Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Samuel 5:8

"They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel [thither]." — 1 Samuel 5:8 (ASV)

The “lords” were very unwilling to give up their triumph and, with common pagan superstition, imagined that some local bad luck was against them at Ashdod. The result was to bring the whole Philistine community under the same calamity.