Definition and Description:
Emerods, often understood as hemorrhoids or tumors, are mentioned in the Bible as a form of divine judgment. The term is derived from the Hebrew word "ophalim," which is generally interpreted as swellings or tumors. In the context of the biblical narrative, emerods are considered a physical affliction sent by God as a punishment for sin or disobedience.

Biblical References:
The primary biblical account of emerods is found in the Old Testament, specifically in the books of 1 Samuel. The Philistines, after capturing the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites, experienced a severe outbreak of emerods as a divine retribution for their actions.

1. 1 Samuel 5:6-12 : The passage describes how the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, afflicting them with emerods. The text states, "The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He devastated them and afflicted them with tumors" (1 Samuel 5:6). The affliction spread to other Philistine cities, causing great panic and suffering.

2. 1 Samuel 6:4-5 : In an attempt to appease the God of Israel and rid themselves of the affliction, the Philistines consulted their priests and diviners. They were advised to return the Ark along with a guilt offering of five golden tumors and five golden rats, representing the plague that had struck them. The passage reads, "What guilt offering should we send back to Him? They replied, 'Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers'" (1 Samuel 6:4).

Theological Significance:
From a theological perspective, the account of emerods serves as a powerful reminder of God's holiness and the consequences of defying His will. The affliction of the Philistines underscores the belief that God actively intervenes in human affairs, particularly when His sacred objects, such as the Ark of the Covenant, are mishandled or desecrated.

The narrative also highlights the importance of repentance and restitution. The Philistines' decision to return the Ark with a guilt offering signifies an acknowledgment of their wrongdoing and a desire to restore favor with the God of Israel. This act of contrition is seen as a necessary step in seeking divine mercy and healing.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In the ancient Near Eastern context, physical ailments and diseases were often viewed as manifestations of divine displeasure. The Philistines' experience with emerods reflects this cultural understanding, as they interpreted the affliction as a direct result of their actions against the Israelites and their God.

The use of golden images as a guilt offering also aligns with ancient practices of appeasing deities through symbolic representations of the affliction. This practice underscores the belief in a tangible connection between the physical and spiritual realms, where material offerings could influence divine favor.

Conclusion:
The account of emerods in the Bible serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of defying God's commands and the importance of reverence for sacred objects. It also illustrates the broader biblical theme of divine justice and mercy, where repentance and restitution can lead to healing and restoration.(n. pl.) Alt. of Emeroids.EMERODS

em'-er-odz `ophalim, techorim:

These words are used in the account of the plague which broke out among the Philistines while the captive Ark of the Covenant was in their land. `Ophalim literally means rounded eminences or swellings, and in the Revised Version (British and American) is translated "tumors" (1 Samuel 5:6-12). In the Hebrew text of this passage the Qere substitutes for it the word techorim, a term which occurs in the next chapter in the description of the golden models of these swellings that were made as votive offerings (1 Samuel 6:11-17). The swellings were symptoms of a plague, and the history is precisely that of the outbreak of an epidemic of bubonic plague. The older writers supposed by comparison of the account in 1 Samuel with Psalm 78:66 that they were hemorrhoids (or piles), and the older English term in the King James Version is a 16th-century form of that Greek word, which occurs in several medical treatises of the 16th and 17th centuries. There is, however, no evidence that this identification is correct. In the light of the modern research which has proved that the rat-flea (Pulex cheopis) is the most active agent in conveying the virus of plague to the human subject, it is worthy of note that the plague of tumors was accompanied by an invasion of mice (`akhbor) or rats. The rat is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, although it was as common in Canaan and Israelite times as it is today, a fact demonstrated by the frequency with which their bones occur in all strata of the old Palestinian cities, so it is probable that the term used was a generic one for both rodents.

The coincidence of destructive epidemics and invasions of mice is also recorded by Herodotus (ii.141), who preserves a legend that the army of Sennacherib which entered Egypt was destroyed by the agency of mice. He states that a statue of Ptah, commemorating the event, was extant in his day. The god held a mouse in his hand, and bore the inscription: "Whosoever sees me, let him reverence the gods." This may have been a reminiscence of the story in Isaiah 37:36.

For other references see PLAGUE.

Alex. Macalister

The Oration of Moses at the Rehearsal of the Blessing and the ...
... The LORD shall smite thee with the boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with
the scurvy, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/i the oration of moses.htm

The Form and Spirit of Religion
... Dagon, was broken in pieces. They then sent it through their cities, and
they were smitten with emerods. And then, being afraid ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the form and spirit of.htm

part vii.
... 1698] the Ark, which it was not lawful for them even to look upon, were immediately
destroyed by it, being first grievously tormented by emerods; so this ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/part vii.htm

Emerods (8 Occurrences)
... (n. pl.) Alt. of Emeroids. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. EMERODS. ... Alex.
Macalister. Multi-Version Concordance Emerods (8 Occurrences). ...
/e/emerods.htm - 11k

Tumor
... tu'-mer, tu'-mor (`ophel): the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes
this word for "emerods" in 1 Samuel 5:12; 1 Samuel 6:4 Deuteronomy 28:27 ...
/t/tumor.htm - 7k

Smiteth (156 Occurrences)
... (YLT). 1 Samuel 5:6 And the hand of Jehovah is heavy on the Ashdodites, and He maketh
them desolate, and smiteth them with emerods, Ashdod and its borders. ...
/s/smiteth.htm - 38k

Outbreak (2 Occurrences)
... about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture;
and He smote the men of the city, both small and great, and emerods broke out ...
/o/outbreak.htm - 7k

Emerod
Emerod. Emergency, Emerod. Emerods . Easton's Bible Dictionary see
HAEMORRHOIDS. Emergency, Emerod. Emerods . Reference Bible.
/e/emerod.htm - 6k

Emery (1 Occurrence)

/e/emery.htm - 6k

Mice (5 Occurrences)
... things" (Leviticus 11:29), in the account of the golden mice and tumors (the King
James Version and the American Revised Version margin "emerods") sent by the ...
/m/mice.htm - 10k

Mouse (2 Occurrences)
... things" (Leviticus 11:29), in the account of the golden mice and tumors (the King
James Version and the American Revised Version margin "emerods") sent by the ...
/m/mouse.htm - 10k

Botch (3 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the
emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed ...
/b/botch.htm - 9k

Coffer (3 Occurrences)
... The receptacle or small box placed beside the ark by the Philistines, in which they
deposited the golden mice and the emerods as their trespass-offering (1 ...
/c/coffer.htm - 8k

What were the emerods God afflicted the Philistines with in 1 Samuel 5? | GotQuestions.org

Questions about 1 Samuel | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Philistines? | GotQuestions.org

Emerods: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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