Bible Encyclopedia: Emerods

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

Library

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

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n. pl.) Alt. of Emeroids.

Thesaurus

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

Bible Concordance

Emerods (8 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.
(KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 5:6 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.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 5:9 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.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 5:12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 6:4 Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 6:5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 6:11 And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

1 Samuel 6:17 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;
(KJV JPS WBS YLT)

Subtopics

Emerods

Related Terms

Tumor

Smiteth (156 Occurrences)

Outbreak (2 Occurrences)

Emerod

Emery (1 Occurrence)

Mice (5 Occurrences)

Mouse (2 Occurrences)

Botch (3 Occurrences)

Coffer (3 Occurrences)