Reference: Emerods
American
1. That is, hemorrhoids, the name of a painful disease occasioned by tumors, probably the piles, De 28:27; 1Sa 5:12.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Fausets
(hemorrhoids, or bleeding tumors in the intestinal rectum, frequent in Syria still, owing to lack of exercise producing constipation). The images made of them mean images of the part affected (1Sa 5:6-12; 6:4-11; De 28:27).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Hastings
Morish
Hemorrhoids or tumours. One of the diseases of the Egyptians, and with which the Philistines were smitten when they had possession of the ark. They returned 'images' of the same with the ark. De 28:27; 1Sa 5:6-12; 6:4-17.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Smith
Emerods.
De 28:27; 1Sa 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Watsons
EMERODS. The disease of the Philistines, which is mentioned in 1Sa 5:6,12; 6:17, is denominated, in the Hebrew, ?????. This word occurs, likewise, in De 28:27; and it is worthy of remark, that it is every where explained in the keri, or marginal readings, by the Aramaean word, ?????; an expression which, in the Syriac dialect, where it occurs under the forms, ????? and ?????, means the fundament, and likewise the effort which is made in an evacuation of the system. The authors, therefore, of the reading in the keri appear to have assented to the opinion of Josephus, and to have understood by this word the dysentery. The corresponding Arabic words mean a swelling, answering somewhat in its nature to the hernia in men: a disease, consequently, very different from the hemorrhoids, which some persons understand to be meant by the word ?????. Among other objections, it may also be observed, that the mice, which are mentioned, not only in the Hebrew text, 1Sa 6:5,12; 16:18, but also in the Alexandrine and Vulgate versions, 1Sa 5:6; 6:5,11,18, are an objection to understanding the hemorrhoids by the word under consideration, since if that were in fact the disease, we see no reason why mice should have been presented as an offering to avert the anger of the God of Israel. Lichtenstein has given this solution: The word, ??????, which is rendered mice, he supposes to mean venomous solpugas, which belong to the spider class, and yet are so large, and so similar in their form to mice, as to admit of their being denominated by the same word. These venomous animals destroy and live upon scorpions. They also bite men, whenever they can have an opportunity, particularly in the fundament and the verenda. Their bite causes swellings, which are fatal in their consequences, called, in Hebrew, ?????. The probable supposition, then, is, that solpugas were at this time multiplied among the Philistines by the special providence of God; and that, being very venomous, they were the means of destroying many individuals.