John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp , etc.] Being brought thither by the men that carried it: all Israel shouted with a great shout , so that the earth rang again; this they did as now sure of victory, because of the ark, and to give spirit and courage to each other to go forth to battle, and to strike a panic into their enemies.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Israel is smitten before the Philistines. Sin, the accursed thing, wa in the camp, and gave their enemies all the advantage they could wis for. They own the hand of God in their trouble; but, instead of submitting, they speak angrily, as not aware of any just provocatio they had given him. The foolishness of man perverts his way, and the his heart frets against the Lord, Pr 19:3, and finds fault with him They supposed that they could oblige God to appear for them, by bringing the ark into their camp. Those who have gone back in the lif of religion, sometimes discover great fondness for the outwar observances of it, as if those would save them; and as if the ark God's throne, in the camp, would bring them to heaven, though the worl and the flesh are on the throne in the heart.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 כבוא935 ארון727 ברית1285 יהוה3068 אל413 המחנה4264 וירעו7321 כל3605 ישׂראל3478 תרועה8643 גדולה1419 ותהם1949 הארץ׃776
