Psalms 132:6
Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
Original Language Analysis
שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ
Lo we heard
H8085
שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ
Lo we heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
2 of 6
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ
we found
H4672
מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ
we found
Strong's:
H4672
Word #:
4 of 6
properly, to come forth to, i.e., appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e., find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
Cross References
1 Samuel 17:12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.1 Samuel 7:1And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.Micah 5:2But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Historical Context
The ark remained at Kiriath-jearim approximately 70-100 years after Philistines returned it (1 Samuel 7:2). Saul largely ignored it, but David prioritized recovering and honoring God's presence. David brought the ark to Jerusalem with great celebration (2 Samuel 6), though initially Uzzah died for touching it improperly. The recovery marked restoration of central worship.
Questions for Reflection
- Why had the ark been neglected at Kiriath-jearim so long?
- What does locating the lost/neglected ark teach about recovering proper worship?
- How does physical search for the ark mirror spiritual search for God's presence?
- What modern equivalents exist to neglecting the ark (God's presence) despite knowing its importance?
- How does David's priority to recover the ark challenge contemporary priorities in worship?
Analysis & Commentary
The perspective shifts to finding the ark: 'Lo, we heard of it at Ephrathah: we found it in the fields of the wood.' The exclamation 'lo' calls attention to the discovery. The phrase 'we heard of it' suggests the ark's location was discovered through report or inquiry. 'Ephrathah' refers to Bethlehem's region (Micah 5:2; Ruth 4:11), David's hometown. However, the ark wasn't at Ephrathah but at Kiriath-jearim ('fields of the wood,' Hebrew 'sedeh ya'ar'), where it remained after Philistines returned it (1 Samuel 7:1-2). The verse likely means: 'We (Israel/David) heard about it (the ark) at Ephrathah (David's home region), and found it in the fields of the wood (Kiriath-jearim).' This celebrates locating the lost/neglected ark, first step in restoring proper worship. The ark represented God's presence; recovering it was crucial to David's plan.