The Meaning of 1 Samuel 5:9 Explained

1 Samuel 5:9

KJV: And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

YLT: and it cometh to pass after they have brought it round, that the hand of Jehovah is against the city -- a very great destruction; and He smiteth the men of the city, from small even unto great; and break forth on them do emerods.

Darby: And it came to pass that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with very great panic; and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and hemorrhoids broke out upon them.

ASV: And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors brake out upon them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it was [so], that, after  they had carried it about,  the hand  of the LORD  was against the city  with a very  great  destruction:  and he smote  the men  of the city,  both small  and great,  and they had emerods  in their secret parts. 

What does 1 Samuel 5:9 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 5:1-12 - The Captured Ark Brings Trouble
Dagon's fall before the Ark of God has a sublime significance. In the evening, as the priests left the temple, the hideous image stood erect on its pedestal; in the morning, it was found prostrate before the sacred symbol. A repetition of the incident proved that it was no coincidence. So shall it be with all the idols of the heathen. They shall be utterly abolished, and the demons of whom they are the grotesque representations, together with the Devil whom they obey, shall be cast into the "bottomless pit," Revelation 20:3. Thus has it been in many countries already. They have "cast their idols to the moles and bats," Isaiah 2:20.
Let this scene be reproduced in your heart! Let Jesus enter and the dearest idols you have known will yield before Him. The presence of Christ, which brings terror to his foes, will bring blessing and deliverance to those that love Him. The dying thief passes from his cross to Paradise, while Judas goes to his own place. Dare to admit the Savior into the secret place of your heart. He will utterly destroy the works of Satan, and will drive out the evil things that have too long infested it. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 5

1  The Philistines having brought the ark into Ashdod, set it in the house Dagon
3  Dagon is smitten down and cut and cut in pieces,
5  and they of Ashdod smitten with tumors
8  So God deals with them of Gath, when it was brought thither
10  and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 5:9 mean?

So it was after they had carried away it that was the hand of Yahweh against the city with a destruction great very and He struck - the men of the city from small and to great broke out On them - and tumors
וַיְהִ֞י אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ הֵסַ֣בּוּ אֹת֗וֹ וַתְּהִ֨י יַד־ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ בָּעִיר֙ מְהוּמָה֙ גְּדוֹלָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר מִקָּטֹ֖ן וְעַד־ גָּד֑וֹל וַיִּשָּׂתְר֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם [עפלים] (טְחֹרִֽים)

וַיְהִ֞י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הֵסַ֣בּוּ  they  had  carried  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
וַתְּהִ֨י  that  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יַד־  the  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יְהוָ֤ה ׀  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בָּעִיר֙  against  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מְהוּמָה֙  with  a  destruction 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְהוּמָה  
Sense: tumult, confusion, disquietude, discomfiture, destruction, trouble, vexed, vexation.
גְּדוֹלָ֣ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
מְאֹ֔ד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וַיַּךְ֙  and  He  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָעִ֔יר  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִקָּטֹ֖ן  from  small 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
גָּד֑וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַיִּשָּׂתְר֥וּ  broke  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂתַר  
Sense: (Niphal) to burst out, break out.
לָהֶ֖ם  On  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
[עפלים]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
(טְחֹרִֽים)  and  tumors 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֹפֶל  
Sense: hill, mound, fort, stronghold, Ophel.