1 Samuel 5

1 After the Philistines [a non-Semitic people, immigrants from other places] had captured [taken, seized] the ark [a box or chest, the Ark of the Covenant] of God [Elohim, the one supreme God], they took [brought, carried] it from Ebenezer [the Stone of help, a memorial stone] to Ashdod [a powerful Philistine city, on the Mediterranean Sea], word study 2 carried [took, brought] it into the temple [house] of Dagon [a pagan God, idol], and set [established, placed] it beside [near, alongside] his [Dagon’s] statue [image, idol]. word study 3 When the people of Ashdod [inhabitants of the city, Ashdodites] got up early [rose at dawn, began the day] the next morning, there was Dagon [a pagan God, half-man and half-fish], fallen [collapsed, thrown down] on his face [in a posture of worship or defeat] before the ark [a chest, a sacred container] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. So they took Dagon and returned [restored, put back] him to his place [original position, former location]. word study 4 But when they got up [rose early, at the break of day] early the next morning, there was Dagon [a pagan God, idol], fallen [thrown down, cast] on his face [in worship, submission] before the ark [a sacred chest] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], with his head [the topmost part of the body] and his hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] broken off [cut off, severed] and lying [thrown, cast] on the threshold [the entrance, the door]. Only [except] the torso [body, stump] remained [was left, spared]. word study 5 That is why [for this reason, therefore], to this day [until now, as far as this time], the priests [spiritual leaders, those who serve] of Dagon [the pagan God, a false deity] and all [every single one, everyone] who enter [come into, approach] the temple [house, place of worship] of Dagon in Ashdod [a Philistine city, a place of idolatry] do not [refuse to, will not] step on [tread upon, walk over] the threshold [doorstep, entrance]. word study 6 Now the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was heavy [to honor, making something weighty] on the people of Ashdod [an Ashdodite, someone from the city of Ashdod] and its vicinity [border, a boundary or region], ravaging [destroying, devastating] them and afflicting [smiting, striking] them with tumors [emerods, painful ulcers, specifically in the anal region, or swellings]. word study 7 And when the men [people, individuals] of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark [a box or chest] of the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of Israel must not stay [dwell, remain] here with us, because His hand [power, direction] is heavy [severe, harsh] upon us and upon our god [idol, false deity] Dagon [a pagan God, worshipped by the Philistines].” word study 8 So they called together [gathered, summoned] all the rulers [lords, princes] of the Philistines [a non-Semitic people, immigrants from other places] and asked, “What shall we do [make, take action] with the ark [a box or chest, the Ark of the Covenant] of the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]?” “It must be moved [carried, taken away] to Gath [a major city of the Philistines, meaning winepress],” they replied [said, answered]. So they carried away [removed, transported] the ark of the God of Israel. word study 9 But after [following, subsequent to] they had moved the ark [the sacred chest] to Gath, the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] was also against that city [town, settlement], throwing it into great [exceedingly, very] confusion [tumult, chaos] and afflicting [striking, smiting] the men [individuals, people] of the city, both [including] young [small, little] and old [great, mature], with an outbreak [bursting forth, eruption] of tumors [painful swellings, emerods]. word study 10 So they sent the ark [a sacred chest] of God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark [containing the covenant] of the God [the one true divine Being] of Israel [the chosen people, descendants of Jacob] in order to kill us and our people [our nation, our community]!” word study 11 Then the Ekronites assembled [gathered together, convened] all the rulers [lords, princes] of the Philistines [a people from the region of Philistia] and said, “Send away [let go, depart from] the ark [a box or chest, the Ark of the Covenant] of the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. It must return [turn back, go again] to its place [location, home], so that it will not kill [bring death, slay] us and our people [nation, community]!” For a deadly [causing death, fatal] confusion [tumult, disquietude] had pervaded [spread throughout, filled] the city [town, urban area]; the hand [power, strength] of God [the one supreme God] was heavy [weighty, severe] upon it. word study 12 Those who did not [were not overtaken by] die were afflicted [smitten, struck] with tumors [emerods, painful ulcers], and the outcry [cry for help, desperate call] of the city [town, settlement] went up [ascended, rose] to heaven [the sky, the abode of God]. word study