1 Samuel 5:2
in 1 Samuel 5carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
KJV
When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 5
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe house of Dagon - On this idol, which was supposed to be partly in a human form, and partly in that of a fish, see the note on Jdg 16:23. Some think that this idol was the same with Dirceto, Attergatis, the Venus of Askelon, and the Moon. - See Calmet’s Dissertation on the gods of the Philistines. The motive which induced the Philistines to set up the ark in the temple of Dagon, may be easily ascertained. It was customary, in all nations, to dedicate the spoils taken from an enemy to their gods:
This site's exposition
they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod
on 1 Samuel 5:1-2
The ark travels as plunder to Ashdod, carried by no priest and no army. The Philistines set it in “the temple of Dagon” beside his statue, so the God of Israel and the god of Ashdod share one roof. The ark needs no defender to make its own case.
This site's exposition
carried it into the temple of Dagon
The Philistines set the ark beside Dagon, their chief god, as a trophy of his victory over the God of Israel. Albert Barnes compared Judges 16:23, where the Philistines praised Dagon for giving Samson into their hands. By morning Dagon lay on his face.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
John ChrysostomDISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 6.7.1 · Written before 407.
proposed
In short, if you believe the place is holy because the law and the books of prophets are there, then it is time for you to believe that idols and the temples of idols are holy. Once, when the Jews were at war, the people of Ashdod conquered them, took their ark and brought it into their own temple. Did the fact that it contained the ark make their temple a holy place? By no means! It continued to be profane and unclean, as the events immediately proved. For God wanted to teach the enemies of the Jews that the defeat was not due to God's weakness but to the transgressions of those who worshiped him. And so the ark, which had been taken as booty in war, gave proof of its own power in an alien land by twice throwing the idol to the ground so that the idol was broken. The ark was so far from making that temple a holy place that it even openly attacked it.
And now is not the first time, but he has performed these amazing marvels from time immemorial. It is not pertinent to enumerate them all; I shall mention what seems to resemble these events most closely. Once when the Jews waged war in Palestine with certain foreigners and the enemy was victorious and took the ark of God, they dedicated it as the choice part of the spoils to one of their local idols named Dagon; and, as soon as the ark was brought in, the statue fell down and lay on its face. Since they did not comprehend God's mighty power from this fall but set it up and again placed it on its pedestal, when they appeared the next day at dawn they observed that it was no longer simply fallen but also quite broken. The arms, detached from the shoulders, were flung onto the threshold of the temple, with the feet; and the rest of the statue was scattered in another place in pieces.… Therefore the place, which is able to exist for a long time, receives the blow and reminds each succeeding generation that those who do such things are ordained by law to suffer such things even if they do not pay the penalty at once; which is exactly what happened in the case of this temple.
The Medieval Church3 voices
And they set it beside Dagon. And they erected the churches of Christ among the nations, while in some places the worship of idols still remained. For Dagon, which is interpreted as the fish of sorrow, signifies not only the person, but also by name, …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 3 · Written before 604.
proposed
1. What does it mean that the ark is carried away from the Stone of Help, except that the heralds of truth take away the mysteries of the Scriptures from that Christ whom the Jews await with a false expectation? For while they turn the testimonies of Holy Scripture toward the knowledge of the true Redeemer, they indeed take the ark away from him in whom the Jews had placed the hope of their help. And because the mysteries of faith are entrusted to the Gentiles, the ark of God is brought to Azotus.
And they brought it into the temple of Dagon. And they brought faith into the world, which was set in wickedness, and concerning which the Lord said: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, all his possessions are in peace; but if …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(1.) So it is, because God will show of how little account the ark of the covenant is if the covenant itself be broken and neglected; even sacred signs are not things that either he is tied to or we can trust to. (2.) So it is for a time, that God may have so much the more glory, in reckoning with those that thus affront him, and get him honour upon them.
When the Philistines took the ark of God,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
The Ark of the Lord was captured by the Philistines though it was guarded by all the men of arms that Israel could muster for the battle. It came to no hurt when it was surrounded by unarmed priests—although the times were exceedingly disturbed and perilous all through the dreary period of the Judges, yet never was the Ark a captive till it was protected by carnal weapons. When those whom God had ordained to take care of the Ark of the Covenant had it in their charge, it was safe enough.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the house of Dagon--Stately temples were erected in honor of this idol, which was the principal deity of the Philistines, but whose worship extended over all Syria, as well as Mesopotamia and Chaldea; its name being found among the Assyrian gods on the cuneiform inscriptions [RAWLINSON].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The Ark of the Lord was captured by the Philistines though it was guarded by all the men of arms that Israel could muster for the battle. It came to no hurt when it was surrounded by unarmed priests—although the times were exceedingly disturbed and perilous all through the dreary period of the Judges, yet never was the Ark a captive till it was protected by carnal weapons. When those whom God had ordained to take care of the Ark of the Covenant had it in their charge, it was safe enough. But when the proud banners of the State and the warlike array of the nation formed the bodyguard of the sacred shrine, the Ark of God was taken. When the civil power was joined with the spiritual, and the arm of flesh came in to patronize and to take into connection with itself the arm of God's strength, then it was that the Ark was borne away in triumph by its foes! All through human history you will find the explanation of this instructive fact—leave God's Truth alone and it will take care of itself without the aid of kings and princes, laws or establishments, endowments or privileges. Only state the pure Truth of Revelation and it will force its own way. But garnish and adorn it by your eloquent language, or protect and guard it by your carnal wisdom and prudence—and the Truth of God goes into captivity. Leave the Church alone, O you kings and princes, or persecute it if you will, for it will laugh your opposition to scorn! Do not pretend to propagate its doctrines by the civil power, for this is the worst curse that can befall it! Take it under your patronage and the mere touch of your royal hands will create disease within it! Almost to the death has the so-called "Church" come down when her ministers, like Hophni and Phineas, have allied themselves with the temporal power, for God will do His work by His own instruments and in His own way.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
They brought it into the house of Dagon (see the marginal reference) in order to enhance the triumph of the gods of the Philistines over the God of Israel. (Compare 1Sa 31:9; Jdg 16:23; Isa 37:12.)
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Beside Dagon. The idol was made in the form of a fish. 1 From the word דָג [=fish]. Some say that from the waist up it had a human form with hands, and from the waist down it looked like a fish.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְח֤וּ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ | vaiyaviu | and they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| דָּג֑וֹן | dagon | Dagon | H1712 → | 13 times |
| וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ | vaiyatzigu | and they placed | H3322 → | |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֵ֥צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| דָּגֽוֹן׃ | dagon | Dagon | H1712 → | 13 times |
וַיִּקְח֤וּand they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
פְלִשְׁתִּים֙[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיָּבִ֥יאוּand they brought
vaiyaviuH935 →2568 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
דָּג֑וֹןDagon
dagonH1712 →13 times
וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּand they placed
vaiyatziguH3322 →
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אֵ֥צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
דָּגֽוֹן׃Dagon
dagonH1712 →13 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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…
it leads to
- Job 12:10
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
- Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in…
- Jeremiah 10:23
I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.
- Isaiah 37:23
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!
- Isaiah 2:12
For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—
- Job 12:10
Through
Daniel 5:2Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink…
it leads to
- Daniel 1:2
And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house…
- 2 Kings 24:13
As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar also carried off all the treasures from the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king…
- Daniel 1:2
Through
Habakkuk 1:16Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
it leads to
- Daniel 4:30
the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- Daniel 4:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1342: “Dagon's Ups and Downs” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 6.7.1; John Chrysostom, DISCOURSE ON BLESSED BABYLAS 1.6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.