Overview
Hemorrhoids appear in the account of God's judgment against the Philistines after they captured the Ark of the Covenant. As divine punishment, God afflicted the people with tumors and hemorrhoids, demonstrating His sovereignty over physical health and His intolerance of irreverence toward His holy things.
Key Scriptures
"So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, 'They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.'" (1 Samuel 5:10, ESV)
"So they called together all the lords of the Philistines and said, 'Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.' For there was a deadly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there." (1 Samuel 5:11, ESV)
Application
This account reminds believers that God takes seriously the reverence due to His holy name and that physical afflictions can serve as instruments of His judgment and correction.