What does 1 Samuel 6:11 mean?

The Philistines continue to carry instructions given by their priests, seeking the best way to send the ark of the Lord (Exodus 25:10–16) back to Israel. They have constructed a new cart and yoked two untrained milk cows to it (1 Samuel 6:10). Now they place on the cart the ark, along with a box containing the guilt offering (1 Samuel 6:3–4). Nature would lead the cows to walk home, back into Philistine territory and their calves. If they head for Israel, it will confirm a supernatural influence.

Commentators differ about whether the guilt offering included just five mouse figures made of gold or also five golden figures that were shaped to look like tumors. Some understand the mice to be the representations of the tumors while others believe the text is describing five of each. Either possibility is consistent with the meaning of the incident.

In either case, the guilt offering was being offered to the Lord God of Israel in keeping with the theology of the Philistines, not according to the law of Moses. The practice of the Philistines and many religions of the time was to fashion a representation of the bad thing that was happening, then send it away. This was done in hopes that the god or gods would take the actual harmful thing away from them, along with the guilt for whatever offense had been done.