The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Samuel 05
1 Now the Philistines had taken God’s
ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to
Ashdod.
2 The Philistines took God’s ark, and
brought it into the house of Dagon and set
it by Dagon.
3 When the people of Ashdod arose early
on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen
on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s
ark. They took Dagon and set him in his
place again.
4 When they arose early on the following
morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his
face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark;
and the head of Dagon and both the palms
of his hands were cut off on the threshold.
Only Dagon’s torso was intact.
5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon
nor any who come into Dagon’s house step
on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this
day.
6 But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the
people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them
and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.
7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it
was so, they said, “The ark of the God of
Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is
severe on us and on Dagon our god.”
8 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and
said, “What shall we do with the ark of the
God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God
of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They
carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
9 It was so, that after they had carried it
there, Yahweh’s hand was against the city
with a very great confusion; and he struck
the men of the city, both small and great,
so that tumors broke out on them.
10 So they sent God’s ark to Ekron.
As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought
the ark ofthe God ofIsrael here to us, to kill
us and our people.”
11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and
they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel
away, and let it go again to its own place,
thatit not kill us and our people.” For there
was a deadly panic throughout all the city.
The hand of God was very heavy there.
12 The men who didn’t die were struck
with the tumors; and the cry of the city
went up to heaven.