SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:8
Enviaron, pues, a juntar a sí todos los príncipes de los filisteos, y dijeron: ¿Qué haremos del arca del Dios de Israel? Y ellos respondieron: Pásese el arca del Dios de Israel a Gat. Y pasaron allá el arca del Dios de Israel.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:8
Verse 8. The lords of the Philistines] The word ynrs sarney, which we translate lords, is rendered by the Chaldee ynrwf tureney, tyrants. The Syriac is the same. By the Vulgate and Septuagint, satrapae, satraps. Palestine was divided into five satrapies: Ashdod, Ekron, Askelon, Gath, and Gaza. See Josh. xiii. 8. But these were all federates and acted under one general government, for which they assembled in council.
Let the ark-be carried about] They probably thought that their affliction rose from some natural cause; and therefore they wished the ark to be carried about from place to place, to see what the effects might be. If they found the same evil produced wherever it came, then they must conclude that it was a judgment from the God of Israel.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them , etc.] The other four lords, for there were five with this; (see Joshua 13:3), and said, what shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel ? they no doubt told them what they and their idol had suffered on account of it, and the resolution they were come to that it should be no longer with them; and therefore desire to know what must be done with it, whether they should return it to the people of Israel, or dispose of it somewhere else; it is probable some might be for the former, but the greater part were not, and were for keeping it in their possession somewhere or another: and they answered, let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath ; which was another of the five principalities of the Philistines, and not far from Ashdod; according to Jerom f103 , it is included in the remnant of Ashdod, ( Jeremiah 25:20) and according to Bunting but four miles from it. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions make this to be the answer of the men of Gath, the one reading it, “and they of Gath said, let the ark of God come to us;” and the other, “they of Gath answered, let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about;” for they suspected, as Procopius Gazaeus observes, that the destruction did not come from God, but was a disease arising from some pestilential cause.
They perhaps imagined it was in the air in and about Ashdod, or that though the situation of the ark was not liked, in another place it might be otherwise, and more agreeable: and they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither ; they seem not to carry it directly to the place, but carried it in a round about way, as if they had a mind to give it an airing, before they fixed it any where.
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
וישׁלחו 7971 ויאספו 622 את 853 כל 3605 סרני 5633 פלשׁתים 6430 אליהם 413 ויאמרו 559 מה 4100 נעשׂה 6213 לארון 727 אלהי 430 ישׂראל 3478 ויאמרו 559 גת 1661 יסב 5437 ארון 727 אלהי 430 ישׂראל 3478 ויסבו 5437 את 853 ארון 727 אלהי 430 ישׂראל׃ 3478
