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Texts -- 1 Samuel 5:1-12 (NET)

Context
The Ark Causes Trouble for the Philistines
5:1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod . 5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon , where they positioned it beside Dagon . 5:3 When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day , Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord . So they took Dagon and set him back in his place . 5:4 But when they got up early the following day , day , Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord . The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold . Only Dagon’s body was left intact . 5:5 (For this reason , to this very day , neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod .) 5:6 The Lord attacked the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores . 5:7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening , they said , “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked both us and our god Dagon !” 5:8 So they assembled all the leaders of the Philistines and asked , “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel ?” They replied , “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath .” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel . 5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked that city as well, causing a great deal of panic . He struck all the people of that city with sores . 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron . But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron , the residents of Ekron cried out saying , “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to kill our people !” 5:11 So they assembled all the leaders of the Philistines and said , “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us and our people !” The terror of death was throughout the entire city ; God was attacking them very severely there . 5:12 The people who did not die were struck with sores ; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven .

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  • 1Sa 5:1-12 -- The Ark Causes Trouble for the Philistines

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
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  • Most serious students of 1 Samuel have noted the writer's emphasis on the ark of the covenant beginning here in the text. Critical scholars have long argued that 4:1b-7:1 and 2 Samuel 6 are the only remaining fragments of an ...
  • A new subject comes to the forefront in this section and continues to be a significant motif throughout the rest of Samuel. It is the ark of the covenant. The writer drew attention to the ark in this chapter by mentioning it ...
  • The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel's primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judg. 13-16).52There are about 150 references to the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel...
  • The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines.655:1-5 Having captured the ark the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their ma...
  • Not all the people who later assembled to see the ark were as careful as those from Bethshemesh, however. The Mosaic Law specified that no one was to look into the ark or that person would die (Num. 4:5, 20; cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-7)...
  • Mizpah (lit. watchtower, signifying an elevated site) was about two miles northwest of Samuel's hometown, Ramah, on the central Benjamin plateau. Pouring out water symbolized the people's feeling of total inability to make an...
  • God used a humble weapon to give His people a great victory in response to one person's faith. This is another instance of God bringing blessing to and through a person who committed himself to simply believing and obeying Go...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • The preceding section answered the question that the people of Isaiah's day had about God's desire to deliver them. Yes, He wantedto deliver them. This section answered their question about whether He could save them. Yes, He...
  • This section develops the ideas that preceded by unfolding the characteristics of Yahweh that His people needed to appreciate in view of the shocking news that their new Moses would be Cyrus. It opens with an emphasis on God ...
  • 1:7 In view of the inevitability of coming judgment for idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to be quiet before sovereign Yahweh (cf. Hab. 2:20)."This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner of oppositi...
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