1 Samuel 5:10

10 Next they sent the ark of God to 'Ekron; but when the ark of God arrived in 'Ekron the 'Ekronim shouted, "Now they've brought the ark of the God of Isra'el to us, to kill us and our people!"

1 Samuel 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 5:10

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron
Another of the five principalities of the Philistines, about ten miles from Gath, where Baalzebub, or the god of the fly, was worshipped:

and it came to pass, that as the ark of God came to Ekron;
and had been there some little time:

that the Ekronites cried out;
when they perceived the hand of God was upon them, as upon the other cities; these were the chief magistrates of the city, with the lord of them, as appears by what follows:

saying, they have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us;
from one city to another, and at length to us:

to slay us and our people;
not that this was their intention, but so it was eventually.

1 Samuel 5:10 In-Context

8 They summoned all the leaders of the P'lishtim and asked, "What are we to do with the ark of the God of Isra'el?" They answered, "Have the ark of the God of Isra'el carried to Gat." So they carried the ark of the God of Isra'el to Gat.

9 But after it arrived there, ADONAI oppressed that city, causing terrible panic. He struck the people of the city, great and small alike; tumors broke out on them.

10 Next they sent the ark of God to 'Ekron; but when the ark of God arrived in 'Ekron the 'Ekronim shouted, "Now they've brought the ark of the God of Isra'el to us, to kill us and our people!"

11 So they summoned all the leaders of the P'lishtim and said, "Send the ark of the God of Isra'el away! Let it go back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our people!"- because death and panic pervaded the whole city; God's oppression was very heavy there.

12 The people who didn't die were struck with the tumors; and the city's cries for help reached the skies.