1 Samuel 5:1

1 Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

1 Samuel 5:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 5:1

And the Philistines took the ark of God
Which fell into their hands, Israel being beaten, and caused to flee, and the priests that had the care of the ark slain; and when possessed of it, they did not destroy it, nor take out of it what was in it, only took it up:

and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
Ebenezer was the place where the camp of Israel was pitched, ( 1 Samuel 4:1 ) and near to which the battle was fought. Ashdod was one of the five principalities of the Philistines, the same with Azotus, ( Acts 8:40 ) . The distance between these two places, according to Bunting ^F17 was one hundred and sixty miles; though one would think the distance from each other was not so great: why it was carried to Ashdod is not plain; perhaps it might be the nearest place of note in their country; and certain it is that it was one of their most famous cities, if not the most famous; (See Gill on Isaiah 20:1), and had a famous idol temple in it.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F17 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 122.

1 Samuel 5:1 In-Context

1 Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2 brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon.

3 Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Chest of God. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged.

4 First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Chest of God. Dagon's head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece.

5 (That's why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.)