And it was so, that after they had caried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the citie with a very great destruction: and hee smote the men of the citie both small and great, and they had Emerods in their secret parts. 1 Samuel 5:9 (KJV)
And it was
so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. 1 Samuel 5:9 (KJV)
1 Samuel 5:9 describes a significant event that took place after the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant, which represented the presence of God among the Israelites. The Philistines brought the ark to the city of Ashdod and placed it in the house of their god, Dagon. The next day, when the people of Ashdod entered the temple of Dagon, they found the statue of Dagon lying face down before the ark. They lifted it up and set it in its place, presuming it was a coincidence. However, the following morning they found Dagon once again fallen before the ark, this time with his head and hands broken off, lying on the threshold of the temple.
This verse reveals the consequence of the Philistines’ disrespectful treatment of the ark of the covenant. God, in His sovereignty, began to manifest His power against the city of Ashdod. The “hand of the Lord” refers to His divine intervention and judgment upon the Philistines. The verse further explains that God’s judgment was severe, resulting in a “very great destruction” in the city. The term “emerods” mentioned in the verse refers to tumors or painful swellings, afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, in their “secret parts.” The inclusion of this detail highlights the severity and humiliation of the punishment inflicted by God upon the Philistines.
The event demonstrates that God is not to be mocked or treated with disrespect. The Philistines had taken the ark as a prize of war, believing it to be just another captured item, yet God made it abundantly clear that His presence and power were not to be trifled with. It is essential to note that this verse should be read in the broader context of the narrative found in 1 Samuel. The subsequent events unfold with the ark being moved to different cities, each experiencing similar calamities until it is eventually returned to the Israelites.
