שמואל א, פרק ה׳, פסוק י׳

As the Ark of God continues its journey through foreign territory, its arrival brings immediate panic rather than triumph. The local populations quickly recognize the devastating pattern of disaster that follows it. Desperate for relief, the residents of Gath send the Ark away to Ekron, another major Philistine city [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They make this move entirely on their own. Instead of gathering the regional lords for a formal consultation as was done in the past, the people of Gath act independently. They rely on earlier advice from their leaders to simply move the Ark away from any plague-stricken area to a new location [מלבי״ם].

As soon as the Ark reaches Ekron, the city erupts in a massive outcry. This sudden terror is fueled by a severe escalation in the suffering. While the Ark's presence in previous cities resulted in widespread sickness and physical affliction, the situation now transforms into a chaotic wave of actual death [מלבי״ם].

The frantic plea to remove the Ark is voiced as a personal fear that it has arrived to kill an individual leader and his people. This singular cry comes directly from the city's officials and the lord of Ekron. Realizing the sheer scale of the disaster, these leaders cry out in terror on behalf of the entire population, fully understanding the deadly consequences of the Ark's presence [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].