1 Samuel 5:1-5

The Ark in Philistine Hands

1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2 brought it into the temple of Dagon^[a][b]and placed it next to his statue.^[c]

3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord.^[d] So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. [This time], both Dagon's head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon's torso remained.^[e]

5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon's threshold.

1 Samuel 5:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 5

This chapter relates how that the ark being brought by the Philistines to Ashdod, and placed in the temple of their idol, that fell down before it, 1Sa 5:1-5, that the hand of the Lord was upon the men of Ashdod, and smote them with emerods, 1Sa 5:6,7 and being carried to Gath, the men of Gath were smitten likewise with the same, 1Sa 5:8,9, and after that the men of Ekron, whither it also was carried, 1Sa 5:10-12.

Footnotes

• [a]. A Philistine god of the sea, grain, or storm
• [b]. Jdg 16:23-24; 1 Ch 10:8-10
• [c]. Lit to Dagon
• [d]. Isa 46:1-9
• [e]. LXX; Hb reads Only Dagon remained on it