1 Samuel 5:11

Then the Ekronites called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was very heavy upon it.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Ekronites convene all Philistine rulers and command them to expel the ark of the God of Israel to halt the ongoing killings. This occurs immediately after the ark's arrival in Ekron and precedes the full description of the city's affliction.

The words — The verbs וַ/יִּשְלְח֨וּ (va/i.yish.le.Chu) and שַׁלְּח֞וּ (sha.le.Chu) both mean "to send away," emphasizing the forced dismissal of the ark from their territory.

The thread — The phrase "hand of God was very heavy" directly parallels the affliction noted in 1 Samuel 5:6 and the initial consultation in 1 Samuel 5:8. The resulting panic mirrors the limp hands and melted hearts described in Isaiah 13:7.

Why it lands — The text requires acknowledgment that proximity to divine presence produces unavoidable, coercive consequences regardless of human intention. It demands that a reader recognize the necessity of immediate compliance when confronted with unmediated holiness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּva/i.yish.le.Chuand/ they sent וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּva/i.ya.'as.Fuand/ they gathered אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all סַרְנֵ֣יsar.Nei[the] rulers of פְלִשְׁתִּ֗יםfe.lish.Tim[the] Philistines וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙va/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said שַׁלְּח֞וּsha.le.Chusend away אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֲר֨וֹן'a.Ron[the] ark of אֱלֹהֵ֤י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsrael וְיָשֹׁ֣בve./ya.Shoso/ may it return לִמְקֹמ֔וֹli/m.ko.M/oto/ own place/ its וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not יָמִ֥יתya.Mitit will kill אֹתִ֖י'o.T/i<obj.>/ me וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>עַמִּ֑י'a.M/ipeople/ my כִּֽי־ki-for הָיְתָ֤הha.ye.Tahit was מְהֽוּמַת־me.hu.mat-panic of מָ֙וֶת֙ma.vetdeath בְּכָל־be./kholin/ all הָעִ֔ירha./'Irthe/ city כָּבְדָ֥הka.ve.Dahit was heavy מְאֹ֛דme.'Odexceedingly יַ֥דyad[the] hand of הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ God שָֽׁם׃Shamthere

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

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 5:8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
Isaiah 13:7 Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
Jeremiah 48:42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD.