1 Samuel 5:1-5

The Philistines and the Ark

1 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from ¹Ebenezer to ²Ashdod.

2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside ³Dagon.

3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, ⁴Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.

4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, ⁵and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon ⁶do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

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.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 4:1; 1 Samuel 7:12
• 2. Joshua 13:3
• 3. Judges 16:23
• 4. [Isaiah 46:1, 2]
• 5. [Jeremiah 50:2; Ezekiel 6:4, 6; Micah 1:7]
• 6. [Zephaniah 1:9]