1 Samuel 5
5
The Philistines and the Ark
1When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from #ch. 4:1; 7:12 Ebenezer to #Josh. 13:3Ashdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside #Judg. 16:23Dagon. 3And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, #[Isa. 46:1, 2]Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, #[Jer. 50:2; Ezek. 6:4, 6; Mic. 1:7]and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon #[Zeph. 1:9]do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 # [Ex. 9:3; Ps. 32:4; Acts 13:11] The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with #ch. 6:5tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” 8So they sent and gathered together all #Josh. 13:3the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9But after they had brought it around, #ch. 7:13; 12:15; Deut. 2:15 the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that #[See ver. 6 above]tumors broke out on them. 10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” 11#[See ver. 8 above] They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. #[See ver. 6 above]The hand of God was very heavy there. 12The men who did not die were struck with #[See ver. 6 above]tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
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1 Samuel 5: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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 # A Philistine god of the sea, grain, or storm # Jdg 16:23-24; 1Ch 10:8-10 and placed it next to his statue. # 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, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained. # LXX; Hb reads Only Dagon remained on it 5That is why, to this day, 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 terrorizing # 1Sm 6:5 and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors. # 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. # Perhaps bubonic plague # Dt 28:27; Ps 78:66 7When the men 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 the men of Ashdod moved the ark. 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 men of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors. # 1Sm 5:6
10The Gittites 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! ” # 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. It must return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people! ” # 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 12The men 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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