1 Samuel 5:11

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.

So they sent {H7971} and gathered together {H622} all the lords {H5633} of the Philistines {H6430}, and said {H559}, Send away {H7971} the ark {H727} of the God {H430} of Israel {H3478}, and let it go again {H7725} to his own place {H4725}, that it slay {H4191} us not, and our people {H5971}: for there was a deadly {H4194} destruction {H4103} throughout all the city {H5892}; the hand {H3027} of God {H430} was very {H3966} heavy {H3513} there.

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.

Then 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.

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.

Commentary

1 Samuel 5:11 (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."

Context

This verse describes the desperate situation in the Philistine city of Ekron. The Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines in battle against Israel. After bringing it into the temple of their god Dagon in Ashdod, they experienced devastating plagues and the humiliation of Dagon's statue falling before the Ark (1 Samuel 5:4). As the Ark was moved from city to city (Ashdod, Gath, and now Ekron), the same plagues and destruction followed, terrifying the inhabitants. This verse captures the Philistine leaders' consensus born of fear: the Ark must be returned to Israel.

Key Themes

  • The Power of God: The narrative emphatically demonstrates the overwhelming power of the God of Israel, who needed no army to defeat the Philistines; His presence in the Ark was sufficient to bring judgment upon their cities and their god.
  • God's Holiness and Judgment: The plagues show that God's holiness cannot be treated lightly or contained by pagan deities or practices. Disrespecting His sacred presence brought severe consequences.
  • Fear Leading to Action: The Philistines, despite their initial victory, were driven by terror of God's wrath to return the Ark, prioritizing their survival over their war prize.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "the hand of God was very heavy there" is a powerful idiom in Hebrew (יַד יְהוָה כָּבְדָה מְאֹד - yad Yahweh kavedah me'od). The "hand of God" is a common biblical phrase signifying God's direct action, power, or judgment (see Exodus 14:31). The word translated "heavy" (kavedah) implies weight, severity, or oppressiveness, vividly describing the intense suffering and destruction God inflicted upon the Philistines.

Significance and Application

This passage serves as a stark reminder that God is sovereign and powerful, not confined or controlled by human or pagan forces. His holiness demands reverence, and there are consequences for treating sacred things casually or disrespectfully. For believers today, while we do not have the physical Ark, the principle remains: God's presence and His commands are to be approached with awe and obedience. The Philistines' reaction highlights that even those outside the covenant can recognize and fear the reality of God's power when it is clearly demonstrated.

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Cross-References

  • 1 Samuel 5:6 (6 votes)

    ¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

  • Jeremiah 48:42 (2 votes)

    And Moab shall be destroyed from [being] a people, because he hath magnified [himself] against the LORD.

  • Jeremiah 48:44 (2 votes)

    He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, [even] upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

  • Isaiah 13:7 (2 votes)

    Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:

  • Isaiah 13:9 (2 votes)

    Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

  • 1 Samuel 5:8 (2 votes)

    They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].

  • 1 Samuel 5:9 (2 votes)

    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.