with the ark of the God of Iſrael? And they anſwered,
+ Plal. 7 8. 66,
Let the ark of the God of Ifrael be carried about unto Gath q: And they carried the ark of the God of Ifra- el about thither. | 4 Suppoſing that this Plague was confined to 4404 for ſome par= ticular Reaſons, or that it came upon th:-m by Chance, or from ſome bad Influence of the Air, or of tae Stars, or for putting it in- to Dagon's Temple, which they reiclved they would not do. 9 Andit was ſo, thar after they had carried it about, | Or,a very the hand of the LORD was againſt the city with || a great terror. yery great deſtruction: and he ſmore the men of the city, both ſmall and great, and they had emerods in their ſecret parts r y Or, in their hidden parts, to wit, in the, inwards of their hin- der parts. Which is the worſt kind of Emerods, as all Phyſicia''s acknowledge, buth becauſe its Pains are far more ſharp and keen than the other ; and becauſe the Malady is more out of the reach of Remedies.
10 © Therefore they ſent the ark of God to Ekron : and it came to paſs, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronires cried our aying, 1 hey have brought about the ark of the God of 1irael to us, to flay us ſand our people.
Ff Not that they intended this, but becauſe this would be the event ot it.
II So they ſent, and gathered together all the lords of the Philiſtines, and ſaid, Send away .he ark of the God of Iſrael, and let it go again to his own place, that it ſlay us not, and cur people : for there was a deadly deſtruction throughout all the &ty t : the hand of God was heavy there.
_ t Towit, the City of Ekrov, during irs ſhort ſtay theres Or, in every City, towir, where rae Ark of GOD ca::ie : for it came aiſo to Gaza and Aikelon, and produced the ſame Effe&ts th: re, as may be
gathered from Chap. 6. 4, 17, though ior brevity ſake it be here omitted.
| 12 And the men thar died not «, were ſmitten with the emerods : and the cry of the ciry x went up to heaven.
« Either of ſome other Plague, or Ulcer, as may be thoughtfrom
v. 6. oref the Emerods, which Iafefted and Tormented even thoſe whom it did not kill.
the Cty 1s pur for the People Lahabiting ity
$S141NULYE
' being pur potea.:a ly, as is not unuſual), They expreſs themſeives pronchfully.
x Or, of that City where the Ark was z and |
F Fg Ch. VI C H AP. VI. | The Phil:fines conſult with the Pri-fts how they ſhall return the Arts Thy | adviſe to ſend with it for a Treſpa(s offering, fue golden Emerads ana Mice : On a new Cart, which they do: The Kine tied to the Cart, g5 firaight Way is Bet ':- ſhemeſh s Wriich was for a ſian to the Philiftines, T- — 12, They of Beth-ſhrmeſh rejoyce ; The Lovices offer Sacrifice for it, 13——— I5. The People are ſmitten far looking into the Ark ; And requeſ# them of Kirjath-5:arim to fetch it thence into their own Ciry, 16
21s Nd the ark of the LORD was in the countrey of
the Philiſtines ſeven moneths 4.
_ # Solong they kept ir, as loth to loſe ſo great a Prize, and wil- - ling to try all ways to keep ity and yet free themſelves from the Miſchicfs accompanying its preſence.
2 And the Philiſtines called for the prieſts, and the diviners b, ſaying, What ſhal we do to the ark of the LORD |. Tell us wherewith c we (hal ſend it to his place ?
b Whoſe Art was in great eſteem with Heathen Nations, and e- ſpecially with the Phili#ines and their Neighbours the Canaanites and Egyptlans. c In what manner, and with what Gifts ; for to ſend it, they had decreed before, Chap. 5. 11.
3 And they ſaid, It ye reſolve to ſend away the ark of the God of Iſrael, fend it not empty 4d : but in any wiſe return him a treſpaſs offering e : then ye ſhal be healed, and it (hal be known co you f, why his hand | * 15 not removed from you. * Or, waz |
d te. Withour a Preſent ; which they judged neceſſary, from |
the common Opinion and Praftice both of Jews and Gentiles. e Thereby to acknowledge our Offence, and obtain his Pardons f You ſhall underſtand, what is hitherto doubtful, whether he was the Author of theſe Calamities, and why they continued ſo long upon you. Compare verſe 7.8, 9. |
4 Then ſaid they, What ſhall be the treſpaſs-offering Z, Which we ſhal return to him ? They anſwered,
Five golden emerods h4, and hve golden mice j, ac- cording to the number of the lords of the Philiſtines :
, | ; og kind 0 plague 4s On T you all, and on your , xr,
g They veſire particular Information, becauſe they were ignorant of the Nature anu Manner of the Worſhip of 1ſrae!'s GOD. and they might eaſily underſtand rhat there were ſome kinds cf Offerings which GOD would not accept, þ i. e. Figures of that part of the Body which was the ſeat of the Diſeaſe, which by »ts ſwelling, or ſome other way, Repreſented aiſo the Diſcale it ſelf. Which they offered not in con:empt of GOD, for they ſoughr ro gain his favour hereby ; bur in Teſtimony of their Humiliation, that by leaving this Monument of their own Shame and Miſery, they might obtain pity trom GOD, and freedom from their Diſcaſe- #5 Which mar- red their Land ( as it is related wv. 5.) by deftroying the Fruits thereof ; as the other Plague afflicted their Bodies.
5 Wherefore ye ſhal make images of your emerods, and images of your mice, that * mar the land, and ye « ſhal give glory unto the God of Iſrael & : peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your
ods 1, and from off your land.
k The Glory of his Power in Conquering you, who ſeemed and pretended to have Conquered him ; of his Juſtice in puniſhing you, and of his Goodneſs if he ſhai Relieve you. 1 They ſo ſpeak, either becauſe not only Dagon, but their other gods alſo, were thrown down by the Ark, though that be nor related ; or becauſe the Plural Number in that caſe, was commonly uſed for the Sin- gular» | 35
6 Wherefore then do ye harden »s your hearts, * as + Exod. 7: the Egyptians, and Pharaoh hardened their hearts » ? 13+ 9nd 8
when he + had wrought || wonderfully among them, "5-9 4
them,
Cha. 5.6. |
* did not they let F the people go, and they depart- tGr delids ed ? ed th:m.
mm Or, ſhould ye harden, the Future Tenſe of the Indicative Mond || Or, re-