1 Samuel 5:1-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-5

Here is, I. The Philistines? triumph over the ark, which they were the more pleased, the more proud, to be now masters of, because before the battle they were possessed with a great fear of it, 1 Sam. 4:7. When they had it in their hands God restrained them, that they did not offer any violence to it, did not break it to pieces, as the Israelites were ordered to do by the idols of the heathen, but showed some respect to it, and carefully carried it to a place of safety. Whether their curiosity... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1

And the Philistines took the ark of God ,.... Which fell into their hands, Israel being beaten, and caused to flee, and the priests that had the care of the ark slain; and when possessed of it, they did not destroy it, nor take out of it what was in it, only took it up: and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod . Ebenezer was the place where the camp of Israel was pitched, 1 Samuel 4:1 and near to which the battle was fought. Ashdod was one of the five principalities of the Philistines,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:2

When the Philistines took the ark of God ,.... And had brought it to Ashdod: they brought it into the house of Dagon ; a temple dedicated to that idol, and in which his image stood; of which See Gill on Judges 16:23 , and set it by Dagon ; by the side of him, either in honour to the ark, as Abarbinel, designing to give it homage and adoration, as to their own deity; for though the Gentiles did not choose to change their gods, yet they would add the gods of other nations to them;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:3

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow , Either the people, the inhabitants of the place, who came early to pay their devotions to their idol, before they went on their business; or the priests of the idol, who came to sacrifice in the morning: and, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord ; as if he was subject to it, and giving adoration to it, and owning it was above him, and had superior power over him: and they took Dagon, and set... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:4

And when they arose early on the morrow morning ,.... For the same purpose as before; unless they had any curiosity to indulge, to see whether the ark and Dagon agreed better together, if they had any suspicion that the former mischance was to be attributed to some variance and disagreement between them: behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord : again, and in a worse condition than before: and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:5

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house ,.... Neither the priests that continually attended the worship and service of Dagon, nor the people that came there to pay their devotions to him: tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day : but used to leap over it, either reckoning it sacred because touched by their idol, which fell upon it; or rather, as it should seem, in a way of detestation, because it had been the means of cutting off the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1

Brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod - Ashdod or Azotus was one of the five satrapies or lordships of the Philistines. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:2

The 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 Judges 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:3

They of Ashdod arose early on the morrow - Probably to perform some act of their superstition in the temple of their idol. Dagon was fallen upon his face - This was one proof, which they little expected, of the superiority of the God of Israel. Set him in his place again - Supposing his fall might have been merely accidental. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:4

Only the stump of Dagon was left - Literally, Only דגן dagon (i.e., the little fish) was left. It has already been remarked that Dagon had the head, arms and hands of a man or woman, and that the rest of the idol was in the form of a fish, to which Horace is supposed to make allusion in the following words: - Desinat in piscem mulisr formosa superne "The upper part resembling a beautiful woman; the lower, a fish." All that was human in his form was broken off from... read more

Group of Brands