I Samuel 5:12 · Bible study
1 Samuel 5:12 Commentary: The City's Cry for Help
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does the Philistines' cry in 1 Samuel 5:12 indicate genuine prayer or just agony? Study the Hebrew word shav'ah and the interpretive debate.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse concludes the Philistine plague narrative: survivors were afflicted with tumors, and the city's cry ascended to heaven.
- Key words: shav'ah (H7775), cry for help; t'chorim (H2914), tumors, hemorrhoids.
- Main debate: Whether the Philistines' cry was a genuine supplication heard by God or merely a hyperbolic description of distress.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over all nations, and his awareness of suffering even among those outside the covenant.
- Best use: Teaching on God's judgment and mercy, and the potential for crisis to lead toward acknowledgment of God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the men who have not died have been smitten with emerods, and the cry of the city goeth up into the heavens.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and the men that died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For there was the fear of death in every city, and the hand of God was exceeding heavy. The men also that did not die, were afflicted with the emerods: and the cry of every city went up to heaven.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los que no morían, eran heridos de hemorroides; y el clamor de la ciudad subía al cielo.
E os que não morriam, eram feridos de chagas; e o clamor da cidade subia ao céu.
Les gens qui ne mouraient pas étaient frappés d’hémorroïdes, et les cris de la ville montaient jusqu’ au ciel.
Und welche Leute nicht starben, die wurden geschlagen mit Beulen, daß das Geschrei der Stadt auf gen Himmel ging.
En de mensen, die niet stierven, werden geslagen met spenen, zodat het geschrei der stad opklom naar den hemel.
Quelli che non morivano eran colpiti d’emorroidi, e le grida della città salivano fino al cielo.
A mężowie którzy nie pomarli, zarażeni byli wrzodami na zadnicy, tak, iż wstępował krzyk miasta do nieba.
И те, которые не умерли, поражены были наростами, так что вопль города восходил до небес.
未 曾死 的人 都生了 痔瘡。合城 呼號，聲音上達 於天。
And those men who were not overtaken by death were cruelly diseased: and the cry of the town went up to heaven.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 5:12
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse records the climax of the Philistine plague narrative. Keil and Delitzsch note that Ekron was visited even more severely than Ashdod and Gath, because the Philistines continued to resist acknowledging God's hand. The Hebrew word for 'cry' (shav'ah, H7775) is not a generic shout; as the Cambridge Bible observes, it 'always denotes a supplication, a cry for help.' Adam Clarke emphasizes the universal panic: the city's cry was 'exceeding great.' Yet there is disagreement on whether this cry was heard by God as a genuine appeal. Gill argues the phrase simply indicates the extreme volume of the distress, 'not that it was heard and regarded there.' The verse thus sits at a tension: a pagan people, in agony, raise a cry that the narrator describes as ascending to heaven, the same language used for Israel's cries (Exodus 2:23).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Genuine supplication heard by God: The Hebrew word shav'ah always denotes a cry for help (Cambridge Bible), and the upward motion language (ascended to heaven) echoes Exodus 2:23 and 1 Samuel 9:16, where God hears cries.
- Hyperbolic expression of distress: Gill argues the phrase simply indicates the loudness of the cry, not that it was heard or regarded by God.
What is clear: The Philistines were in extreme distress, and the narrator uses the language of a cry ascending to heaven to emphasize the severity of the situation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the 'cry' | The cry expresses extreme distress and likely involved loud wailing and petition. | The Cambridge Bible, citing the Hebrew shav'ah, argues it always denotes a supplication heard by God. Gill counters that the phrase only highlights the intensity of the noise, not that it was heard. |
| Why the Philistines were punished | Because they took the ark and treated it as a trophy, dishonoring God. | Some see it as purely punitive judgment on idolatry; others view it as a wake-up call meant to lead Philistines to acknowledge the true God, as seen in their guilt offering (1 Samuel 6). |
| The identity of the tumors | They were a painful affliction on the body, likely in the 'secret parts' (from verse 9). | Some scholars (e.g., Gill) see it as hemorrhoids; others as bubonic plague or a form of dysentery. The exact medical identification is uncertain. |
| The meaning of 'went up to heaven' | The language emphasizes the magnitude and direction of the cry. | Some understand it as a literal description of cry reaching God; others see it as a Hebrew idiom for a very loud noise (like the cry of Sodom). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Philistines were a seafaring people who occupied the coastal plain of Canaan, organized into five city-states: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. Their religion centered on Dagon, a grain or fish deity, whose temple stood in Ashdod. When the ark of the Lord was captured in battle (1 Samuel 4), the Philistines placed it in Dagon's temple as a war trophy. What followed was a series of plagues. First, the statue of Dagon fell and was broken. Then tumors (Hebrew t'chorim, H2914) broke out on the people, along with a 'great confusion' and deadly panic.
By 1 Samuel 5:12, the ark had been moved from Ashdod to Gath, then to Ekron. Each city experienced the same affliction. The Philistines knew their gods could not protect them. They still saw Jehovah as a local deity whose power was tied to his 'shrine' (the ark), which is why they thought sending it back would stop the plague. But the narrative makes clear that the 'hand of God', not the ark itself, was the active force. The cry that went up to heaven reflects both the physical pain of the tumors and the terror of sudden death. This phrase echoes the 'great cry' of Egypt at the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:30), underscoring a pattern: God hears the suffering of the oppressed, and even pagan distress can ascend to his throne. The next chapter shows the Philistines offering a guilt offering, golden tumors and mice, a clear step toward recognition of the true God.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across extant manuscripts, and the few minor differences in English translations (e.g., 'tumors' vs 'emerods') reflect translation choices for the same Hebrew word t'chorim, not a textual issue.
Reception History
Jewish interpreters read this verse as evidence of God's power over the nations, reinforcing the lesson that Israel's God cannot be mocked. In Christian tradition, the verse has been used to illustrate that even the cry of the ungodly can ascend to heaven, though not necessarily with redemptive effect. Augustine and later theologians saw in the Philistines' plagues a type of divine judgment that can lead to repentance, as seen in their offering in chapter 6. The phrase 'the cry of the city went up to heaven' has been quoted in hymns and sermons about judgment and mercy, often linking it to the outcry of Sodom (Genesis 18:20, 21). The verse continues to be a touchpoint in discussions about God's sovereignty over history and his attention to human suffering regardless of the sufferer's religious identity.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s hand on the nations. The Philistines did not know Yahweh, but they experienced his judgment as a heavy weight. This shows that God holds all peoples accountable for their treatment of his honor and his people.
- The cry of the afflicted. The Hebrew word shav'ah is a cry for help, not just a noise. Even a pagan city in pain can cry out to heaven. The text does not say God ignored them, it says the cry ascended.
- A turning point. After this cry, the Philistines send the ark back with offerings. Suffering can become a path toward acknowledgment of God, though repentance is not guaranteed.
Five-point outline
- The progression of plague, From Ashdod to Gath to Ekron, the judgment intensifies. Delay in humbling oneself brings greater severity.
- The failure of idolatry, Dagon falls, priests refuse to tread the threshold, and the god of Israel proves sovereign.
- The nature of the affliction, Tumors and death create a city in crisis. The physical suffering is a sign of spiritual reality.
- The cry as prayer, Whether heard or not, the language of ascent implies God's awareness. Commentators differ, but the phrase invites reflection on God's mercy even toward enemies.
- The aftermath, The ark returns, the plagues stop, and Philistine leaders acknowledge God's hand.
Illustration hooks
- A city under a health emergency, hospitals overwhelmed, a collective groaning of pain and fear. Imagine a community where every family is touched by the same disease. That was Ekron.
- A sudden disaster that forces people to acknowledge a higher power, even skeptics may cry out in a moment of crisis. The Philistines had no other god to turn to; their Dagon was broken.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God hear the prayers of people who aren't part of his covenant community?
- Why does God sometimes allow suffering to escalate before he intervenes?
- What does this story teach about the connection between physical affliction and spiritual truth?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the depth of the Philistine crisis. After the ark brought plague to each city, the survivors were still suffering, and the entire city raised a cry that the text describes as ascending to heaven. As you discuss this passage, consider what the narrator wants us to see about God's relationship with those outside Israel.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Samuel 5:6, 12. What pattern do you observe in how each Philistine city reacted to the ark?
- The Hebrew word for 'cry' in verse 12 (shav'ah) specifically means a cry for help. Why is that detail important for understanding the scene?
- Some commentators think this cry was just a loud wail of pain; others think it was a genuine call that God heard. What evidence in the text or broader Bible supports each view?
- Compare this verse with Exodus 12:30 (the great cry in Egypt) and 1 Samuel 9:16 (God hears the cry of Israel). What are the similarities and differences in how God responds to the suffering of his own people versus others?
- How does the Philistines' response to the plague (trying to move the ark, then sending it back with offerings) show their understanding of God? What might they still be missing?
- In what situations today might we see people who do not know God crying out in distress? How does this story shape our view of those cries?
- What does this passage teach about the possibility of repentance and recognition of God even among those who have opposed him?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:30 | Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. |
| I Samuel 9:16 | “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me.” |
| I Kings 19:17 | He who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. |
| Isaiah 15:3 | In their streets, they clothe themselves in sackcloth. In their streets and on their housetops, everyone wails, weeping abundantly. |
| Isaiah 15:5 | My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for on the way to Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction. |
| Jeremiah 14:2 | “Judah mourns, and its gates languish. They sit in black on the ground. The cry of Jerusalem goes up. |
| Jeremiah 25:34 | Wail, you shepherds, and cry. Wallow in dust, you leader of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you will fall like fine pottery. |
| Jeremiah 48:3 | The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that the Philistines had no real understanding of Jehovah, treating Him as just another local deity whose power was limited to Israel's territory. Their plagues were appeased by returning the ark and offering golden mice and hemorrhoids as talismans, likely made under specific planetary positions.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator points out that the word "cry" here is always a plea for help, not a mere shout. The escalating severity of each city's judgment is tied directly to the Philistines' stubborn refusal to acknowledge God's chastening hand, a pattern that mirrors how Pharaoh's hard heart led to increasingly heavy plagues.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And the men that dyed not, were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the citie went vp to heauen.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the men who died did not perish from the emerods but from another cause, likely pestilence. He also explains that the cry of the city going up to heaven does not mean God heard or responded to it; rather, the phrase simply emphasizes how loud and desperate the outcry was.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that the plague brought acute pain, and such afflictions were not rare in the Philistine plain. The city's cry rising to heaven reflects the real, severe suffering common to that region.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch point out that Ekron suffered even more severely than Ashdod and Gath because the Philistines kept resisting and refused to recognize God's chastening hand. The longer they held the ark, the heavier the punishment became, until the whole city cried out to heaven under deadly plague and terror.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that the mutilated Dagon statue, with its human head and hands cut off, symbolically exposes the impotence of heathen wisdom and power before the ark
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the Philistines could have avoided further devastation if they had repented of their idolatry and humbled themselves before God after Dagon's downfall. Instead, their stubborn refusal to see God's hand at work only brought heavier judgment until they finally cried out.