Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 5:10
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.
10. they sent the ark of God to Ekron ] The most northerly of the five confederate cities, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was allotted to the tribe of Judah (Jos 15:45-46), and was temporarily occupied (Jdg 1:18). Baal-zebub was the local deity (2Ki 1:2). The site is marked by the modern village of Akir.
to us, to slay us and our people ] Lit., as in the margin, “to me, to slay me and my people.” So too in 1Sa 5:11. The singular seems to indicate that the ‘lord’ acted as spokesman.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Not that they intended this, but because this would be the event of it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron,…. Another of the five principalities of the Philistines, about ten miles from Gath, where Baalzebub, or the god of the fly, was worshipped:
and it came to pass, that as the ark of God came to Ekron; and had been there some little time:
that the Ekronites cried out; when they perceived the hand of God was upon them, as upon the other cities; these were the chief magistrates of the city, with the lord of them, as appears by what follows:
saying, they have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us; from one city to another, and at length to us:
to slay us and our people; not that this was their intention, but so it was eventually.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They therefore sent the ark of God to Ekron, i.e., Akir, the north-western city of the Philistines (see at Jos 13:3). But the Ekronites, who had been informed of what had taken place in Ashdod and Gath, cried out, when the ark came into their city, “ They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to me, to slay me and my people ” (these words are to be regarded as spoken by the whole town); and they said to all the princes of the Philistines whom they had called together, “ Send away the ark of the God of Israel, that it may return to its place, and not slay me and my people. For deadly alarm ( , confusion of death, i.e., alarm produced by many sudden deaths) ruled in the whole city; very heavy was the hand of God there. The people who did not die were smitten with boils, and the cry of the city ascended to heaven.” From this description, which simply indicates briefly the particulars of the plagues that God inflicted upon Ekron, we may see very clearly that Ekron was visited even more severely than Ashdod and Gath. This was naturally the case. The longer the Philistines resisted and refused to recognise the chastening hand of the living God in the plagues inflicted upon them, the more severely would they necessarily be punished, that they might be brought at last to see that the God of Israel, whose sanctuary they still wanted to keep as a trophy of their victory over that nation, was the omnipotent God, who was able to destroy His foes.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The Ark in Ekron. 1Sa. 5:10-12
10 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.
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.
12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
7.
Where was Ekron? 1Sa. 5:10
Ekron was about eleven miles from Gath. It had belonged at one time to Judah (Jos. 13:3). It was also possessed by the tribe of Dan (Jos. 19:43). The Philistines had jurisdiction over it in the time of Eli as we see here. The archaeologists have found its site at Akir, ten miles northeast of Ashdod. From what has been found, it has been concluded that the fly god was worshipped here. This is also brought out in the Scripture (2Ki. 1:2).
8.
Why did the people say that the Ark would slay them? 1Sa. 5:10 b
Wherever the Ark had gone, the people had been afflicted. The men of Ekron therefore felt that they would all be killed. People are naturally afraid of deities. They may even fear the servants of God. This was the attitude of the widow of Zarephath when Elijah came to her. She felt that Elijahs coming had resulted in the death of her son (1Ki. 17:18). The Philistine people were afraid that the presence of the Ark of the Lord in their midst would bring death to them.
9.
Who were the lords of the Philistines? 1Sa. 5:11
The lords of the Philistines were the kings of the various city-states. One lord would rule in Gath. Another would have jurisdiction in Ashdod. Still another would be the ruler of Ekron. Some of them are known to us. Achish was king of Gath in Davids day (1Sa. 21:10). These lords of the Philistines had come to Delilah to offer her money to deliver Samson into their hands. (Jdg. 16:5). They held a council to decide their strategy; and they were addressed on this occasion by the citizens of Ekron, who asked that the Ark be taken from their city.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
10. They sent the ark to Ekron A city some ten miles north of Gath. Compare Jos 13:3. From city to city does the ark of Jehovah spread terror and confusion.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 5:10 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.
Ver. 10. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. ] Thus they send the plague of God up and down to their neighbours. Wicked men use to draw others into partnership of their condemnation.
The Ekronites cried out, saying.
a Dr Hall.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God to Ekron: Jos 15:45, Jdg 1:18, 2Ki 1:2, Amo 1:8
us, to slay us and our people: Heb. me, to slay me and my people
Reciprocal: Gen 20:18 – General Jos 15:11 – Ekron Jos 19:43 – Ekron 1Sa 6:1 – the ark 1Sa 6:16 – they returned 1Sa 6:17 – Ekron 2Sa 6:9 – afraid 1Ch 13:12 – afraid of God