1 Samuel 5:6-12

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 5:6

But the hand of the Lord was heavy on them of Ashdod ,.... Not only on their idol, but on themselves; it had crushed him to pieces, and now it fell heavy on them to their destruction: and he destroyed them ; either by the disease after mentioned they were smitten with, or rather with some other, since that seems not to be mortal, though painful; it may be with the pestilence: and smote them with emerods ; more properly haemorrhoids, which, as Kimchi says, was the name of a disease,... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:8

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them ,.... The other four lords, for there were five with this; see Joshua 13:3 , and said, what shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel ? they no doubt told them what they and their idol had suffered on account of it, and the resolution they were come to that it should be no longer with them; and therefore desire to know what must be done with it, whether they should return it to the people of Israel, or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:9

And it was so, that after they had carried it about ,.... And at last placed it in the city of Gath: the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction : greater than that at Ashdod, more persons were destroyed; the distemper sent among them was more epidemic and mortal: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great ; high and low, persons of every class, rank, and station, young and old, men, women, and children: and they had emerods in their secret... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:10

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron ,.... Another of the five principalities of the Philistines, about ten miles from Gath, where Baalzebub, or the god of the fly, was worshipped: and it came to pass, that as the ark of God came to Ekron ; and had been there some little time: that the Ekronites cried out ; when they perceived the hand of God was upon them, as upon the other cities; these were the chief magistrates of the city, with the lord of them, as appears by what... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:11

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines ,.... As the men of Ashdod had done before on the same account, 1 Samuel 5:8 . and said, send away the ark of the God of Israel ; as these lords were united in their government, and made one common cause of it against Israel, one could not dispose of this capture without the consent of the rest; otherwise the lord of Ekron, with his princes, were clearly in it that it was right and best to send it away out of any of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:12

And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods ,.... As the inhabitants of Ashdod and Gath had been; this shows that those that died did not die of that disease, but of some other; very likely the pestilence: and the cry of the city went up to heaven ; not that it was heard and regarded there, but the phrase is used to denote the greatness of it, how exceeding loud and clamorous it was; partly on the account of the death of so many of the inhabitants, their relations and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:6

Smote them with emerods - The word עפלים apholim , from עפל aphal , to be elevated, probably means the disease called the bleeding piles, which appears to have been accompanied with dysentery, bloody flux, and ulcerated anus. The Vulgate says, Et percussit in secretiori parte natium ; "And he smote them in the more secret parts of their posteriors." To this the psalmist is supposed to refer, Psalm 78:66 , He smote all his enemies in the Hinder Parts; he put them to a... 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

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