1 Samuel 5:8 — Meaning and Application

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.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that {it was} so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

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}.

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.

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. {us, to...: Heb. me to slay me and my}