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Texts -- 1 Samuel 5:4-12 (NET)

Context
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 .

Pericope

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

Bible Dictionary

  • Dagon

    [ebd] little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Judg. 16:23). This idol had the body of a fish with the head and hands of a man. It was an Assyrio-Babylonian deity, the worship o...
    [isbe] DAGON - da'-gon (daghon; apparently derived from dagh, "fish"): Name of the god of the Philistines (according to Jerome on Isa 46:1 of the Philistines generally); in the Bible, Dagon is associated with Gaza (Jdg 16) but else...
    [smith] (a fish), apparently the masculine, (1 Samuel 5:3,4) correlative of Atargatis, was the national god of the Philistines. The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza, (Judges 16:21-30) and Ashdod. (1 Samuel 5:5,6; 1 ...
    [nave] DAGON An idol of the Philistines, Judg. 16:23; 1 Sam. 5. Temple of, 1 Chr. 10:10.

  • Philistines

    [isbe] PHILISTINES - fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi): I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES 1. Race and Origin 2. Religion 3. Individual Philistines Mentioned 4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision 5. H...
    [smith] (immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jere...
    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • EMERODS

    [isbe] EMERODS - em'-er-odz `ophalim, techorim): These words are used in the account of the plague which broke out among the Philistines while the captive Ark of the Covenant was in their land. `Ophalim literally means rounded emin...
    [smith] (28:27; 1 Samuel 5:6,9,12; 6:4,5,11) Probably hemorrhiodal tumors , or bleeding piles, are intended. These are very common in Syria at present, Oriental habits of want of exercise and improper food, producing derangement o...

  • Ashdod

    [ebd] stronghold, a Philistine city (Josh. 15:47), about midway between Gaza and Joppa, and 3 miles from the Mediterranean. It was one of the chief seats of the worship of Dagon (1 Sam. 5:5). It belonged to the tribe of Judah (Jos...
    [nave] ASHDOD A city of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:17; Amos 3:9. Anakim inhabit, Josh. 11:22. Assigned to Judah, Josh. 15:47. Dagon's temple in, in which was deposited the ark, 1 Sam. 5. Conquest of, by Uzziah, 2 Chr...

  • Miracles

    [nave] MIRACLES. Index of Sub-topics Catalog of, and Supernatural Events, Of Jesus, in Chronological Order, Of the Disciples of Jesus; Convincing Effect of; Design of; Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miscellany of Minor Sub-...

  • Gath

    [ebd] a wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Sam. 5:8, 9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4). David fled f...
    [isbe] GATH - gath (gath; Septuagint Geth, "winepress"): One of the five chief cities of the Philistines (Josh 13:3; 1 Sam 6:17). It was a walled town (2 Ch 26:6) and was not taken by Joshua, and, although many conflicts took place...
    [nave] GATH One of the five chief cities of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:17; Amos 6:2; Mic. 1:10. Anakim, a race of giants, inhabitants of, Josh. 11:22. Goliath dwelt in, 1 Sam. 17:4; 1 Chr. 20:5-8. Obed-edom belonged t...

  • Tumor

    [isbe] TUMOR - tu'-mer, tu'-mor (`ophel): the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes this word for "emerods" in 1 Sam 5:12; 6:4; Dt 28:27 margin. See EMERODS.
    [nave] TUMOR, a morbid swelling, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 5, 11, 17. See: Boil; Hemorrhoids.

  • Haemorrhoids

    [ebd] or Emerods, bleeding piles known to the ancient Romans as mariscae, but more probably malignant boils of an infectious and fatal character. With this loathsome and infectious disease the men of Ashdod were smitten by the han...

  • Hemorrhoids

    [nave] HEMORRHOIDS, a disease with which the Philistines were afflicted, 1 Sam. 5:6, 12; 6:4; 5:11; Deut. 28:27. See: Disease; Tumor.

  • Ekron

    [ebd] firm-rooted, the most northerly of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was assigned to Judah (Josh. 13:3), and afterwards to Dan (19:43), but came again into the full po...
    [smith] (torn up by the roots; emigration), one of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, and the most northerly of the five. (Joshua 13:3) Like the other Philistine cities its situation was in the lowlands. It fel...
    [nave] EKRON One of the five chief cities of the Philistines, Josh. 13:3. Conquered and allotted to Judah, Josh. 15:11, 45; Judg. 1:18. Allotted to Dan, Josh. 19:43. The Ark of God taken to, 1 Sam. 5:10. Temple of Baal-zebub at...

  • OPHEL

    [isbe] OPHEL - o'-fel (ha-`ophel (2 Ch 27:3; 33:14; Neh 3:26 f; 11:21; and without article, Isa 32:14 and Mic 4:8; also 2 Ki 5:24)): 1. Meaning of Name: There has been considerable divergence of opinion with regard to the meaning o...

  • Boil

    [nave] BOIL, a tumor. Plague of Egyptians, Ex. 9:9, 10; Deut. 28:27, 35; of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 5:6, 9; 1 Sam. 6:5. Of Hezekiah, healed, 2 Kin. 20:7; Isa. 38:21. Of Job, Job 2:7, 8. Levitical ceremonies prescribed for, Lev. 1...

  • Ark

    [ebd] Noah's ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high (Gen. 6:14-16); an oblong floating house of three stories, with a door in the side and a window in the roof....

  • LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES

    [isbe] LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES - (ceren, same as Hebrew word for "axle," probably a native designation): These "lords" (Josh 13:3; Jdg 3:3; 16:5, etc.; 1 Sam 5:8,11, etc.), elsewhere called "princes" (sar, 1 Sam 18:30; 29:3,4,9), ...

  • HOUSE

    [isbe] HOUSE - hous (bayith; oikos, in classical Greek generally "an estate," oikia, oikema (literally, "habitation"), in Acts 12:1, "prison"): I. CAVE DWELLINGS II. STONE-BUILT AND MUD/BRICK-BUILT HOUSES 1. Details of Plan and Con...

  • ELIJAH

    [isbe] ELIJAH - e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias): I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH 1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordea...

  • Threshold

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. miphtan, probably a projecting beam at a higher point than the threshold proper (1 Sam. 5:4,5; Ezek. 9:3; 10:4,18; 46:2; 47:1); also rendered "door" and "door-post." (2.) 'Asuppim, pl. (Neh. 12:25), rendered correc...

  • HEAVY; HEAVINESS

    [isbe] HEAVY; HEAVINESS - hev'-i, hev'-i-nes (kabhedh, de'aghah; lupe): 1. Literal: Heavy (heave, to lift) is used literally with respect to material things, as the translation of kobhedh, "heaviness" (Prov 27:3, "a stone is heavy"...

  • Veil, vail

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. mitpahath (Ruth 3:15; marg., "sheet" or "apron;" R.V., "mantle"). In Isa. 3:22 this word is plural, rendered "wimples;" R.V., "shawls" i.e., wraps. (2.) Massekah (Isa. 25:7; in Isa. 28:20 rendered "covering"). The ...

  • Idolatry

    [nave] IDOLATRY. Wicked Practices of Human sacrifices, Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut. 12:31; 18:10; 2 Kin. 3:26, 27; 16:3; 17:17, 18; 21:6; 23:10; 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Psa. 106:37, 38; Isa. 57:5; Jer. 7:31; 19:4-7; 32:35; Ezek. 16:20, 2...
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Arts

Questions

  • The Ark of the Covenant was definitely real and was a part of the tabernacle, being placed in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. I will include articles below from three Bible Dictionaries that will give you some informat...

Resources/Books

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...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • 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)...
  • 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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