(6) В¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. (7) And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
It is not very easy to say, what this disease which is called Emerods was. The Psalmist in referring to this history, saith, that the Lord smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetual reproach. Psalms 78:66. But be the disease what it might, certain it is, that it was very heavy upon them, and that they considered it as a judgment on account of the ark.