1 Samuel 5:3-12

3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, ¹Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and ²set him in his place again.

4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, ³Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

5 Therefore * neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house ⁴tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 Now ⁵the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and ⁶He ravaged them and smote them with ⁷tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god."

8 So they sent and ⁸gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they said, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." And they brought the ark of the God of Israel around.

9 After they had brought it around, ⁹the hand of the LORD was against the city with very great confusion; and He smote the men of the city, both young and old, so that ¹⁰tumors broke out on them.

10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to us, to kill us and our people."

11 They ¹¹sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly confusion throughout the city; ¹²the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 And the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and ¹³the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Read Chapter Compare

1 Samuel 5:3-12 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 13

1. Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 46:1, 2
2. Isaiah 46:7
3. Ezekiel 6:4, 6; Micah 1:7
4. Zephaniah 1:9
5. Exodus 9:3; 1 Samuel 5:7, 11; Psalms 32:4; Psalms 145:20; Psalms 147:6; Acts 13:11
6. 1 Samuel 6:5
7. Deuteronomy 28:27; Psalms 78:66
8. 1 Samuel 5:11; 1 Samuel 29:6-11
9. Deuteronomy 2:15; 1 Samuel 5:11; 1 Samuel 7:13; 1 Samuel 12:15
10. 1 Samuel 5:6
11. 1 Samuel 5:8
12. 1 Samuel 5:6, 9
13. Exodus 12:30; Isaiah 15:3

Footnotes 6

[a]. So with ancient versions; Heb "only Dagon"
[b]. Lit "me"
[c]. Lit "me"
[d]. Lit "my"
[e]. Lit "me"
[f]. Lit "my"

1 Samuel 5:3-12

Share

Settings

1 Samuel 5:3-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 5

Cross References 13

Footnotes 6