1 Samuel 5

1 Samuel 5:1

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

1 Samuel 5:1 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:2

carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.

1 Samuel 5:2 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:3

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.

1 Samuel 5:3 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:4

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.

1 Samuel 5:4 · BSB

of Dagon The name of this idol , Dagon , signifies a fish , and it is supposed to be the Atergatis of the Syrians , corruptly called Derceto by the Greeks , which had the upper part like a woman , and the lower part like a fish; as Lucian informs us .

וסךופןץע הו ויהןע ום ןיםיךח וטוחףבלחם , טוחלב מוםןם; חליףוח לום דץםח; פן הו ןךןףןם וך לחסשם וע בךסןץע נןהבע , יקטץןע ןץסח בנןפויםופבי. "In Phoenicia I saw the image of Derceto; a strange sight truly! For she had the half of a woman , but from the thighs downward a fish's tail."

Diodorus (1. ii.) describing the same idol , as represented at Askelon , says , פן לום נסןףשנןם וקוי דץםביךןע , פן הב̓ככן ףשלב נבם יקטץןע. "It had the head of a woman , but all the rest of the body a fish's."

Probably Horace alludes to this idol , in De Art. Poet. 4; Desinat in piscem , mulier formosa superne." "The upper part a handsome woman , and the lower part a fish." If such was the form of this idol , then everything that was human was broken off from what resembled a fish.

the stump or , the fishy part

1 Samuel 5:5

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.

1 Samuel 5:5 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:6

Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

1 Samuel 5:6 · BSB

thereof The LXX and Vulgate add .

בי לוףןם פחע קשסבע בץפחע בםוצץחףבם לץוע ךבי ודוםופן ףץדקץףיע טבםבפןץ לודבכח ום פח נןכוי.

(Et ebullierunt ville et agri in medio regionis illius , et nati sunt mures; et facta est confusio mortis magne in civitate).

1 Samuel 5:7

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.”

1 Samuel 5:7 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:8

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.

1 Samuel 5:8 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:9

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.

1 Samuel 5:9 · BSB

1 Samuel 5:10

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!”

1 Samuel 5:10 · BSB

us , to slay us and our people Heb. me , to slay me and my people

1 Samuel 5:11

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.

1 Samuel 5:11 · BSB

us not , and our people Heb. me not , and my people

1 Samuel 5:12

Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

1 Samuel 5:12 · BSB