Emerods

Taking the ark of God into a Philistine city went badly for the captors. First Samuel says the hand of the LORD “was heavy upon them of Ashdod,” and that he “smote them with emerods,” the word the KJV uses for a painful sickness. Soon the cry of the city went up, and the Philistine lords agreed to send the ark away. Their offering to return it was five golden emerods and five golden mice, matching the number of their lords. Read 1 Samuel 5 and 6 for what they did next.

4 verses

1 Samuel

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.

1 Samuel 5:11

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

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.

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.

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(28:27; 1 Samuel 5:6,9,12; 6:4,5,11) Probably hemorrhiodal tumors , or bleeding piles, are intended. These are very common in Syria at present, Oriental habits of want of exercise and improper food, producing derangement of the liver, constipation, etc., being such as to cause them.