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1 Samuel

1 Samuelchapter 5

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A.Dagon face down before the arkvv. 1-5

1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, 2 carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue. 3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained. 5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

B.Tumors in Ashdod, then Gath, then Ekronvv. 6-12

6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.” 8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel. 9 But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!” 11 Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition
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Chapter summary

The captured ark goes on campaign of its own.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

The captured ark goes on campaign of its own. Set in Dagon's house at Ashdod as a trophy, it is found next morning with Dagon fallen on his face before it; propped up again, he is found with head and both hands cut off on the threshold. Then Jehovah's hand grows heavy on the city with tumors. Ashdod sends the ark to Gath, Gath to Ekron, and every city that receives it is smitten, small and great, till the cry of the city goes up to heaven. The Philistine lords conclude what Israel had forgotten: 'Send away the ark of the God of Israel.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Samuel, Nathan, Gad — 1 Samuel overview

  • A. 1–5 Dagon face down before the ark
  • B. 6–12 Tumors in Ashdod, then Gath, then Ekron
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • 1 Samuel 53 verses
    • 1 Samuel 5:6Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
    • 1 Samuel 5:8So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
    • 1 Samuel 5:11Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.
    • Read 1 Samuel 5 →
  • 1 Samuel 72 verses
    • 1 Samuel 7:12Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
    • 1 Samuel 7:13So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
    • Read 1 Samuel 7 →
  • Isaiah 462 verses
    • Isaiah 46:1Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
    • Isaiah 46:7They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
    • Read Isaiah 46 →
  • Exodus 122 verses
    • Exodus 12:30During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.
    • Exodus 12:33And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!”
    • Read Exodus 12 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • 1 Samuel 41 verse
    • 1 Samuel 4:1Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
    • Read 1 Samuel 4 →
  • Joshua 131 verse
    • Joshua 13:3All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
    • Read Joshua 13 →
  • Judges 161 verse
    • Judges 16:23Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
    • Read Judges 16 →
  • Daniel 51 verse
    • Daniel 5:23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
    • Read Daniel 5 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.