1 Samuel 5

The Philistines place the Ark of God at Asdod in the house of their Idol Dagon, verse 1, &c. Who falleth down before the same, 3. This is done again the next day, and his head and hands are broken off from his body, 4. The Philistines are grievously plagued with emerods in all the Cities, whither thy brought the Ark, 6. So that they take counsel together, how they may be rid of the Ark, 7. They send it into Ekron were much troubled, 10. At length they resolved to send it home again to the Israelites, 11.

1. Now the Philistines took the Ark of God; and they brought it from Eben-hadzer [See above chap.4. vers.1.] into Asdod. [This City is, Act.8.40. called Azotus. It was one of the chiefest Cities of the Philistines, in which there dwelt giants in Josua’s time, Jos.11.22.]

2. And the Philistines took the Ark of God, and they brought it into the house of Dagon, [i.e. Into the Temple of the Idol Dagon, See Judg.16.23. This the Philistines did for a token of victory, which they thought they had obtained by the help of this their God.]

3. But when those of Asdod arose early the next day, behold Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth, before the Ark of the LORD: And they took Dagon, set him in his place again.

4. Now when they arose early in the morning the next day, behold, Dagon lay fallen upon his face to the earth before the Ark of the LORD: but the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands were cut off, at the threshold, only Dagon [i.e. the stump, whereas the head with the hands were off] was left thereon.

5. Therefore the Priests of Dagon, nor all that come into the house of Dagon, tread not upon the threshold of Dagon [i.e. on the threshold of the Temple of Dagon; so it is said, the Key of David; i.e. of the house of David] at Asdod unto this day. [Wherefore did they not tread onthethreshold? It seemeth that they accounted it holy, because Dagon had layen upon it.]

6. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon those of Asdod, [i.e. the Lord visited them of Asdod with grievous plagues] and made the desolate: [viz. by the mice, as is mentioned, I Sam.6.4.] and he smote them with emerods, [The Hebrew word properly signifieth an hill, and also the fundament, because this part of mans body is exalted, or lifted up. That this part of the body of the Philistines was plagued, is clearly expresied, Psa.78.66.] Asdod and her borders.

7. Now when the men at Asdod saw, that it so (hapned,) they said, Let not the Ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for his hand is hard, upon us, and upon Dagon our God.

8. Therefore they sent their wayes, and gathered unto them all the Princes of the Philistines, and they said, what shall we do with the Ark of God of Israel? And they [viz. the Princes of the Philistines] said, Let the Ark of the God of Israel go round about Gath. [This was also one of the chiefest Cities of the Philistines, lying upon a hill, or mountain called Amma, not far from the Sea. David took this City, 2 Sam.8.1. compared with I Chron.18.1. See further concerning this City, 2 Kings 12. Vers.17. and 2 Chron.11.8. and 26.6.] so they carried the Ark of the God of Israel round about.

9. And it came to passé after thy had carried it round about, that the hand of the LORD was against that city with a very great vexation, [Or, disturbance] for he smote the men of the city from the small to the great, and they had emerods in the hidden places. [Heb. were hidden to them: that is, the swellings were not outward, but inward in the intrals, so that a man could not come at them, to let them blood when they festered, which is the painful sort of emerods.]

10. Then they sent the Ark of God unto Ekron: [This was also one of the chiefest cities of the Philistines, and fell to the tribe of Juda for parcel of their inheritance, Jos.15.45. Judg.1.18. See further concerning this city, Judg.3.3. & 2 King.1.2. Jer.15.20. & Amos 1:8. Zeph.2.41. & Zach.9.5,7.] but it came to pass when the Ark of God came to Ekron, that they of Ekron cried, saying, They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel round about unto me, to slay me and my people. [the Ekronites having heard and seen the heavy plagues, wherewith the Lord had plagued their neighbours, because of the Ark, were exceedingly afraid, when they heard that they would bring the ark unto them]

11. And they sent their wayes, and gathered together all the Princes of the Philistines, [viz. The Governours of the city, for there follows, to slay me and my people] and said: Send away the Ark of the God of Israel, that it may return to its place, left it slay me and my people; [Thus spake every one of the Princes of the Philistines] for there was a deadly vexation in all the city, (and) the hand of God was very heavy there. [Some are of opinion, that besides the emerods, there reigned yet another deadly disease amongst the Philistines: see the following verse.]

12. And the men which died not, [viz. Of the deadly vexation, whereof mention is immediately before, vers.11.] were smitten with emerods: so that the cry of the city [i.e. of the inhabitants of the city] went up to heaven.