1 Samuel 5:7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:6-12

The downfall of Dagon (if the people had made a good use of it, and had been brought by it to repent of their idolatries and to humble themselves before the God of Israel and seek his face) might have prevented the vengeance which God here proceeds to take upon them for the indignities done to his ark, and their obstinate adherence to their idol, in defiance of the plainest conviction. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up they will not see, but they shall see, Isa. 26:11. And, if they will not see... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:7

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so ,.... That many of their inhabitants were taken away by death, and others afflicted with a painful disease; all which they imputed to the ark being among them: they said, the ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us ; like the Gergesenes, who besought Christ to depart their coasts, having more regard for their swine than for him: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon, our god , not the hand of the ark, unless they took it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:7

His hand is sore upon us , and upon Dagon our god - Here the end was completely answered: they now saw that they had not prevailed against Israel, on account of their god being more powerful than Jehovah; and they now feel how easily this God can confound and destroy their whole nation. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:6-12

Coercive providences. The facts given are— 1 . God visits the men of Ashdod with severe affliction. 2 . In their perplexity they remove the ark to another locality. 3 . The device proving a failure, and the men of Ekron refusing to receive the unwelcome symbol, a council of authorities decides to return it to Israel. Providence had so ordered events for high moral ends as to bring the ark into captivity. The influences were at work in Israel to issue in the result desired.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:7

His hand is sore upon us. The epidemic was evidently very painful, and, as appears from 1 Samuel 5:11 , fatal in numerous instances. Connecting this outbreak with the prostrate condition and subsequent mutilation of their god, the people of Ashdod recognised in their affliction the hand, i.e. the power, of Jehovah, and determined to send away the ark, the symbol of his ill omened presence among them. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 5:7-8

1 Samuel 5:7-8. The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us Now their eyes were opened to see that, though they had vanquished the Israelites, they could not stand before the God of Israel. Let the ark be carried to Gath They seem to have been possessed with a superstitious conceit that there was something in the place which was offensive to the God of Israel, and therefore removed the ark from Ashdod, to which and its coasts they supposed the plague, for some particular reasons,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

The ark returns (5:1-7:1)Although God used the Philistines to judge Israel, he would not allow them to dishonour him. He showed that the capture of the ark did not mean that he was inferior to the Philistine god Dagon (5:1-5). Wherever the ark went it brought trouble to the Philistine people. A plague of mice seems to have spread a painful and deadly disease throughout the country, bringing widespread suffering and death (6-12; cf. 6:5).The Philistines felt fairly certain that the ark was the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 5:7

men . Hebrew. "enosh. App-14 . Ill. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 5:7

7. the ark of God shall not abide with us—It was removed successively to several of the large towns of the country, but the same pestilence broke out in every place and raged so fiercely and fatally that the authorities were forced to send the ark back into the land of Israel [ :-]. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

B. Pagan Fertility Foiled by God ch. 5The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines. There are several similarities between this chapter and the record of God sending plagues on the Egyptians (Exodus 7-12), an earlier demonstration of His sovereignty. read more

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