Commentary for I Samuel 6:19
וַיַּ֞ךְ בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּ֤י רָאוּ֙ בַּאֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֤ךְ בָּעָם֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֑ישׁ וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־הִכָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בָּעָ֖ם מַכָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה
And He smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had gazed upon the ark of the LORD, even He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people amourned, because the LORD had smitten the people with a great slaughter.
Rashi on I Samuel
Seventy men, fifty thousand men.9 Targum Yonoson renders, 'And He killed of the elders of the people seventy men, and of the community fifty thousand men.'9Another opinion is that this figure also includes the number of Philistines that were killed as a result of their irreverence towards the Ark. Our Rabbis, however said, 'Seventy men, each of whom was equal to fifty thousand, or fifty thousand men each of whom was equal to the seventy of Sanhedrin.'10Maseches Sotah 35b.
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