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Texts -- 1 Samuel 5:8-12 (NET)

Context
5:8 So they assembled all the leaders of the Philistines and asked , “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel ?” They replied , “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath .” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel . 5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked that city as well, causing a great deal of panic . He struck all the people of that city with sores . 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron . But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron , the residents of Ekron cried out saying , “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to kill our people !” 5:11 So they assembled all the leaders of the Philistines and said , “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us and our people !” The terror of death was throughout the entire city ; God was attacking them very severely there . 5:12 The people who did not die were struck with sores ; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven .

Pericope

NET
  • 1Sa 5:1-12 -- The Ark Causes Trouble for the Philistines

Bible Dictionary

  • Tumor

    [isbe] TUMOR - tu'-mer, tu'-mor (`ophel): the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes this word for "emerods" in 1 Sam 5:12; 6:4; Dt 28:27 margin. See EMERODS.
    [nave] TUMOR, a morbid swelling, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 5, 11, 17. See: Boil; Hemorrhoids.

  • SECRET

    [isbe] SECRET - se'-kret: In Ezek 7:22, English Versions of the Bible has "secret place" for (tsaphan), "hide," "treasure." A correct translation is, "They shall profane my cherished place" (Jerusalem), and there is no reference to...

  • Philistines

    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • OPHEL

    [isbe] OPHEL - o'-fel (ha-`ophel (2 Ch 27:3; 33:14; Neh 3:26 f; 11:21; and without article, Isa 32:14 and Mic 4:8; also 2 Ki 5:24)): 1. Meaning of Name: There has been considerable divergence of opinion with regard to the meaning o...

  • Miracles

    [nave] MIRACLES. Index of Sub-topics Catalog of, and Supernatural Events, Of Jesus, in Chronological Order, Of the Disciples of Jesus; Convincing Effect of; Design of; Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miscellany of Minor Sub-...

  • Lord

    [nave] LORD, a prince, Josh. 13:3; Judg. 3:3; 1 Sam. 5:8; 6:4. See: God; Jesus.

  • LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES

    [isbe] LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES - (ceren, same as Hebrew word for "axle," probably a native designation): These "lords" (Josh 13:3; Jdg 3:3; 16:5, etc.; 1 Sam 5:8,11, etc.), elsewhere called "princes" (sar, 1 Sam 18:30; 29:3,4,9), ...

  • Hemorrhoids

    [nave] HEMORRHOIDS, a disease with which the Philistines were afflicted, 1 Sam. 5:6, 12; 6:4; 5:11; Deut. 28:27. See: Disease; Tumor.

  • Haemorrhoids

    [ebd] or Emerods, bleeding piles known to the ancient Romans as mariscae, but more probably malignant boils of an infectious and fatal character. With this loathsome and infectious disease the men of Ashdod were smitten by the han...

  • HEAVY; HEAVINESS

    [isbe] HEAVY; HEAVINESS - hev'-i, hev'-i-nes (kabhedh, de'aghah; lupe): 1. Literal: Heavy (heave, to lift) is used literally with respect to material things, as the translation of kobhedh, "heaviness" (Prov 27:3, "a stone is heavy"...

  • Gath

    [ebd] a wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Sam. 5:8, 9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4). David fled f...
    [isbe] GATH - gath (gath; Septuagint Geth, "winepress"): One of the five chief cities of the Philistines (Josh 13:3; 1 Sam 6:17). It was a walled town (2 Ch 26:6) and was not taken by Joshua, and, although many conflicts took place...
    [nave] GATH One of the five chief cities of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:17; Amos 6:2; Mic. 1:10. Anakim, a race of giants, inhabitants of, Josh. 11:22. Goliath dwelt in, 1 Sam. 17:4; 1 Chr. 20:5-8. Obed-edom belonged t...

  • Ekron

    [ebd] firm-rooted, the most northerly of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was assigned to Judah (Josh. 13:3), and afterwards to Dan (19:43), but came again into the full po...
    [smith] (torn up by the roots; emigration), one of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, and the most northerly of the five. (Joshua 13:3) Like the other Philistine cities its situation was in the lowlands. It fel...
    [nave] EKRON One of the five chief cities of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3. Conquered and allotted to Judah, Josh. 15:11, 45; Judg. 1:18. Allotted to Dan, Josh. 19:43. The Ark of God taken to, 1 Sam. 5:10. Temple of Baal-zebub at...

  • EMERODS

    [isbe] EMERODS - em'-er-odz `ophalim, techorim): These words are used in the account of the plague which broke out among the Philistines while the captive Ark of the Covenant was in their land. `Ophalim literally means rounded emin...
    [smith] (28:27; 1 Samuel 5:6,9,12; 6:4,5,11) Probably hemorrhiodal tumors , or bleeding piles, are intended. These are very common in Syria at present, Oriental habits of want of exercise and improper food, producing derangement o...

  • EKRON; EKRONITE

    [isbe] EKRON; EKRONITE - ek'-ron, ek'-ron-it 'eqron, "migration," "rooting out"; Akkaron): The most northerly of the chief cities of the Philistines. It was not subdued by Joshua (13:3) but was allotted, in the division of the land...

  • Dagon

    [nave] DAGON An idol of the Philistines, Judg. 16:23; 1 Sam. 5. Temple of, 1 Chr. 10:10.

  • DEADLY

    [isbe] DEADLY - ded'-li: In the Old Testament two words are used in the sense of a "mortal (Hebrew nephesh, "hateful," "foul") enemy" (Ps 17:9), and in the sense of "fatal disease," the destructiveness of which causes a general pan...

  • Boil

    [nave] BOIL, a tumor. Plague of Egyptians, Ex. 9:9, 10; Deut. 28:27, 35; of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9; 1 Sam. 6:5. Of Hezekiah, healed, 2 Kin. 20:7; Isa. 38:21. Of Job, Job 2:7, 8. Levitical ceremonies prescribed for, Lev. 1...

  • Ashdod

    [nave] ASHDOD A city of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:17; Amos 3:9. Anakim inhabit, Josh. 11:22. Assigned to Judah, Josh. 15:47. Dagon's temple in, in which was deposited the ark, 1 Sam. 5. Conquest of, by Uzziah, 2 Chr...

  • Ark

    [ebd] Noah's ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high (Gen. 6:14-16); an oblong floating house of three stories, with a door in the side and a window in the roof....

Arts

Questions

  • The Ark of the Covenant was definitely real and was a part of the tabernacle, being placed in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. I will include articles below from three Bible Dictionaries that will give you some informat...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • Most serious students of 1 Samuel have noted the writer's emphasis on the ark of the covenant beginning here in the text. Critical scholars have long argued that 4:1b-7:1 and 2 Samuel 6 are the only remaining fragments of an ...
  • A new subject comes to the forefront in this section and continues to be a significant motif throughout the rest of Samuel. It is the ark of the covenant. The writer drew attention to the ark in this chapter by mentioning it ...
  • The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel's primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judg. 13-16).52There are about 150 references to the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel...
  • The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines.655:1-5 Having captured the ark the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their ma...
  • Not all the people who later assembled to see the ark were as careful as those from Bethshemesh, however. The Mosaic Law specified that no one was to look into the ark or that person would die (Num. 4:5, 20; cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-7)...
  • God used a humble weapon to give His people a great victory in response to one person's faith. This is another instance of God bringing blessing to and through a person who committed himself to simply believing and obeying Go...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • This section develops the ideas that preceded by unfolding the characteristics of Yahweh that His people needed to appreciate in view of the shocking news that their new Moses would be Cyrus. It opens with an emphasis on God ...
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