1 Samuel 5:8 kjv
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.
1 Samuel 5:8 nkjv
Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath." So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away.
1 Samuel 5:8 niv
So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, "What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?" They answered, "Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath." So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
1 Samuel 5:8 esv
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.
1 Samuel 5:8 nlt
So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, "What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?" The rulers discussed it and replied, "Move it to the town of Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.
1 Samuel 5 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 12:12 | "For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike all the firstborn... and on all the gods..." | God's judgment against false gods. |
| Num 33:4 | "...for the LORD had executed judgments on their gods." | Yahweh's demonstration of superiority over foreign deities. |
| Isa 46:1-2 | "Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock... they are not able to deliver the burden" | Futility of idols compared to the living God. |
| Ps 96:5 | "For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens." | Distinction between empty idols and the Creator God. |
| Jer 10:10-11 | "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God... the gods that did not make the heavens and the earth..." | God's unique power contrasted with impotent idols. |
| 1 Sam 4:3 | "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant..." | Human presumption in trying to manipulate God's presence. |
| Num 4:15 | "afterward the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them... they must not touch the holy things, lest they die" | Holiness of the Ark and specific requirements for its handling. |
| 2 Sam 6:6-7 | "when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it... " | Consequences of mishandling the Ark, emphasizing God's holiness. |
| 1 Chr 13:9-10 | "When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza reached out his hand to the ark to hold it... the LORD struck him down" | Reiteration of divine judgment for unauthorized contact with the Ark. |
| 1 Sam 5:6 | "the hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and He afflicted them..." | Immediate context: God's hand bringing severe affliction. |
| 1 Sam 5:7 | "When the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, 'The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us...'" | Recognition of the source of the plague by Ashdod, leading to the council. |
| 1 Sam 5:9 | "And when they had carried it around to Gath, the hand of the LORD was against the city..." | The immediate consequence: Judgment extends to Gath as predicted. |
| Pro 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Human arrogance leading to further negative consequences. |
| Jer 7:12-14 | "Go now to My place that was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it..." | God's willingness to judge even sacred places if people persist in sin. |
| Isa 47:10-11 | "You felt secure in your wickedness... Disaster shall come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away." | Futility of human schemes against divine judgment. |
| Acts 8:18-19 | "Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money," | Human attempt to purchase or manipulate spiritual power. |
| Gen 12:3 | "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse..." | Principle of cursing those who mistreat God's chosen. |
| Exo 10:7 | "Pharaoh's servants said to him, 'How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go... Do you not understand..." | Enemies eventually recognizing God's hand, similar to the Philistines. |
| 1 Sam 6:3-9 | "Then they said, 'If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty..." | Philistines later send the Ark away with a guilt offering, indicating a shift in understanding. |
| Josh 7:11-12 | "Israel has sinned... and have taken some of the devoted things... Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before..." | Impurity/sin (even in handling) prevents divine blessing and causes judgment. |
| Dan 4:34-35 | "His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation... no one can restrain His hand..." | God's absolute sovereignty, which the Philistines attempted to defy. |
1 Samuel 5 verses
1 Samuel 5 8 Meaning
1 Samuel 5:8 describes the desperate attempt by the Philistine rulers to control the divine judgment unleashed by the Ark of the Covenant. After experiencing devastating plagues in Ashdod, they convene a council of all the Philistine lords. In their fear and misunderstanding, they acknowledge the Ark as belonging to "the God of Israel" but propose relocating it to another major Philistine city, Gath, rather than recognizing their offense or the supreme power of Yahweh. This decision reflects their polytheistic worldview, where a deity's influence might be localized or transferred.
1 Samuel 5 8 Context
First Samuel chapter 5 opens with the Philistines having captured the Ark of the Covenant, bringing it into the temple of their god Dagon in Ashdod. God immediately demonstrates His supremacy by repeatedly toppling Dagon's idol and then afflicting the people of Ashdod with painful tumors (ophelim), leading to widespread death and panic. The initial response of the Ashdodites (verse 7) is to declare that the Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with them. Verse 8 details the collective decision-making process by the highest Philistine authorities (the lords from all five principal cities) to try and manage this crisis. They understand that the Ark is causing their calamity, but they lack the theological understanding to repent or truly worship Yahweh. Their proposed solution—moving the Ark to Gath—reveals their limited, pagan worldview where divine power can be spatially contained or redirected. This strategic relocation sets the stage for further, escalating divine judgment throughout Philistia.
1 Samuel 5 8 Word analysis
- So they sent and gathered: This phrase highlights a coordinated, authoritative effort. The severity of the crisis in Ashdod necessitated a formal convocation of all the
sarney(lords). It underscores their shared alarm and a collective attempt to address the "God of Israel" problem, demonstrating their communal governance structure. - all the lords: Hebrew:
sarney(plural ofseren, סֶרֶן). This is a unique title exclusively used for the rulers of the Philistine pentapolis (Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron). Unlike kings, theseseranimgoverned in a federal-like system. The gathering signifies a full Philistine council of state, indicating the crisis had impacted the entire confederation and demanded a pan-Philistine response. - of the Philistines to them: Indicates the Philistines themselves initiated the gathering and consultation, recognizing the scale of the threat. This was an internal deliberation, not influenced by Israelite interaction.
- and said, 'What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?':
- What shall we do: Reveals their perplexity, desperation, and lack of true spiritual insight. They perceive a powerful, destructive force, but not the sovereign, holy nature of Yahweh or the sin they had committed. They seek a pragmatic, not spiritual, solution. This question underlines their attempt to regain control in the face of an uncontrollable deity.
- ark: Hebrew:
aron(אֲרוֹן). The chest symbolizing Yahweh's presence and throne, the holiest object in Israel. The Philistines, initially seeing it as a war trophy, now recognize its potent, destructive force. - the God of Israel: Hebrew:
'Elohei Yisra'el(אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). This title is significant. Initially (1 Sam 4:3, 17), they merely call it the "ark ofElohim(God)." Now, experiencing His distinctive power, they acknowledge Him asthe God of Israel. This is a reluctant, external recognition of Yahweh's distinct identity and association with Israel, prompted by overwhelming evidence of His unique power and severe judgment, contrasting with their own impotent idols. It implicitly rejects the idea that Dagon or any other local god could stop Him.
- And they answered, 'Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried around to Gath.':
- carried around to Gath: Hebrew:
sabab(סָבַב), often implies circumambulation or movement within a circumscribed area. Here it suggests a transfer or circulation from one location to another. Their solution is simply to relocate the problem. This reflects a polytheistic mindset where a deity’s power is believed to be geographically bound or could be managed by spatial displacement. They hope the Ark's destructive power might be confined to Gath, or perhaps cease, not realizing God's omnipresent sovereignty. Gath was a prominent Philistine city, home to giants, and perhaps they believed its strength would withstand the Ark, or simply passed the burden onto another city within their confederation. This decision reveals a persistent blindness to the true nature of God, despite overwhelming evidence.
- carried around to Gath: Hebrew:
1 Samuel 5 8 Bonus section
- Polemics against Polytheism: The entire chapter, particularly this verse, serves as a powerful polemic against the Philistine's polytheistic beliefs. Their belief in geographically confined or controllable gods (like Dagon) is shattered by Yahweh's uncontainable power that follows and afflicts the Ark's custodians regardless of location.
- The Uncontainable God: This episode illustrates that the God of Israel is not like the gods of the nations, confined to a temple, a specific territory, or manipulable by human actions. His holiness and power extend everywhere, bringing judgment against those who defiantly oppose Him.
- Escalation of Judgment: The decision to move the Ark to Gath is part of an escalating pattern of divine judgment. God allows them to make these choices, only to demonstrate His continued sovereignty over each new location, showing that He is inescapable. This tests their limits of understanding and their persistence in rebellion.
1 Samuel 5 8 Commentary
1 Samuel 5:8 captures the Philistines' desperate and ultimately futile attempts to manage Yahweh on their own terms. Having observed God's power through the humbling of Dagon and the plagues in Ashdod, they correctly attribute the calamity to "the God of Israel," a grudging recognition born of fear. However, their proposed solution — moving the Ark to Gath — exposes the deep chasm between their pagan understanding of divinity and Yahweh's absolute sovereignty. They viewed God as a powerful, but still localizable, force that could be placated or bypassed through geographic redistribution, rather than by repentance or acknowledging His supreme dominion over all places and peoples. This council's decision is a direct challenge, not merely a strategic relocation, unwittingly setting the stage for God's further, undeniable demonstration of power in Gath. The scene serves as a powerful polemic against any notion that human strategy or manipulation can contain the holy God of Israel.