1 Samuel 5:1-5

Capture of the Ark Provokes God

1 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and ¹brought it from Ebenezer to ²Ashdod.

2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to ³the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, ⁴Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and ⁵set him in his place again.

4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, ⁶Dagon 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 ⁷tread 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 16:23-30; 1 Chronicles 10:8-10
• 4. Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 46:1, 2
• 5. Isaiah 46:7
• 6. Ezekiel 6:4, 6; Micah 1:7
• 7. Zephaniah 1:9

Footnotes

• [a]. So with ancient versions; Heb "only Dagon"