שמואל א, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ב

The disaster that struck the city left no resident untouched, bringing severe suffering to the entire population. Those who managed to survive the deadly plague did not escape unharmed [מצודת דוד]. Instead, these survivors were struck with painful tumors. This mirrored the affliction that had previously devastated the city of Gath, ensuring that ultimately, every single person in the city was either dead or enduring terrible agony [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Overwhelmed by this intense distress, the people cried out for salvation from their immense suffering [מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The resulting image of their cries reaching the heavens is not a literal event. Rather, it is an expression used to illustrate the sheer magnitude of the disaster, highlighting how powerful and overwhelming their collective agony had become [מצודת דוד].