What does 1 Samuel 6:4 mean?

The leaders of the Philistines are ready to send the ark of the Lord back to Israel in hopes that it will end the suffering and death of God's judgment against them (1 Samuel 5:6–12; 6:2). Their priests and diviners have counseled not to return the ark without a guilt offering to the Lord of Israel if they hope to be healed (1 Samuel 6:3). Here the leaders ask what that guilt offering should be.

The priests and diviners suggest sending five golden tumors and five golden mice, one for each of the five lords of the five major cities of the Philistines. The priests add a new detail here that the same plague struck all the lords and each of their cities. Apparently, it was not contained to the cities in which the ark had been held (1 Samuel 5:6–12). God struck the entire nation with the same tumors and panic.

Commentators are divided about whether the text should be read to describe five golden tumors and five golden mice, or five golden tumors which also resemble mice. In other words, it is unclear if five or ten objects are intended. Commentators also speculate about the meaning of mice in this passage. Some suggest mice or rats brought the plague to the Philistines, making it similar to the bubonic plague. Since that disease causes swollen growths, it would correspond to the tumors that came from God's wrath. Other commentators believe the sculpted golden mice were meant to symbolize the tumors that had ravaged the people's bodies as a kind of infestation.

In either case, this guilt offering seems to be an example of so-called "sympathetic magic." This principle has been practiced by many religions, including in the ancient world. A representation of the affliction was sacrificed or sent away in hopes that the god or gods would take away the actual affliction.