And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
These are the golden tumors that the Philistines gave back as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron.
The writer is listing the five golden replicas of tumors that each major Philistine city contributed as their offering to God to make things right after being afflicted.
📚 Historical Context
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant and were struck with painful tumors as divine punishment. After seven months of suffering, they decided to return the Ark along with guilt offerings - golden replicas of the tumors and mice that had plagued them. The five cities mentioned were the major Philistine strongholds, each ruled by a lord who contributed to this desperate attempt to appease Israel's God.
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