1 Samuel
Chapter 5
The Ark in the Temple of Dagon
After taking the Ark of God, the Philistines carried it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
Once there, they brought it into the temple of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon’s image.
Rising early the following day, the people saw that Dagon had fallen, face downward on the ground, before the Ark of the Lord. So they picked up Dagon and put him back in his place.
But when they rose the following morning, the people saw Dagon on the ground again, face downward before the Ark of the Lord. His head and hands were broken off and lay on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left where he fell.
This is why the priests of Dagon and his worshipers do not tread on the threshold of his temple in Ashdod until today.
The Ark in Philistine Territory
The hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. The Lord afflicted the people of Ashdod and its vicinity with hemorrhoids.
Seeing this, the people of Ashdod said: “Let the Ark of the God of Israel not remain with us. His hand is heavy on us and Dagon, our god.”
So they had all the chiefs of the Philistine cities gathered together to ask them: “What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” They answered: “Let the Ark of the God of Israel be brought to Gath.” So they brought the Ark of the God of Israel there.
But as soon as they brought it to Gath, the Lord raised his hand against the city, causing a great panic. He afflicted the people there, both young and old, with hemorrhoids.
So they moved the Ark of God to Ekron. But when the Ark entered Ekron, the people there cried out: “They have brought us the Ark of the God of Israel to slay us all.”
So they gathered the chiefs of the Philistine cities together to tell them: “Send away the Ark of the God of Israel. Let it return to its own place lest we all die.”There was deadly panic throughout the city because of God’s heavy hand.
Those who did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids, and the cry of the city reached heaven.
Commentaries
The Ark in the Temple of Dagon.
The presence of the Ark in Dagon’s sanctuary emphasizes the Lord’s supremacy over any idol. Notice how the true and only God is shown subtly: for two consecutive days, the residents of Ashdod see their deity’s statue lying before the Ark; on the second day, it is found mutilated and destroyed. The Philistines probably believed that by defeating Israel and taking its most important religious symbol, they had also defeated its God. That is why they brought the Ark to Dagon’s temple, placing this trophy of victory at their feet. However, everything changes here. Even if the Philistines think they have defeated Israel, the living God of Israel restrains and rules over Dagon. The following verses describe God’s victory over Dagon and the Philistine people.
The Ark in Philistine Territory.
The presence of the Ark of God has truly become a burden for the Philistines. Moving it from one place to another only worsens the troubles among the people. The God of Israel does not favor the Philistines, who are forced to get rid of the Ark to avoid danger.