1 Samuel 5:1

The Ark Is Taken to Ashdod and Ekron

1 The Philistines had captured the ark 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 122.

1 Samuel 5:1 In-Context

1 The Philistines had captured the ark of God. They took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

2 They carried the ark into the temple of their god Dagon. They set it down beside the statue of Dagon.

3 The people of Ashdod got up early the next day. They saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. So they picked the statue of Dagon up. They put it back in its place.

4 But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple.

5 That's why to this very day no one steps on the bottom part of the doorway of Dagon's temple at Ashdod. Not even the priests of Dagon step there.