1 Samuel 5

King James Version

Full text for 1 Samuel Chapter 5

1¶ And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

2When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.

5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

7And 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.

8They 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 about [thither].

9And it was [so], that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

10Therefore 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.

11So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The Philistines captured the Ark of God and brought it to Ashdod, placing it in Dagon's temple. Dagon's idol repeatedly fell and was ultimately destroyed before the Ark. The Lord's hand then afflicted Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron with a severe plague of emerods and destruction. This compelled the Philistines to seek to return the Ark to its own place.

Medium Summary

After capturing the Ark of God from Ebenezer, the Philistines brought it to Ashdod and placed it within the temple of their god, Dagon. On two successive mornings, Dagon's idol was found fallen before the Ark, with its head and hands eventually severed on the threshold, signifying the Lord's supremacy. Subsequently, the hand of the Lord brought a severe plague of emerods and destruction upon the people of Ashdod, prompting them to send the Ark to Gath. However, the same affliction befell Gath, leading its inhabitants to send the Ark to Ekron. Upon its arrival, the Ekronites cried out in fear, recognizing the deadly destruction and the heavy hand of God upon them, compelling the Philistine lords to decide to return the Ark to Israel.

Long Summary

Following their victory at Ebenezer, the Philistines seized the Ark of God and transported it to Ashdod, where they placed it within the house of their idol, Dagon, setting it beside the image. On the first morning, the people of Ashdod discovered Dagon fallen on its face before the Ark of the Lord, which they promptly restored to its place. However, on the subsequent morning, Dagon was again found prostrate before the Ark, but this time its head and both hands were severed and lay upon the threshold, leaving only the "stump" of the idol intact. This event led to a lasting custom among Dagon's priests and worshippers to avoid treading on that threshold. Subsequently, the hand of the Lord became heavy upon the inhabitants of Ashdod, afflicting them with a destructive plague of emerods throughout the city and its coasts. Recognizing the divine judgment, the men of Ashdod concluded that the Ark of the God of Israel could not remain with them, as His hand was severe upon them and their god. They convened all the Philistine lords, who decided to send the Ark to Gath. Yet, upon the Ark's arrival in Gath, a very great destruction ensued, and the men of the city, both small and great, were smitten with emerods in their secret parts. Consequently, the Ark was sent to Ekron. The Ekronites, upon seeing the Ark approach, cried out in alarm, fearing that its presence would bring death to them and their people. The Philistine lords were again gathered, and they resolved to send the Ark of God back to its own place, acknowledging the widespread and deadly destruction that had afflicted the city, and the exceedingly heavy hand of God upon them. Those who did not die were also smitten with emerods, and a great cry of distress rose from the city.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Sovereignty over IdolatryThe repeated falling and ultimate destruction of Dagon's idol before the Ark of the Lord demonstrates God's absolute power and supremacy over false gods.
  • The Ark as a Symbol of God's Presence and PowerThough captured, the Ark itself, representing the Lord's presence, became an instrument of divine judgment against the Philistines and their idols.
  • Consequences of Disrespecting God's HolinessThe Philistines' act of placing the Ark in Dagon's temple and their subsequent suffering illustrate the severe consequences of treating God's sacred objects or presence with irreverence.
  • Plague of EmerodsA specific affliction, described as "emerods" (likely tumours or hemorrhoids), was a key manifestation of God's judgment upon the Philistine cities of Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron.
  • Philistine Fear and Recognition of God's HandThe escalating destruction and suffering in each city led the Philistine lords and people to acknowledge that the "hand of the LORD" or "hand of God" was directly causing their calamities, prompting them to seek the Ark's removal.
  • The Threshold of DagonThe custom established in Ashdod, where Dagon's priests and worshippers avoided treading on the threshold, serves as a lasting physical reminder of Dagon's humiliation before the Ark.