Apr 18 2006
1 Samuel 5:6-8
וַתִּכְבַּ֧ד יַד־יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֖ים וַיְשִׁמֵּ֑ם וַיַּ֤ךְ אֹתָם֙ [בָּעֳפָלִים] אֶת־אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶֽיהָ׃ 7 וַיִּרְא֥וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן וְאָמְר֗וּ לֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֞ב אֲר֨וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־קָשְׁתָ֤ה יָדוֹ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַ֖ל דָּג֥וֹן אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ 8 וַיִּשְׁלְח֡וּ וַיַּאַסְפוּ֩ אֶת־כָּל־סַרְנֵ֨י פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה לַֽאֲרוֹן֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גַּ֣ת יִסֹּ֔ב אֲר֖וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּסֵּ֕בּוּ אֶת־אֲר֖וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
Vocabulary
Verse 6
אשׁדודים name: “Ashdodites”
שׁמם verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive 3ms): “ravage, desolate”
עפל noun: “hemorrhoid” (BDB, 779)
Syntax & Miscellaneous
- The waw-consecutive form of נכה “smite” assimilates the nun and apocopates the final he (ויך) leaving only the kaf from the original root word.
- Qere: בַּטְּחֹרִ֔ים. The Kethib reads “with hemorrhoids,” but the Qere “with tumors.” See also verse 9.
Vocabulary
Verse 7
קשׁה verb: “be hard, severe” (BDB, 904)
קשׁה verb: “severe”
דגון name: “Dagon”
Verse 8
סרן noun (mpl construct): “lord” (BDB, 710)
גת name (of place): “Gath”
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 7
- The idiom, כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן, can be understood as “that it was so.”
- The word, יד, literally translated “hand” figuratively can refer to “power” (BDB, 387-8). If this is the case, then 3ms suffix would refer to the power of the ark (ms) and not God (mpl).
- The final word, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ “our god,” is in apposition to דגען “Dagon.”
Verse 8
- The clause, גַּ֣ת יִסֹּ֔ב אֲר֖וֹן אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, is not formulated with typical Hebrew clause construction (VSO); rather “Gath,” the verbal object, is placed at the head of the sentence.