But the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders of it.
"Let it return to its own place"  (1 Samuel 5:11).  Willis pointed out that this could not mean, "back to Shiloh," for the Philistines had destroyed that.  It meant that, "They desired to put the ark back into the hands of the Israelites."[27]