John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And it was so, that after they had carried it about , etc.] And at last placed it in the city of Gath; the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction : greater than that at Ashdod, more persons were destroyed; the distemper sent among them was more epidemic and mortal: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great ; high and low, persons of every class, rank, and station, young and old, men, women, and children: and they had emerods in their secret parts ; and so had the men of Ashdod; and the design of this expression is, not to point at the place where they were, which it is well known they are always in those parts, but the different nature of them; the emerods or piles of the men of Ashdod were more outward, these more inward, and so more painful, and not so easy to come at, and more difficult of cure; for the words may be rendered, and the emerods were hidden unto them f105 ; were inward, and out of sight; and perhaps this disease as inflicted on them might be more grievous than it commonly is now. Josephus wrongly makes these to be the Ashkalonites, when they were the men of Gath.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-12 - The hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Philistines; he not onl convinced them of their folly, but severely chastised their insolence Yet they would not renounce Dagon; and instead of seeking God's mercy they desired to get clear of his ark. Carnal hearts, when they smar under the judgments of God, would rather, if it were possible, put his far from them, than enter into covenant or communion with him, and see him for their friend. But their devices to escape the Divine judgment only increase them. Those that fight against God will soon have enoug of it _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 אחרי310 הסבו5437 אתו853 ותהי1961 יד3027 יהוה3068 בעיר5892 מהומה4103 גדולה1419 מאד3966 ויך5221 את853 אנשׁי376 העיר5892 מקטן6996 ועד5704 גדול1419 וישׂתרו8368 להם עפלים׃6076
