THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Why did God bring judgment upon the Hebrews following the return of the tabernacle? History provides clear insight into this matter. The Scripture states: ‘The sons of Jechoniah rejoiced not in the men of Beosam, because they saw the ark of the Lord: and they killed seventy men in them, and fifty thousand men of the people’ (1 Kings 6:19). The sons of Jechoniah, being wicked and idolaters, were filled with discontent at the sight of the ark and faced rightful punishment; the people too suffered for their refusal to risk danger to reclaim the ark, allowing it to remain with the Philistines for seven months without making an effort to retrieve it.
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In response, the Almighty God demonstrated that He required neither their discord nor had need of their valor, simultaneously revealing the honor afforded to Him by the idolatrous foreigners, leading to the punishment of the Israelites for their greater wickedness.
However, when the men of Bethshemesh, overwhelmed with fear, sent away the ark, pleading, ‘Who can stand before this holy Lord?’ (1 Sam. 6:20), and Amminadab took it upon himself eagerly, the Lord blessed his entire household. The later events highlight the people’s grievous neglect of the ark; thus, the prophet Samuel urged the Israelites ‘with all their heart ... to return to the Lord, and put away ... the foreign gods and the Asherahs from among you’ (1 Sam. 7:3). The term ‘Asherahs’ was translated by Aquila as Astaroth, referring to the idols of Astarte. Astarte is associated with Aphrodite, a name derived from a star, as, according to legend, the morning star is attributed to her.