1 Samuel 5

Chap. V. Ver. 1—12. The downfall of Dagon, and the punishment of the Philistines.—It is a striking fact, that the captivity of the ark was a triumph—not to Dagon, but to the God of Israel; for Dagon could not stand even beside it, nor could his worshippers endure its presence. Before the ark was taken, when they heard of its presence in the camp of Israel, they said, ‘Wo unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these illustrious Gods?’—or, perhaps, we should rather read it in the singular—“this illustrious God!” When however they had taken the ark, which they ignorantly mistook for the God of Israel, though their alarm was over, their danger was but begun. The ark in the camp without the divine presence, was but a name; and while it afforded no protection to the Israelites, could yield no annoyance to the Philistines; but now the ark is amongst its enemies, the Lord sees it necessary to protect his honour. While in the hands of Eli’s sons, it was powerless and useless—the glory was departed.

But now the divine presence was returned, Who can stand before it? Dagon is fallen! is fallen! And his worshippers are terrified at the trophies of their own victory; and far more anxious to be rid of the ark than ever they were to gain it. They therefore summon together all the lords of the Philistines, to consult what should be done, as they were visited with a disease which became epidemic wherever the ark went, and of a nature so distressing, that “the cry of the city went up to heaven.” How many and diversified are the means by which God can punish sin! When he clothes himself with majesty, he wields the thunderbolt, or showers down great stones from heaven; at other times, a disease, which is not usually epidemic, and not often dangerous, becomes a national scourge; and an army of locusts, or even mice, can create a famine.

But what was the sin of these heathens? The first sin lay with the sons of Eli and the army of the Israelites, who by forcing the ark into the camp, attempted to make Jehovah a party to a war, on which he had not been consulted. The ark indeed they took, and trusting to it, betrayed it into the hands of the enemy. But no judgment followed them till they placed it in their idol temple, by the side of Dagon. Whether they did this to insult the God of Israel, or, as we are rather inclined to think, wished to gain his patronage, and to give him a share of the honours which they gave to Dagon, the insult was equally offensive. Jehovah is a jealous God, and can bear no competitor. “To whom will ye liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?” saith the Lord. (Isaiah xlvi. 5.) The gods of the heathen were not jealous. Those of the Romans were reckoned at thirty thousand, those of the Hindoos at 300 millions. His “name is one,” and he is God alone. To unite any other name with his, is to insult him.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 8. These mighty (Hebrew, illustrious) gods.—Probably they thought the ark and cherubim were gods, as it is certain the heathen did in after times. Ver. 12. With his clothes rent, and earth on his head.—These were customary tokens of mourning with most nations; for the Jews, see (Joshua 7:6).; (2 Samuel 13:19), &c. The #neid, furnishes a remarkable instance, in the case of Latinus. Morier’s Travels in Persia furnish another striking instance. Ver. 13. By the way-side.—That is, outside the door of the tabernacle. Compare ver. 18. and ch. i. 9.; Ver. 18. He fell from off the seat.—This shows it was the seat of judgment, as above hinted; for their seats were in common low; but their thrones were elevated with steps and footstools.

See (1 Chronicles 9:18). Psalm ex. 1, &c. Chap. V. Ver. 1. Ashdod.—{Ashdod, called Azotus by the Greeks, was one of the five satrapies of the Philistines, and a place of great strength and consequence. It was situated near the Mediterranean, between Ashkelon and Jamnia, 34 miles north of Gaza, according to Diodorus Siculus, and the Antonine and Jerusalem Itineraries. It is now called Skdood; and Dr. Richardson says they neither saw nor heard of any ruins there. “The ground,” he observes, “around Ashdod is beautifully undulating, but not half stocked with cattle. The site of the town is on the summit of a grassy hill; and, if we are to believe historians, was anciently as strong as it was beautiful.”

|— Bagster. Ver. 2. The house of Dagon.—Diodorus Siculus describes this idol as having the head of a woman united to the body of a fish.” The text, however, seems to represent the idol as masculine, and it was probably exhibited in both forms, like the mer-man and mermaid; for it appears also by the text, that Dagon had hands and arms. The Philistines are supposed to have brought the ark into his house, or temple, as a trophy of victory, and as a thank-offering to their god; yet placing the ark by the side of Dagon, seems not like a mark of contempt, or disesteem. If they thought to unite his worship with that of Dagon, as many of the Jews attempted to serve the Lord and Baal, they soon discovered their mistake: for early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face before the ark; but this was probably considered as an accident, and as the image was not broken, they set him up again.

But on the next morning he was fallen again, and with a vengeance, for Ver. 4. The head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold.—Possibly the image had been cast in separate parts, and therefore broke off where they were joined. The falling upon the threshold was, however, a degrading and fatal circumstance; for the stump only was left; (margin, the fleshy part;) this shows that we are pretty correct as to its form. Ver. 5. spare neither. « tread on the threshold.—Maurice, in his “Modern History of Hindostan,” mentions, that in a certain instance, when the Turks destroyed one of the idols of the Hindoos, they ordered the fragments to be thrown on the threshold of their mosques, to be “trampled on by the devout and zealous Mussulmans.”

a disorder which we call the hemorrhoids, or piles, but to a desperate degree; and those who have experienced any thing of the complaint, need not be told, that it is very painful and distressing; besides which, it was considered as disgraceful. See (Psalms 78:66). Ver. 8. The lords of the Philistines.—For lords, the LXX. and Vulgate read satraps; and it appears by (Joshua 13:3). that this country was divided into five of these satrapies; namely, those of Ashdod, Askelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza.—Let the ark be carried about.—That is, they each wish to shift it out of their own territories; they send it therefore to Gath, and from Gath to Ekron; and it is still attended with the same fatal consequences.

Ver. 9. They had emerods (in their secret parts.)—Dr. Boothroyd renders it, “They had the piles inwardly;” which is probably the correct meaning. As this disorder is, and seldom fatal with us, it might be attended with some dreadfully calamitous [consequences].