1 Samuel 5:1 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

NASB: Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

CSB: After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

NLT: After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.

KJV: And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

NKJV: Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

The ark of the covenant, or the "ark of the LORD," was an ornate box built according to God's specifications (Exodus 25:10–16). This housed sacred objects and was mostly used for atonement rituals. The Philistines had captured the ark of the God of the Israelites after wiping out Israel's army on the battlefield (1 Samuel 4:10–11). They brought the ark from the Israelite camp at Ebenezer south to Ashdod, one of the five major Philistine cities. Ashdod was west of Jerusalem, almost to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

During this era, warfare between nations was thought to be a battle between the gods of those nations. It was common for the victors in battle to bring home the idols of those they conquered. A nation whose "gods" were held captive away from their people was thought to be thoroughly defeated. Eli's daughter-in-law showed that some in Israel believed this, as well. She said that the glory had departed from Israel because the ark was captured (1 Samuel 4:19–22). The elders of Israel seemed to hold a level of superstition, as well, in that they assumed bringing the ark into battle would guarantee them victory (1 Samuel 4:3). God's work in these events demonstrates that He is not confined to a physical object and He can neither be manipulated nor defeated.

First Samuel 5:1–6 describes the arrogance of the Philistines as they place the captured ark of the Lord in the temple of their false god, Dagon. That arrogance is followed by dread: the following morning, the Dagon idol is found face down before the ark. The idol is set back in place, only to fall into the same position overnight, this time with its head and hands cut off and laying on the temple's threshold. The following passage details a wave of tumors and terror among the Philistines, as they move the ark while attempting to halt the plague.

The captured ark of the Lord is placed in the temple of Dagon. On consecutive nights, the Dagon idol is found on the floor, face down before the ark. On the second night, its head and hands are removed. The Lord sends a plague of terror and tumors on the people of Ashdod. The ark is sent to Gath and then Ekron, where the suffering grows even more intense. Some men in Ekron die from sheer panic, and the rest are struck with tumors. The people cry out to send the ark away, back to the Israelites.

In the prior chapter, Israel lost badly in battle against the Philistines, who even captured the ark of the covenant. First Samuel 5 dispels any suspicion that the Israelites' defeat means the god of the Philistines is more powerful than the Lord. In Ashdod, the idol of the god Dagon is supernaturally humiliated in its own temple. A plague of terror and tumors follows, first in Ashdod and then in Gath and Ekron as the ark is moved closer and closer to Jerusalem. The people of Ekron cry out for their leaders to send it back to the Israelites. Chapter 6 details their plan to be free from the ark and God's wrath.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.