I Samuel 5:6 · Bible study
1 Samuel 5:6 Commentary: Why Tumors? God's Sovereignty Over Philistines
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God afflicts the Philistines with tumors, showing His power over Dagon. This study explores the meaning and significance of this humiliating plague.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s judgment on Philistine pride, showing that He will not share His glory with idols.
- Key words: hand (power, active intervention), heavy (burdensome, oppressive), tumors (techorim, hemorrhoids or boils, humiliating disease).
- Main debate: The precise nature of the disease, hemorrhoids (Gill, Clarke) vs. bubonic plague with buboes (Cambridge). Also the textual question of whether mice were part of the original plague (LXX adds them, Masoretic text does not).
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over all nations and their gods; the seriousness of profaning what is holy.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on God’s jealousy for His name, the humbling of pride, and the consequences of treating God as a commodity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the hand of Jehovah is heavy on the Ashdodites, and He maketh them desolate, and smiteth them with emerods, Ashdod and its borders.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he laid them waste, and smote them with hemorrhoids, — Ashdod and its borders.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Empero agravóse la mano de Jehová sobre los de Asdod, y destruyólos, é hiriólos con hemorroides en Asdod y en todos sus términos.
Porém agravou-se a mão do SENHOR sobre os de Asdode, e assolou-os, e feriu-os com chagas em Asdode e em todos seus termos.
La main de l’ Éternel s’ appesantit sur les Asdodiens, et il mit la désolation parmi eux; il les frappa d’hémorroïdes à Asdod et dans son territoire.
Aber die Hand des HERRN war schwer über die von Asdod und verderbte sie und schlug sie mit bösen Beulen, Asdod und sein Gebiet.
Doch de hand des HEEREN was zwaar over die van Asdod, en verwoestte hen; en Hij sloeg ze met spenen, Asdod en haar landpalen.
Poi la mano dell’Eterno si aggravò su quei di Asdod, portò fra loro la desolazione, e li colpì di emorroidi, a Asdod e nel suo territorio.
Tedy była ciężka ręka Pańska nad Azotczany, a gubiła je; bo je zarażała wrzodami na zadnicach, w Azocie i w granicach jego.
И отяготела рука Господня над Азотянами, и Он поражал их и наказал их мучительными наростами, в Азоте и в окрестностях его, [а внутри страны размножились мыши, и было в городе великое отчаяние].
耶和華 的手 重重 加在 亞實突人身上，敗壞他們，使 他們 生痔瘡。 亞實突 和 亞實突的四境都是如此。
But the hand of the Lord was hard on the people of Ashdod and he sent disease on them through all the country of Ashdod.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 5:6
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 describes a direct judgment from Yahweh against the Philistines of Ashdod. The "heavy hand" is a metaphor for divine power exercised in chastisement (Cambridge). The precise disease, translated "tumors," "emerods," or "hemorrhoids", is debated. Adam Clarke identifies it as bleeding piles accompanied by dysentery. Barnes links it to the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:27. Keil and Delitzsch note that the root verb "destroyed" (shamem) implies devastation of both people and land, pointing to a broader plague that may have included crop failure and mice. The humiliation of a disease affecting "secret parts" (as the Septuagint and Jewish tradition describe) directly shames the Philistine pride, showing that their god Dagon could not protect them. Matthew Henry reads it as a consequence of refusing to repent after seeing Dagon fall. All see this as a public demonstration that Israel's God rules over Philistia.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal hemorrhoids / piles: Lexical evidence from H2914 <em>techorim</em>, which appears only here and Deuteronomy 28:27. Supported by Gill and Clarke, who link it to the covenant curse and the shame of private parts.
- Bubonic plague with buboes: The description of destruction, death, and confusion (v.9, 11). Cambridge notes that boils are a characteristic symptom of the oriental plague, which is highly infectious and fatal.
- Textual inclusion of mice as part of the plague: The Septuagint addition at v.6 describes mice ravaging the land. This aligns with the golden mice offering in 1 Samuel 6:4-5, suggesting a broader judgment on crops as well as bodies.
What is clear: All traditions agree that God sent a painful, humiliating affliction on the Philistines as a direct act of judgment, demonstrating His sovereignty over Dagon and defending the honor of His ark.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the plague | The plague was painful, humiliating, and sent directly by Yahweh to judge the Philistines. | Some commentators (Gill, Clarke) identify it specifically as hemorrhoids or bleeding piles. Others (Cambridge) argue it was bubonic plague with boils, based on the infectiousness and fatality mentioned in the narrative. |
| Role of mice in the plague | Mice appear in the trespass offering of 1 Samuel 6:4-5, indicating they were part of the overall judgment. | The Hebrew Masoretic text of 1 Samuel 5:6 does not mention mice. The Septuagint and Vulgate include a phrase about mice springing up. Keil and Delitzsch see this as an interpretive inference from chapter 6; Clarke thinks it may be original, following Houbigant. |
| God’s intent in the judgment | The primary purpose was to demonstrate Yahweh’s superiority over Dagon and to defend His name. | Was the judgment purely punitive or also pedagogical? Matthew Henry suggests the Philistines could have repented after seeing Dagon fall; the narrative implies they only wanted relief from suffering. Some scholars read the plagues as a call to repentance that went unheeded. |
| The meaning of “destroyed them” | It indicates a severe, comprehensive judgment affecting both people and land. | Keil and Delitzsch argue that the verb <em>shamem</em> includes crop devastation (supported by the mice), while others limit it to death from disease. The word appears also in Micah 6:13 with a similar sense. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Philistines occupied five major cities along the coastal plain: Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron, and Ashdod. Ashdod housed a great temple of Dagon, their chief god, often depicted as a fish-god or grain-god. When the Philistines captured the ark of Israel, they placed it in Dagon's temple as a trophy of war (1 Samuel 5:2). This was an act of contempt, claiming that Israel's God had been defeated by Dagon.
Two mornings in a row, the statue of Dagon was found fallen before the ark. First just fallen, then broken, head and hands cut off (v.3-4). The Philistines set Dagon back up each time, refusing the message. Verse 6 describes the next stage: Yahweh's hand directly struck the people. The Hebrew verb shamem ("destroyed") suggests laying waste to fields and persons, consistent with the later mention of mice ravaging the land (1 Samuel 6:5). The word translated "tumors" (techorim) appears only here and in Deuteronomy 28:27, where it is part of the covenant curses for covenant-breaking. The phrase "hand of the Lord" recalls Exodus 9:3, where Yahweh's heavy hand brought pestilence on Egypt's livestock. This links the Philistine affliction to the same pattern: God defending His own name against arrogant enemies.
The disease itself, whether severe hemorrhoids or bubonic boils, was humiliating and painful. Some early translations (Septuagint, Vulgate) add that mice appeared and caused confusion, a detail that explains the golden mice offered later (1 Samuel 6:4-5). Whether original or an interpretive expansion, the addition reinforces the idea that the plague affected both bodies and land. The Philistine leaders soon recognized the cause: "His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god" (1 Samuel 5:7).
Textual Notes
The Hebrew Masoretic text of 1 Samuel 5:6 reads smoothly without mention of mice. However, the Septuagint (followed by the Vulgate and some Syriac traditions) adds a clause: “And mice sprang up in the midst of their land, and there was a very deadly destruction in the city.” Keil and Delitzsch argue this is a paraphrase drawn from 1 Samuel 6:4-5 and 5:11, not evidence of a lost original. Clarke, citing Houbigant, contends the mice clause was originally in the Hebrew and explains the later golden mice offering. The textual evidence is inconclusive, but the debate shows how early readers connected the tumors with a broader agricultural plague.
Reception History
Christian commentators from the Reformation onward have read this verse as a vivid example of God’s determination to defend His covenant presence. Matthew Henry (1710) stresses that the Philistines could have repented but instead compounded their rebellion. John Gill (1748) focuses on the medical details, linking them to the covenant curses in Deuteronomy. Adam Clarke (1826) draws attention to the Septuagint addition and discusses the disease’s nature. Anglican and Reformed scholars (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch, Lange) analyze the textual history and the theological theme of God’s hand against idolatry. Across traditions, this passage has been used to teach that no nation or deity can rival the Lord; He will not be mocked, and His judgment, though fearsome, carries an invitation to recognize His power.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The hand of the Lord is heavy against all rivals. God will not share His glory with idols. The Philistines assumed their god had won. The ark in Dagon's temple became a battlefield, and Yahweh struck first the idol, then the worshippers.
- God's judgment is specific and humiliating. The choice of a disease affecting private parts directly mocked Philistine pride. What they thought hidden or under their control was exposed to shame.
- Suffering can lead to recognition of God’s power. The Philistines eventually admitted Yahweh was stronger. Their response was to send the ark away rather than repent. The question for any congregation is whether hardship leads us to submission or only to avoidance.
Five-point outline
- The ark as a trophy: misplaced confidence in Dagon (v.1-2).
- Dagon falls: God’s first warning (v.3).
- Dagon breaks: God’s second warning, clearer still (v.4-5).
- Yahweh’s hand strikes the people: a painful, unmistakable judgment (v.6).
- The Philistines’ response: fear, consultation, and removal of the ark (v.7-8).
Illustration hooks
- A school bully steals another student’s prized possession. When he tries to use it himself, it backfires and humiliates him in front of everyone.
- A business copies a competitor’s product illegally, only to discover it contains a hidden defect that ruins their reputation and profits.
- Someone sneers at the idea of God “fighting back.” Then a sudden crisis, illness, financial loss, forces them to reconsider who is really in control.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still send physical judgment today? How do we understand illness in light of this passage?
- Why did God use such a humiliating disease instead of a more “dignified” plague?
- What does this story say about how God defends His own honor, and how should that shape our worship?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with God’s determination to defend His honor. The Philistines had taken the ark as a prize, but they could not contain the living God. As you discuss this text, notice both the severity and the specificity of the judgment, and consider what it means when we treat holy things as ordinary.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase "the hand of the Lord was heavy" tell you about God’s power in this event? (Observation)
- Why do you think the judgment fell on the people after the statue of Dagon was broken? What message does the sequence send? (Interpretation)
- The disease is described as tumors or hemorrhoids, a private, shameful affliction. Why might God have chosen this particular punishment? (Interpretation)
- Read 1 Samuel 5:7. The Philistines recognized God’s hand but did not repent, they wanted the ark gone. In your own life, have you ever acknowledged God’s power without actually submitting to Him? (Application)
- How does this story challenge modern ideas about God as “safe” or “manageable”? (Reflection)
- If the Philistines had repented and turned to Yahweh, what might have changed? What keeps people from repentance when they see God’s judgment? (Application)
- In what ways do we sometimes treat God’s presence as a good-luck charm instead of a holy power? How can this story correct that? (Application)
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 9:3 | behold, Yahweh’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence. |
| Deuteronomy 28:27 | Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed. |
| I Samuel 5:7 | When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” |
| I Samuel 5:9 | It was so, that after they had carried it there, Yahweh’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumors broke out on them. |
| I Samuel 5:11 | They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. |
| I Samuel 6:4 | Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. |
| I Samuel 6:5 | Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. |
| Job 31:3 | Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the disease as severe hemorrhoidal bleeding, likely with dysentery, based on the Hebrew word for swollen or elevated. He notes that ancient Greek and Latin versions add that mice also infested the land, which explains why gold images of both mice and tumors accompanied the ark's return.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies "emerods" as an older, corrupted form of the word "hemorrhoids." He notes that this affliction appears among the specific judgments God threatened against Israel for disobedience, linking it directly to the list of curses in Deuteronomy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Septuagint text adds a plague of mice to Israel's punishment, a detail the Hebrew leaves implicit. The commentator identifies the disease as boils rather than hemorrhoids, seeing it as a symptom of bubonic plague that better accounts for its infectious and deadly nature.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that God's judgment struck not only the city of Ashdod but also its surrounding territories. The plague of tumors was a direct and heavy blow from the Lord's hand, demonstrating divine power over the Philistines who had captured the ark.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp distinction between the judgment on the Philistine idol and the judgment on the people themselves. The disease he identifies as hemorrhoids or piles, noting the Hebrew name derives from the height of the swelling tumors, and that it struck not only Ashdod but the surrounding villages.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the plague of hemorrhoids striking the Ashdodites was especially significant because pagans commonly regarded diseases of the private parts as divine punishment for offenses against their gods. This cultural understanding would readily convince the Ashdodites that their suffering demonstrated the anger of the true God against their idol.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads the heavy hand of God against Ashdod as a comprehensive judgment, not limited to disease. They argue the Hebrew verb for laying waste includes agricultural ruin and food shortages, which the Philistines later acknowledged by offering golden mice alongside the golden tumors.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the Philistines placed the ark in Dagon's temple as a trophy, intending to show Yahweh's defeat. Instead, the repeated fall and mutilation of Dagon's statue
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.