17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
Don't tell it in Gath, Don't publish it in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Also Judah took Gaza with the border of it, and Ashkelon with the border of it, and Ekron with the border of it.
The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.
Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. They carried the ark of the God of Israel [there].
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, 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 kill us and our people.
Then they said, "What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him?" They said, "Five golden tumors, 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.
Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness.
He went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in [the country of] Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, And it will devour its palaces. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; And I will turn my hand against Ekron; And the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord Yahweh.
Go to Calneh, and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?
Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; As will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; And the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited. Foriegners will dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 6
Commentary on 1 Samuel 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
In this chapter we have the return of the ark to the land of Israel, whither we are now gladly to attend it, and observe,
1Sa 6:1-9
The first words of the chapter tell us how long the captivity of the ark continued-it was in the country of the Philistines seven months. In the field of the Philistines (so it is in the original), from which some gather that, having tried it in all their cities, and found it a plague to the inhabitants of each, at length they sent it into the open fields, upon which mice sprang up out of the ground in great multitudes, and destroyed the corn which was now nearly ripe and marred the land. With that judgment they were plagued (v. 5), and yet it is not mentioned in the foregoing chapter; so God let them know that wherever they carried the ark, so long as they carried it captive, they should find it a curse to them. Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed in the field, Deu. 28:16. But, most take it to signify, as we render it, The country of the Philistines. Now,
1Sa 6:10-18
We are here told,
1Sa 6:19-21
Here is,