1 Samuel 5:1-5

God’s chest among the Philistines

1 After the Philistines took God's chest, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

2 Then the Philistines took God's chest and brought it into Dagon's temple and set it next to Dagon.

3 But when the citizens of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen facedown on the ground before the LORD's chest! So they took Dagon and set him back up where he belonged.

4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon again, fallen facedown on the ground before the LORD's chest—and this time Dagon's head along with both his hands were cut off and lying on the doorstep! Only Dagon's body was left intact.

5 That's why to this day Dagon's priests or anyone else who enters his temple in Ashdod doesn't step on the threshold.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Cf LXX