1 Samuel 5:6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

◄ 1 Samuel 5:6 ►

New International Version
The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors.

New Living Translation
Then the LORD’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.

English Standard Version
The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

New American Standard Bible
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He made them feel devastated and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

NASB 1995
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

NASB 1977
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the hand of Yahweh was glorious against the Ashdodites, and He made them desolate and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

Amplified Bible
Then the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He caused them to be dumbfounded and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod. He terrified the people of Ashdod and its territory and afflicted them with tumors.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, terrorizing and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors.

American Standard Version
But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD caused a lot of trouble for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He made sores break out all over their bodies, and everyone was in a panic.

English Revised Version
But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumours, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD dealt harshly with the people of Ashdod. He destroyed them by striking the people in the vicinity of Ashdod with tumors.

Good News Translation
The LORD punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors.

International Standard Version
The LORD heavily oppressed the people of Ashdod, devastating and afflicting Ashdod and its territories with tumors of the groin.

Majority Standard Bible
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

NET Bible
The LORD attacked the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores.

New Heart English Bible
But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and he ravaged them and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And he brought up against them mice, and they burst out in their ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their land, and there was a great terror of death in the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod, and its borders.

World English Bible
But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the hand of YHWH is heavy on the Ashdodites, and He makes them desolate, and strikes them with lumps, Ashdod and its borders.

Young's Literal Translation
And the hand of Jehovah is heavy on the Ashdodites, and He maketh them desolate, and smiteth them with emerods, Ashdod and its borders.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the hand of Jehovah will be heavy upon the Ashdodites, and he will lay them waste and smite them with tumors, Ashdod and her bounds.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he destroyed them, and afflicted Azotus and the coasts thereof with emerods. And in the villages and fields in the midst of that country, there came forth a multitude of mice, and there was the confusion of a great mortality in the city.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the hand of the Lord weighed heavily upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them. And he struck Ashdod and its borders at the inner part of the buttocks. And in the villages and fields, in the midst of that region, mice rose up and burst forth. And this caused a great tumult unto death in the city.

New American Bible
Now the hand of the LORD weighed heavily on the people of Ashdod, ravaging them and afflicting the city and its vicinity with tumors.

New Revised Standard Version
The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and struck them with tumors, both in Ashdod and in its territory.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon the inhabitants of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and afflicted them with boils, both Ashdod and the territory thereof.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the hand of LORD JEHOVAH was hard against the Ashdodites and was destroying them and striking them with tumors in Ashdod and its borders

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 borders thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon Azotus, and he brought evil upon them, and it burst out upon them into the ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their country, and there was a great and indiscriminate mortality in the city.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Ark Afflicts the Philistines
…5That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold. 6Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors. 7And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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.

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.

Judges 2:15
Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.

1 Samuel 6:4-5
“What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. / Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.

1 Samuel 6:11-12
Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the chest containing the gold rats and the images of the tumors. / And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

1 Samuel 7:13
So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

2 Samuel 24:15
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

2 Kings 19:35
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Psalm 78:66
He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.

Isaiah 10:16
Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.

Isaiah 37:36
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Acts 12:23
Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

1 Corinthians 10:22
Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Treasury of Scripture

But the hand of the LORD was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

the hand

1 Samuel 5:7,11
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…

Exodus 9:3
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

Psalm 32:4
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

emerods

1 Samuel 5:9,11
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 6:5
Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Deuteronomy 28:27
The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

thereof

1 Samuel 6:4,5
Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords…

Jump to Previous

Afflicted Ashdod Ashdodites Borders Coasts Country Desolate Destroyed Devastation Disease Emerods Hand Hard Heavy Hemorrhoids Lord's Maketh Ravaged Smote Struck Terrified Territories Territory Thereof Tumors Vicinity Waste

Jump to Next

1 Samuel 5

1. The Philistines having brought the ark into Ashdod, set it in the house Dagon
3. Dagon is smitten down and cut and cut in pieces,
5. and they of Ashdod smitten with tumors
8. So God deals with them of Gath, when it was brought thither
10. and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither

Berean Study Bible

Now the hand of the LORD
The phrase "hand of the LORD" is a powerful biblical metaphor representing God's active intervention and authority. In Hebrew, "hand" (יָד, yad) often symbolizes power and control. Here, it signifies God's direct involvement in the affairs of the Philistines, demonstrating His sovereignty and ability to execute judgment. This phrase reminds us of God's omnipotence and His ability to influence human history according to His divine will.

was heavy upon the people of Ashdod
The term "heavy" (כָּבֵד, kaved) in Hebrew conveys a sense of weightiness or severity. It indicates that God's presence was not only felt but was burdensome and oppressive to the Philistines. Ashdod, one of the principal cities of the Philistines, becomes a focal point of divine judgment. This serves as a reminder of the consequences of opposing God's will and the seriousness with which He defends His holiness and honor.

and He ravaged them
The word "ravaged" suggests a thorough and devastating impact. In the context of divine judgment, it implies that God allowed calamity to befall the Philistines as a direct result of their actions. This act of ravaging is not arbitrary but a response to the Philistines' capture of the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence and covenant with Israel. It underscores the principle that God will not be mocked, and His holiness demands reverence.

and afflicted them with tumors
The affliction of "tumors" (עֳפָלִים, opalim) is a specific and painful judgment. Historically, this has been interpreted as a form of plague or disease, possibly related to the bubonic plague, given the symptoms described. This affliction serves as a tangible sign of God's displeasure and a call to repentance. It highlights the physical and spiritual consequences of sin and the need for humility before God.

both Ashdod and its territory
The inclusion of "its territory" indicates that the judgment was not confined to the city alone but extended to the surrounding areas. This widespread impact emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's judgment and serves as a warning to all who might challenge His authority. It also reflects the interconnectedness of communities and the far-reaching effects of sin and rebellion against God.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod.--A painful and distressing sickness, in the form, perhaps, of tumours--(the word emerods should be spelt hemorrhoids)--broke out among the inhabitants of the Philistine city in which was situated the idol temple, where was placed the Ark of the Covenant. The LXX. has an addition to the Hebrew text here which speaks of a terrible land plague which, apparently from subsequent notices, visited Philistia in addition to the bodily sufferings here spoken of. The Greek Version adds to 1Samuel 5:6 these words: "and mice were produced in the land, and there arose a great and deadly confusion in the city." In 1Samuel 6:4, &c, among the expiatory offerings sent by the idolators to Israel to appease what they imagined the offended Hebrew God, "golden mice" are mentioned: "images of the mice that mar the land." The mouse, according to Herodotus and the testimony of hieroglyphics, was an old symbol of pestilence. The Greek translators, however, failing to understand the meaning of the offering of golden mice, added the words--apparently in accordance with a received tradition--by way of explanation.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod. I.e. his power and might were exercised in smiting them with severe plagues. A question here arises whether, as the Septuagint affirms, besides the scourge of emerods, their land was desolated by swarms of field mice. It is certain that they sent as votive offerings golden images of "the mice that mar the land" (1 Samuel 6:5); but the translators of the Septuagint too often attempt to make all things easy by unauthorised additions, suggested by the context; and so probably here it was the wish to explain why mice were sent which made them add, "and mice were produced in the land." Really the mouse was a symbol of pestilence (Herod., 2:141), and appears as such in hieroglyphics; and by sending golden mice with golden emerods the lords of the Philistines expressed very clearly that the emerods had been epidemic. This word, more correctly spelt haemorrhoids, has this in its favour, that the noun used here, ophalim, is never read in the synagogue. Wherever the word occurs the reader was instructed to say tehorim, the vowels of which are actually attached to the consonants of ophalim in the text of our Hebrew Bibles. In Deuteronomy 28:27. tehorim is mentioned as one of the loathsome skin diseases of Egypt, and though rendered "emerods" in the A.V., is possibly, as translated by Aquila, "an eating ulcer." Ophalim need only mean turnouts, swellings, its original signification being "a hill" (2 Chronicles 27:3); yet as the word was not thought fit for public reading in the synagogue, we may feel sure that it means some such tumours as the A.V. describes.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Now the hand
יַד־ (yaḏ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

was heavy
וַתִּכְבַּ֧ד (wat·tiḵ·baḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3513: To be heavy, weighty, or burdensome

on
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the people of Ashdod
הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֖ים (hā·’aš·dō·w·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 796: Ashdodites -- an inhabitant of Ashdod

and its vicinity,
גְּבוּלֶֽיהָ׃ (gə·ḇū·le·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

ravaging them
וַיְשִׁמֵּ֑ם (way·šim·mêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8074: To stun, devastate, stupefy

and afflicting
וַיַּ֤ךְ (way·yaḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

them
אֹתָם֙ (’ō·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with tumors.
בַּטְּחֹרִ֔ים‪‬ (baṭ·ṭə·ḥō·rîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6076: A tumor, a mound, fortress

Links

1 Samuel 5:6 NIV
1 Samuel 5:6 NLT
1 Samuel 5:6 ESV
1 Samuel 5:6 NASB
1 Samuel 5:6 KJV

1 Samuel 5:6 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 5:6 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 5:6 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 5:6 French Bible
1 Samuel 5:6 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 5:6 But the hand of Yahweh was heavy (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)