And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1 SAMUEL 5:12KJV
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1 Samuel 5:12 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 5:12 mean?

1 Samuel 5:12 describes how the people in the city who did not die were struck with a severe affliction called "emerods," and the suffering was so great that the outcry from the city was said to reach up to heaven. This verse highlights the intense distress and widespread suffering among the people as a result of God's judgment.

The setting is the Philistine city of Ekron, after the Ark of the Covenant was captured from Israel and brought into Philistine territory. The verse shows that those who survived the initial deadly outbreak were struck with painful tumors or swellings, causing the whole city to cry out in desperation. The language emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the calamity and the sense that their suffering was so severe it could not be ignored.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 5:12

  • "emerods" (עֹפֶל, ʿophel and טְחֹר, techor): These words refer to painful swellings or tumors, often understood as hemorrhoids or similar afflictions. The use of both terms in this passage underlines the severity and unusual nature of the disease.
  • "cry" (שַׁוְעָה, shavʿah): This word means a loud cry for help or distress. Its use here shows that the suffering was not just physical but also deeply emotional, affecting the whole community.
  • "up" (עָלָה, ʿalah): This verb means "to go up" or "ascend." The phrase that the cry "went up to heaven" is a vivid way to express just how desperate and widespread the distress was—it was as if their suffering demanded divine attention.

Why 1 Samuel 5:12 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the judgment was not limited to death; those who survived faced ongoing, intense suffering, showing the completeness of the calamity.
  • The mention of the city's cry "going up to heaven" connects to other biblical moments where desperate prayer or distress is described as reaching God, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
  • Understanding the original Hebrew words for the affliction and the cry helps modern readers grasp the depth of the Philistines' misery and the dramatic impact of the Ark's presence among them.

Where else these words appear

“emerods” Hebrew H2914 · used in 8 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
  • 1 Samuel 5:9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
  • 1 Samuel 6:5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

“emerods” Hebrew H6076 · used in 9 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
  • 1 Samuel 5:9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
  • 2 Kings 5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

“cry” Hebrew H7775 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
  • Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
  • Psalms 102:1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.