1 Samuel 5:11
in 1 Samuel 5Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
KJV
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseSend away the ark - It appears that it had been received at Ekron, for there was a deadly destruction through the whole city. They therefore concluded that the ark should be sent back to Shiloh.
This site's exposition
the Ekronites cried out
on 1 Samuel 5:10-12
Ekron cries out when the ark arrives, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people”, certain of their fate after Ashdod and Gath. The rulers assemble again and agree to send it home, for “the hand of God was heavy upon it”. Even those who survive are struck, and “the outcry of the city went up to heaven”.
This site's exposition
Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers
Ekron is the first city to ask that the ark return to its own place. Matthew Henry observed that the hand of God stayed heavy on the city while the rulers deliberated, and every move of the ark had spread the judgment further. Many died during the council.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 3 · Written before 604.
proposed
11. The satraps, as we have said, are understood as the holy preachers. The Ekronites, who are interpreted as "barren," designate the unconvertible Gentiles. These indeed gave the preachers the counsel of releasing the ark, so that if they refused their own salvation from the divine preaching, they would not stand in the way of the faithful who were journeying toward the eternal homeland with the sacraments of faith.
They sent therefore, and gathered all the satraps of the Philistines, etc. Many believers of the nations today, though not in words, say: Abandon the faith, and let it return to the children of Israel, so that at last, having cut us off, they may …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
While they are consulting about it, the hand of God is doing execution; and their contrivances to evade the judgment do but spread it. Many drop down dead among them. Many more are raging ill of the emerods,
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Deadly upheaval. All upheavals [mentioned in Scripture] are caused by thunder. The following is the origin: "Adonoy thundered with a great noise on that day against the Philistines, making them panic. 3 Below:10. It is so explained in the Aggadah of Thirty-Two Rules of R.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ | vaiyishlechu | and they sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּ | vaiyaasfu | and they gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| סַרְנֵ֣י | sarnei | [the] rulers of | H5633 → | 22 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שַׁלְּח֞וּ | shalechu | send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֨וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֤י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְיָשֹׁ֣ב | veyasho | so may it return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לִמְקֹמ֔וֹ | limkomo | to own place its | H4725 → | 401 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָמִ֥ית | yamit | it will kill | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֹתִ֖י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּ֑י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָיְתָ֤ה | hayetah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מְהֽוּמַת־ | mehumat- | panic of | H4103 → | 12 times |
| מָ֙וֶת֙ | mavet | death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעִ֔יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| כָּבְדָ֥ה | kavedah | it was heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
| מְאֹ֛ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| יַ֥ד | yad | [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּand they sent
vaiyishlechuH7971 →845 times
וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּand they gathered
vaiyaasfuH622 →200 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
סַרְנֵ֣י[the] rulers of
sarneiH5633 →22 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
שַׁלְּח֞וּsend away
shalechuH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֨וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
אֱלֹהֵ֤י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְיָשֹׁ֣בso may it return
veyashoH7725 →1056 times
לִמְקֹמ֔וֹto own place its
limkomoH4725 →401 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָמִ֥יתit will kill
yamitH4191 →839 times
אֹתִ֖י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עַמִּ֑יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָיְתָ֤הit was
hayetahH1961 →3559 times
מְהֽוּמַת־panic of
mehumat-H4103 →12 times
מָ֙וֶת֙death
mavetH4194 →156 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעִ֔ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
כָּבְדָ֥הit was heavy
kavedahH3513 →113 times
מְאֹ֛דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
יַ֥ד[the] hand of
yadH3027 →1618 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 5:6Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
it leads to
- Exodus 9:3
then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
- Acts 13:11
Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him,…
- Psalms 32:4
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah
- Deuteronomy 28:27
The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.
- Psalms 78:66
He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.
- Exodus 9:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.