians and Pharaoh made their hearts heavy? Will it not be, just as He mocked them, and they sent them away, and they departed? |
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ווְלָ֚מָּה תְכַבְּדוּ֙ אֶת־לְבַבְכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר כִּבְּד֛וּ מִצְרַ֥יִם וּפַרְעֹ֖ה אֶת־לִבָּ֑ם הֲלוֹא֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל בָּהֶ֔ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ: |
| 7And now take (wood) and make one new cart, and (take) two milch cows, upon which no yoke has (ever) come, and you shall hitch the cows to the cart, and return their young home from behind them. |
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זוְעַתָּ֗ה קְח֨וּ וַעֲשֹ֜וּ עֲגָלָ֚ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ אֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּ֚י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עֹ֑ל וַאֲסַרְתֶּ֚ם אֶת־הַפָּרוֹת֙ בָּעֲגָלָ֔ה וַהֲשֵׁיבֹתֶ֧ם בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם הַבָּֽיְתָה: |
| עלות. milch cows. |
|
עלות.
מניקות:
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| upon which no yoke has (ever) come. This is for the test. Since these cows are not capable of pulling a load, and furthermore, they will low after their young, if the Ark will have the power to enable them to pull it by themselves, we shall know that He wrought this upon us. |
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אשר לא עלה עליהם עול.
כל זה לנסיון, שאין אלו ראויות למשוך, ועוד שגועות אחר בניהם, ואם יהא כח בארון שיוליכו אותו מאליהם, נדע שהוא עשה לנו:
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| 8And you shall take the Ark of the Lord, and you shall place it on the cart, and the golden objects which you have sent back to Him as a guilt-offering, you shall place in the box at its side, and you shall send it away, and it will go. |
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חוּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֗ה וּנְתַתֶּ֚ם אֹתוֹ֙ אֶל־הָ֣עֲגָלָ֔ה וְאֵ֣ת| כְּלֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֲשֵׁבֹתֶ֥ם לוֹ֙ אָשָׁ֔ם תָּשִֹ֥ימוּ בָאַרְגַּ֖ז מִצִּדּ֑וֹ וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ וְהָלָֽךְ: |
| in the box. escrin in French. |
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בארגז.
שקריניי"ו בלע"ז:
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| 9And you will see, if it goes up on the way to its own boundary, to Beth-shemesh, He wrought upon us this great evil, and if not, then we shall know that it was not His hand which touched us; it was an accident which befell us. |
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טוּרְאִיתֶ֗ם אִם־דֶּ֨רֶךְ גְּבוּל֚וֹ יַֽעֲלֶה֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ ֤הוּא עָ֣שָׂה לָ֔נוּ אֶת־הָרָעָ֥ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְאִם־לֹ֗א וְיָדַ֙עְנוּ֙ כִּ֣י לֹ֚א יָדוֹ֙ נָ֣גְעָה בָּ֔נוּ מִקְרֶ֥ה ה֖וּא הָ֥יָה לָֽנוּ: |
| 10And the men did so, and they took two milch cows, and hitched them to the cart, and their young they shut up in the house. |
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יוַיַּעֲשֹ֚וּ הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְח֗וּ שְׁתֵּ֚י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת וַיַּאַסְר֖וּם בָּעֲגָלָ֑ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם כָּל֥וּ בַבָּֽיִת: |
| they shut up in the house. (Heb. ‘kalu,’) an expression of imprisonment, ‘kele.’ |
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כלו בבית.
לשון כלא:
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| 11And they placed the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and (also) the box, and the golden mice, and the images of their hemorrhoids. |
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יאוַיָּשִֹ֛מוּ אֶת־אֲר֥וֹן יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־הָעֲגָלָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת הָאַרְגַּ֗ז וְאֵת֙ עַכְבְּרֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב וְאֵ֖ת צַלְמֵ֥י טְחֹרֵיהֶֽם: |
| 12And the cows went straight in the road on the way to Beth-shemesh, on one highway, lowing as they went, and they turned neither to the right nor to the left. And the lords of the Philistines were going along after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. |
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יבוַיִּשַּׁ֨רְנָה הַפָּר֜וֹת בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ עַל־דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ בִּמְסִלָּ֣ה אַחַ֗ת הָלְכ֚וּ הָלֹךְ֙ וְגָע֔וֹ וְלֹא־סָ֖רוּ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׁמֹ֑אול וְסַרְנֵ֚י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ הֹלְכִ֣ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם עַד־גְּב֖וּל בֵּ֥ית שָֽׁמֶשׁ: |
| went straight. (Heb. ‘vayisharnah,’ aggadically interpreted as ‘sang’ from the root ‘shir.’) This word is a grammatical hermaphrodite (possessing the preformative ‘yod’ of the masculine and the afformative ‘nun’ ‘heh’ of the feminine). This teaches us that even the young (hence masculine) recited a song, viz., “Sing aloud, sing aloud, O Ark of acacia wood! Exalt yourself with the greatness of your splendor, you who are girded with golden embroidery, you who are praised with the scroll of the palace (Moses’ scroll of the Pentateuch), and lauded with choice ornaments,” (Tractate Abodah Zarah 24b). According to its simple meaning, it is an expression meaning ‘straight,’ i.e., they followed a straight path. |
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וישרנה.
הרי תיבה זו אנדרוגינוס, מלמד שאף הוולדות היו אומרים שירה: רוני רוני השיטה התנופפי וכו', כדאיתא במסכת עבודה זרה (כד ב). ולפי פשוטו, 'וישרנה', לשון 'ישר דרך', ישר היו הולכות:
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| and lowing as they went. (Heb. ‘haloch v’gao.’) This is an expression of the cry of the cattle. |
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הלך וגעו.
לשון צעקת בקר, געייה:
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| Beth-shemesh. [The people of] Israel were there. |
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בית שמש.
ישראל היו שם:
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| 13Now (the inhabitants of) Beth-shemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the Ark, and they rejoiced to see (it). |
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יגוּבֵ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ קֹצְרִ֥ים קְצִיר־חִטִּ֖ים בָּעֵ֑מֶק וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ אֶת־עֵינֵיהֶ֗ם וַיִּרְאוּ֙ אֶת־הָ֣אָר֔וֹן וַֽיִּשְׂמְח֖וּ לִרְאֽוֹת: |
| and they rejoiced to see (it). They were gazing to see how it came alone, and out of their joy, they behaved with levity, for they did not gaze at it with awe and respect. |
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וישמחו לראות.
היו מסתכלין היאך הוא בא לבדו, ומשמחתם נהגו בו קלות ראש, שלא היו מסתכלין בו באימה ודרך כבוד:
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| 14And the cart had come to the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemeshite, and stood there, and there was a huge stone. And they split the wood, and the cows, they offered up as a burnt offering to the Lord. |
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ידוְהָעֲגָלָ֡ה בָּ֠אָה אֶל־שְׂדֵ֨ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֚עַ בֵּֽית־הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙ וַתַּעֲמֹ֣ד שָׁ֔ם וְשָׁ֖ם אֶ֣בֶן גְּדוֹלָ֑ה וַֽיְבַקְּעוּ֙ אֶת־עֲצֵ֣י הָעֲגָלָ֔ה וְאֶת־הַ֨פָּר֔וֹת הֶעֱל֥וּ עֹלָ֖ה לַיהֹוָֽה: |
| 15And the Levites took down the Ark of the Lord, and the box which was with it, wherein were the golden objects, and they placed them on the huge stone, and the men of Beth-shemesh offered up burnt offerings and slaughtered sacrifices on that day, to the Lord. |
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טווְהַלְוִיִּ֞ם הוֹרִ֣ידוּ | אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֗ה וְאֶת־הָאַרְגַּ֚ז אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֣וֹ כְלֵֽי־זָהָ֔ב וַיָּשִֹ֖מוּ אֶל־הָאֶ֣בֶן הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ הֶעֱל֨וּ עֹל֜וֹת וַֽיִּזְבְּח֧וּ זְבָחִ֛ים בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לַֽיהֹוָֽה: |
| 16And the five lords of the Philistines had seen, and they returned to Ekron on that day. |
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טזוַחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה סַרְנֵֽי־פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים רָא֑וּ וַיָּשֻׁ֥בוּ עֶקְר֖וֹן בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא: |
| 17And these were the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines had sent back (as) a guilt-offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, (and) one for Ekron. |
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יזוְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ טְחֹרֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵשִׁ֧יבוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֛ים אָשָׁ֖ם לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה לְאַשְׁדּ֨וֹד אֶחָ֔ד לְעַזָּ֚ה אֶחָד֙ לְאַשְׁקְל֣וֹן אֶחָ֔ד לְגַ֥ת אֶחָ֖ד לְעֶקְר֥וֹן אֶחָֽד: |
| 18And the golden mice were according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, which belonged to the five lords, from fortified city to open village and even to the great stone upon which they had placed the Ark of the Lord, (which is) until this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemeshite. |
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יחוְעַכְבְּרֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֗ב מִסְפַּ֞ר כָּל־עָרֵ֚י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לַחֲמֵ֣שֶׁת הַסְּרָנִ֔ים מֵעִ֣יר מִבְצָ֔ר וְעַ֖ד כֹּ֣פֶר הַפְּרָזִ֑י וְעַ֣ד | אָבֵ֣ל הַגְּדוֹלָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִנִּ֚יחוּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ ֤אֵת אֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֔ה ֤עַד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ בֵּֽית־הַשִּׁמְשִֽׁי: |
| open village. A village without a wall. |
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כפר הפרזי.
כפר שאין לו חומה:
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| and even to the great stone. (Heb. ‘abel,’ mourning.) This is the aforementioned great stone, for the ‘lamed’ comes in place of the ‘nun’ (in ‘eben’), similar to ‘nishkah’ instead of ‘lishkah’ (chamber), in the book of Nehemiah (13:7), since they experienced mourning at that spot, (v. infra 6:19), they called it Abel. |
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אבל הגדולה.
היא האבן הגדולה האמורה למעלה, שהלמ"ד באה במקום נו"ן, וכן 'נשכה' במקום 'לשכה', בספר נחמיה (יג ז), ומפני שאירע להם אבלות בדבר, קראה אבל:
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| 19And He smote of the people of Beth-shemesh, for they had gazed upon the Ark of the Lord, and He smote of the people seventy men, fifty thousand men, and the people mourned, for the Lord had struck a great blow upon the people. |
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יטוַיַּ֞ךְ בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּ֚י רָאוּ֙ בַּאֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיַּ֚ךְ בָּעָם֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֑ישׁ וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־הִכָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּעָ֖ם מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה: |
| seventy men, fifty thousand men. Jonathan renders: And He killed of the elders of the people seventy men, and of the community, fifty thousand men. Our Rabbis, however, said: Seventy men, each of whom was equal to fifty thousand, or fifty thousand men, each of whom was equal to the seventy of the Sanhedrin. |
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שבעים איש חמשים אלף איש.
תרגם יונתן: וקטל בסבי עמא שבעין גברא, ובקהלא חמשין אלפי גברא. ורבותינו אמרו (סוטה לה ב): שבעים איש, שכל אחד היה שקול כחמשים אלף, או חמשים אלף איש, שכל אחד שקול כשבעים סנהדרין:
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| 20And the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who will be able to stand before (the Ark of) the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will it go up from upon us?" |
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כוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ ֤מִי יוּכַ֣ל לַעֲמֹ֔ד לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים הַקָּד֖וֹשׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וְאֶל־מִ֖י יַעֲלֶ֥ה מֵעָלֵֽינוּ: |
| 21And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord. Come down, and take it up to you." |
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כאוַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י קִרְיַת־יְעָרִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵשִׁ֚בוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֔ה רְד֕וּ הַעֲל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֲלֵיכֶֽם: |
