1 Samuel 5

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.

And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.

But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”

So they sent 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 brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.

But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.”

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there.

The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

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1 Samuel 5

The captured ark is brought to the temple of Dagon, the Philistine god, and the next morning Dagon's image is found fallen before the ark (5:3)—a symbolic victory asserting the supremacy of the LORD over pagan deities; when the Philistines restore Dagon, he falls again with his head and hands broken off (5:4), suggesting the ark's power. Yet the Philistines also suffer physical afflictions: tumors (ʿōpālim) appear, interpreted as divine judgment, and the ark is moved from city to city (Gath, Ekron), with tumors and plague spreading wherever it goes (5:6-12), as if the ark's presence brings judgment rather than blessing. The Philistine priests and diviners conclude that the ark must be returned to Israel with an offering ('a guilt offering,' 5:8), recognizing both the power of Israel's God and the necessity of making restitution for their desecration of the sacred object. The chapter ironically demonstrates that the very LORD whose covenant Israel had violated and whose glory had departed from Israel remains powerful enough to defeat and plague Israel's enemies, suggesting that though Israel's leadership has failed, the LORD's sovereignty over all nations persists.

1 Samuel 5:8

So they sent and gathered together all the rulers of the Philistines, and said: What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel? The inhabitants of Gath said: Let the ark of God be moved to us—the council of *Pelishtim* (Philistine lords) seeks counsel. The men of Gath volunteer to receive the ark, perhaps confident in their ability to manage it or unaware of the judgment.

1 Samuel 5:9

But after they had moved it, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic; he struck the inhabitants of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them—even in Gath, the plague (*shikim*) and panic (*mehumah* literally, 'tumult') follow. The *mehumah Elohit* (God-sent panic) is cosmic disorder reflecting divine wrath.

1 Samuel 5:10

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, saying: Why have they brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people?—the *ishshe Ekron* (men of Ekron) recognize the ark's deadly presence. Their *za'akah* (cry) is one of desperation; they see themselves as doomed by the ark's arrival.

1 Samuel 5:11

They sent therefore and gathered together all the rulers of the Philistines, and said: Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people—the unanimous Philistine judgment is to *shallach et-aron Elohim* (send away the ark), acknowledging that its *own place* (*mekomu*) is not Philistine territory. Their surrender is absolute.

1 Samuel 5:12

For there was a deadly panic throughout the whole city, the hand of God was very heavy there. The people who did not die were struck with tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven—the cumulative effect is total disruption: the plague (*shikim*) and divine hand (*yad Elohim*) reduce the city to chaos. The *tz'akah* (cry) reaches heaven, invoking divine attention to their plight.

1 Samuel 5

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