This follow-up question reinforces the warning by emphasizing the inevitable outcome of resisting God; even the mighty Pharaoh eventually capitulated. The priests establish that divine judgment doesn’t cease until compliance occurs, making the choice between voluntary release now or forced release after further suffering. The expected answer (‘yes, they did’) creates logical pressure toward the same conclusion for the Philistines.

The question received no recorded verbal response, but the lords’ actions demonstrate acceptance; they immediately followed the priests’ instructions to construct the cart and prepare offerings for returning the ark (1 Samuel 6:7-12).

This second question functions as the clinching argument in the priests’ logical progression. Having established the parallel between Philistine and Egyptian stubbornness in the first question, they now emphasize the exodus’s conclusion: Egypt’s resistance proved futile. The Hebrew phrase ‘dealt severely’ (literally ‘made a mockery of’) suggests God’s judgments exposed Egyptian gods as powerless frauds unable to protect their worshipers. The expected affirmative answer (‘yes, they sent them away’) makes continuation of resistance appear absurd, why endure further plagues when release is inevitable? The priests demonstrate shrewd understanding of human psychology: they don’t threaten their lords with religious authority but appeal to self-preservation through historical precedent. Their counsel proves that even pagan wisdom can align with divine truth when the evidence becomes overwhelming.