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1 Samuel 5

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The Ark Brought to Ashdod 1–2

1
Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. ​
2
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. ​

Dagon Humbled Before the Ark 3–5

3
And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. ​
4
And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. ​
5
Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. ​

Divine Judgment on Ashdod 6–7

6
But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof. ​
7
And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. ​

The Ark Moved to Gath and Ekron 8–12

8
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel thither. ​
9
And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors brake out upon them. ​
10
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. ​
11
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. ​
12
And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 5

Verse 1

brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod — The ark goes from the field where it was lost (4:1, 11) to Ashdod, one of the cities of 'five lords of the Philistines' (Josh 13:3). In the New Testament the city is Azotus, where 'Philip was found' (Acts 8:40).

Verse 2

the house of Dagon — Dagon, from dag, 'fish', is the god to whom the Philistine lords offered 'a great sacrifice' when Samson was delivered up: 'Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand' (Judg 16:23). The ark is set 'by Dagon', placed beside him as a captured trophy.

Verse 3

fallen upon his face to the earth — The posture of Joshua before the captain of the LORD's host, who 'fell on his face to the earth, and did worship' (Josh 5:14). Dagon lies 'before the ark of the LORD', and from here the text names the LORD, where vv.1–2 said 'the ark of God'. The men of Ashdod set him up again.

Verse 4

the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands — On the second morning the image has fallen again, and this time its head and both palms lie cut off on the threshold. The Hebrew has only 'Dagon' remaining on him, with no separate word for 'stump'. Compare the LORD's word on Egypt, 'against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment' (Ex 12:12).

Verse 5

tread on the threshold — The fall of the idol became a custom of the priests, who step over the sill of his house in Ashdod 'unto this day'. The threshold is the place where the head and palms were found (v.4). The phrase 'unto this day' marks that the account was written while the custom stood, as in 6:18.

Verse 6

the hand of the LORD was heavy — Kabad, to be heavy, the verb of Ps 32:4, 'thy hand was heavy upon me'. It is the hand that struck Egypt's cattle (Ex 9:3). 'Emerods' (ophalim) are swellings, among the curses of the covenant, 'the botch of Egypt, and… the emerods' (Deut 28:27). The Philistines later make golden images of them (6:5).

Verse 7

his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god — The men of Ashdod find themselves and their god under the same hand. 'Sore' is qashah, hard, severe. In v.2 the ark was set beside Dagon; now they say it 'shall not abide with us'. They call it 'the ark of the God of Israel', the title used in vv.7–11.

Verse 8

all the lords of the Philistines — 'Lords' (seren) is the title of Josh 13:3, 'five lords of the Philistines'. They send the ark to Gath, and 'carried about' is sabab, the verb used in Josh 6:11, 'the ark of the LORD compassed the city'. The ark goes round Philistine cities as it once went round Jericho.

Verse 9

a very great destruction — Mehumah, panic or confusion, the word of Deut 7:23, where the LORD promises to deliver Canaan's nations to Israel and 'destroy them with a mighty destruction', and of Deut 28:20 ('vexation'), among the curses on Israel itself. It falls here on Gath, 'both small and great'.

Verse 10

the Ekronites cried out — The ark has come to the third city in turn, Ashdod, Gath, Ekron, which lies at the northern border of the Philistine lords' land (Josh 13:3). The Ekronites cry out as it arrives, 'to slay us and our people', and the lords repeat it in v.11, 'that it slay us not, and our people'.

Verse 11

Send away the ark — 'Send away' is shalach, the verb of 'Let my people go' (Ex 5:1). The 'hand of God was very heavy', again kabad (v.6), and the destruction is now 'deadly'. In 6:6 the same two verbs return, in the Philistine priests' own words, 'harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh' did, and 'let the people go'.