1 Samuel 5:6-12

6 ¹The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with ²tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god."

8 So they sent and gathered together all ³the lords of the Philistines and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.

9 But after they had brought it around, ⁴the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that ⁵tumors broke out on them.

10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people."

11 ⁶They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. ⁷The hand of God was very heavy there.

12 The men who did not die were struck with ⁸tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1 Samuel 5:6-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 5

This chapter relates how that the ark being brought by the Philistines to Ashdod, and placed in the temple of their idol, that fell down before it, 1Sa 5:1-5, that the hand of the Lord was upon the men of Ashdod, and smote them with emerods, 1Sa 5:6,7 and being carried to Gath, the men of Gath were smitten likewise with the same, 1Sa 5:8,9, and after that the men of Ekron, whither it also was carried, 1Sa 5:10-12.

Cross References

• 1. [Exodus 9:3; Psalms 32:4; Acts 13:11]
• 2. 1 Samuel 6:5
• 3. Joshua 13:3
• 4. 1 Samuel 7:13; 1 Samuel 12:15; Deuteronomy 2:15
• 5. [See ver. 6 above]
• 6. [See ver. 8 above]
• 7. [See ver. 6 above]
• 8. [See ver. 6 above]