1 Samuel 5
5
The Ark in Philistine Hands
1After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer#1Sm 4:1; 7:12 to Ashdod,#Jos 13:3 2brought it into the temple of Dagon#5:2 A Philistine god of the sea, grain, or storm#Jdg 16:23–24; 1Ch 10:8–10 and placed it next to his statue.#5:2 Lit to Dagon 3When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord.#Is 46:1–9 So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, Dagon’s head and both of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.#5:4 LXX; Hb reads Only Dagon remained on it 5That is why, still today, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold.
6The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod.#Ex 9:3; 1Sm 5:7,11 He terrified#1Sm 6:5 the people of Ashdod and its territory and afflicted them with tumors.#5:6 LXX adds He brought up mice against them, and they swarmed in their ships. Then mice went up into the land and there was a mortal panic in the city.#5:6 Perhaps bubonic plague#Dt 28:27; Ps 78:66 7When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because his hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.” 8So they called all the Philistine rulers together#1Sm 5:11; 29:6–11 and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God?”
“The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they moved the ark of Israel’s God. 9After they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against the city of Gath,#1Sm 5:11; 7:13 causing a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors.#1Sm 5:6
10The people of Gath then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it got there, the Ekronites cried out, “They’ve moved the ark of Israel’s God to us to kill us and our people!” #5:10 DSS, LXX read “Why have you moved... people?”
11The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together.#1Sm 5:8 They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. Let it return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!” #5:11 DSS, LXX read “Why don’t you return it to... people?” For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them.#1Sm 5:6,9 12Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.#Ex 12:30
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1 Samuel 5: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Kings 5
5
1And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it from the Stone of Help into Azotus.
2And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3And when the Azotians arose early the next day, behold Dagon lay upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him again in his place.
4And the next day again, when they rose in the morning, they found Dagon lying upon his face on the earth before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold:
5And only the stump of Dagon remained in its place. For this cause neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that go into the temple tread on the threshold of Dagon in Azotus unto this day.
6And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he destroyed them, and afflicted Azotus and the coasts thereof with emerods. And in the villages and fields in the midst of that country, there came forth a multitude of mice; and there was the confusion of a great mortality in the city.
7And the men of Azotus seeing this kind of plague said: The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us; for his hand is heavy upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
8And sending, they gathered together all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And the Gethrites answered: Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.
9And while they were carrying it about, the hand of the Lord came upon every city with an exceeding great slaughter. And he smote the men of every city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. And the Gethrites consulted together, and made themselves seats of skins.
10Therefore they sent the ark of God into Accaron. And when the ark of God was come into Accaron, the Accaronites cried out, saying: They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.
11They 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 return into its own place, and not kill us and our people.
12For there was the fear of death in every city; and the hand of God was exceeding heavy. The men also that did not die were afflicted with the emerods: and the cry of every city went up to heaven.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.