Original Word: בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Beyth hash-Shimshiy
Pronunciation: bayth-hash-SHIM-shee
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth hash-shim-shee')
KJV: Bethshemite
NASB: Beth-shemite
Word Origin: [patrial from H1053 (בֵּיתּ שֶׁמֶשׁ - Beth-shemesh) with the article inserted]

1. a Beth-shimshite, or inhabitant of Bethshemesh

Bethshemite

Patrial from Beyth Shemesh with the article inserted; a Beth-shimshite, or inhabitant of Bethshemesh -- Bethshemite.

see HEBREW Beyth Shemesh

Word Origin
from Beth
Definition
an inhab. of Bethshemesh
NASB Translation
Beth-shemite (2).

בֵּיתהַֿשִּׁמְשִׁי adjective, of a people of foregoing

1, with article 1 Samuel 6:14,18.

Topical Overview

בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי (“Beth Ha-Shemesh,” House of the Sun) designates the border town to which the Ark of the Covenant returned after seven months in Philistine territory. Though the spelling in 1 Samuel 6:14, 18 differs slightly from the more common Beth Shemesh, the narrative and geography make clear that the same city is intended—a Levitical settlement allotted to Judah and regularly contested between Israel and the Philistines.

Geographical Setting

Located in the Shephelah, the low hill country that bridges the Philistine plain and the Judean highlands, Beth Ha-Shemesh lay on the main east–west valley (Sorek) that conveyed traffic—and armies—between the two peoples. Its position as a frontier village explains why the Philistines could dispatch the Ark there by an unescorted ox-cart; the road sloped gently upward to Israelite territory, while remaining close enough for the Philistines to observe its progress from a safe distance (1 Samuel 6:12).

Biblical Narrative Context

1 Samuel 6 forms the climax of the Ark narrative (1 Samuel 4–7). After the Philistines suffer divine plagues, their leaders test whether the calamity truly comes from “the hand of the LORD” (6:9). Two milk cows, never before yoked, are hitched to a new cart bearing the Ark and a guilt offering of golden tumors and mice. Scripture records:

“The cows went straight up the road to Beth Shemesh, staying on the highway, lowing as they went; they did not turn to the right or to the left” (1 Samuel 6:12).

Upon arrival, “the cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stopped there beside a large stone. So the people of the city chopped up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD” (1 Samuel 6:14).

Verse 18 repeats the locale when listing the memorial stone that “remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh,” underscoring the event’s enduring importance in Israel’s memory.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Sovereignty. The Lord directs even untrained cattle to deliver His sacred Ark, demonstrating absolute control over creation and nations alike (Psalm 135:6).
2. Holiness and Judgment. When some inhabitants of Beth Shemesh presumptuously gaze into the Ark (6:19), a severe judgment falls, reminding Israel that proximity to sacred things demands reverent obedience (Leviticus 10:1–3).
3. Covenant Faithfulness. The return of the Ark signals that, despite Israel’s earlier defeat, God has not abandoned His covenant people; He disciplines, then restores (Hebrews 12:6).
4. Gospel Foreshadowing. The guilt offering of golden images, though pagan in form, anticipates the need for atonement. Ultimately, a perfect offering—Christ Himself—will bear the guilt of His people and secure their access to God (Hebrews 9:11–12).

Historical and Ministry Implications

• Leadership Responsibility. The priests at Beth Ha-Shemesh arrange immediate sacrifices, modeling prompt worship. Yet their failure to restrain the curious crowd leads to tragedy, warning ecclesial leaders today to teach both the privilege and peril of handling holy matters (James 3:1).
• Memorials of Grace. The “large stone” (6:15, 18) stands as a tangible witness to God’s deliverance. Contemporary ministry benefits from visible reminders—ordinances, testimonies, mission milestones—that keep God’s works before the congregation (Joshua 4:6–7).
• Missions on the Frontier. Beth Ha-Shemesh exemplifies life on the boundary between light and darkness. Churches situated at cultural frontiers must combine hospitality with uncompromising reverence, offering the knowledge of the true God to those emerging from idolatry.

Later History and Prophetic Echoes

Subsequent Old Testament references to Beth Shemesh (for example 2 Kings 14:11–13; Jeremiah 43:13) reveal its ongoing strategic value. The city’s repeated emergence in conflict narratives anticipates spiritual warfare themes in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:12): the sanctuary of God is ever contested ground, yet the victory belongs to the Lord.

Key Lessons

1. God’s holiness cannot be domesticated; reverence safeguards life.
2. God’s sovereignty directs even the natural world to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
3. Boundary communities require discernment, courage, and memorializing grace.

הַשִּׁמְשִֽׁי׃ הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙ השמשי השמשי׃ haš·šim·šî hashshimShi haššimšîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts