Explore the Bible Online

1 Samuel 5:1-7

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

1. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. 2. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him. 5. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. 6. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof. 7. And when the men of Ashdod saw that [it was] so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

1 Samuel 5:1-7 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 1 Samuel 5:1

Theological / Devotional

The Philistines. A careful study of Ps. 78:60-64 together with Jer. 7:12; 26:6, 9 indicates that God permitted the Philistines not only to discomfit the people of Israel at Ebenezer but probably also to pursue them northeast to Shiloh. The Philistines left part of their army to guard the prize they had taken from Israel, for it was from the camp of Israel (1 Sam. 5:1) that they started their return journey to the cities of the plain. There is archaeological evidence for the destruction of Shiloh about this time. In any case it is believed that the tabernacle services ceased when the ark was taken (see PP 609).

What a fearful responsibility rested on the shoulders of the young man Samuel, with Eli dead and the ark, the very center of religious service, in the hands of the enemy! Even after the return of the ark, seven months later, it must indeed have been a heavy task for Samuel, traveling from place to place, to encourage the people and prevent the collapse of the religious life of a nation that for centuries had been accustomed to think of Shiloh as the very center of their corporate life. That the Lord “let none of his words fall to the ground” (ch. 3:19) indicates that the people recognized him as the logical successor to Eli, although it was not until 20 years later that Samuel was formally invested with the authority of judge (ch. 7:1-15; see PP 590; 4T 517, 518).

By SdaBc