¹⁷ The five gold images of swollen tumors presented to the Eternal One by the Philistines as a guilt offering represented Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron—one for each. ¹⁸ Likewise the golden mice represented all the cities of the Philistines governed by their rulers, both the walled cities and the villages surrounding them. The large stone in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh where they set the chest of the Eternal remains there as a witness to these events.

¹⁹ The Eternal struck the people of Beth-shemesh because some looked into the covenant chest. God struck down 75^[a] men, and the people were saddened because of the slaughter the Eternal One had brought among their people.