The Histories · Old Testament
1 Samuel 5
The ark in the cities of the Philistines
General context
The Philistines place the captured ark in Dagon's temple at Ashdod. Dagon falls before it twice, with his head and hands severed on the second occasion. Affliction strikes Ashdod, and the ark is moved to Gath and then Ekron. Each move spreads fear and suffering. Ekron's people ask the rulers to send the ark back to its own place.
Cited passages: 1 Samuel 5:1, 1 Samuel 5:2, 1 Samuel 5:3, 1 Samuel 5:4, 1 Samuel 5:5, 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 5:7, 1 Samuel 5:8, 1 Samuel 5:9, 1 Samuel 5:10, 1 Samuel 5:11, 1 Samuel 5:12
1 Samuel 5 (KJV)
1And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer 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.
6But 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.
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Historical context
The ark passes among Philistine cities whose rulers must decide what to do with it. The account explains a custom of avoiding Dagon's threshold by reference to the broken image. KJV calls the bodily affliction 'emerods'; ASV uses 'tumors,' and BBE describes disease. The chapter does not establish a modern medical diagnosis.
Cited passages: 1 Samuel 5:2, 1 Samuel 5:3, 1 Samuel 5:4, 1 Samuel 5:5, 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 5:8, 1 Samuel 5:9, 1 Samuel 5:10, 1 Samuel 5:11, 1 Samuel 5:12
Literary context
Dagon must be lifted back into place by his worshipers, while the Lord acts without an Israelite army present. The image's severed hands contrast with the repeated description of the Lord's heavy hand. Moving the ark changes the location of the trouble without resolving it; the final cry rises toward heaven.
Cited passages: 1 Samuel 5:3, 1 Samuel 5:4, 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 5:7, 1 Samuel 5:8, 1 Samuel 5:9, 1 Samuel 5:10, 1 Samuel 5:11, 1 Samuel 5:12
Key moments
- Dagon fallen (1 Samuel 5:3). Ashdod's people find Dagon face down before the ark and put him back.
- Head and hands severed (1 Samuel 5:4). The next morning the image is broken at the threshold.
- The ark moved to Gath (1 Samuel 5:8). The rulers send the ark onward after Ashdod's affliction.
- Ekron asks for its return (1 Samuel 5:11). Ekron calls for the ark to be sent back to its own place.
For reflection
How do the repeated attempts to move the ark expose the limits of managing a problem without confronting its cause?
