1 Samuel · chapter 5 of 31
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1 Samuel 5 tells how the Philistines carry the captured ark of God into the temple of Dagon at Ashdod. Two mornings in a row they find the statue of Dagon fallen before the ark, and the hand of the Lord weighs heavily on the city with a plague of tumors. The ark is sent on to Gath and Ekron, and in each place terror and disease force the Philistines to admit they cannot keep it.
In 1 Samuel 4 Israel lost the battle, the ark of the covenant was captured and the glory seemed to have left Israel. The Philistines believe they have defeated Israel's God as well. Chapter 5 answers that conclusion: with no army, no priests and no defenders, the Lord shows by himself that no god and no nation can hold him.
The Philistines bring the ark from Ebenezer to Ashdod and place it in the temple of their god Dagon, beside his statue, as a war trophy. The next morning they find Dagon fallen on his face before the ark. They set him up again, but the following morning he is on the ground once more, and this time his head and hands lie cut off on the threshold. From then on the priests of Dagon do not step on that threshold.
The hand of the Lord is heavy on the people of Ashdod and its territory, and they are afflicted with tumors. Seeing what is happening, they say the ark of the God of Israel must not stay with them, because his hand is hard against them and against Dagon. They gather the rulers of the Philistines and decide to move the ark to Gath.
In Gath the same thing happens: panic in the city and tumors on young and old. So they send the ark to Ekron, but the people of Ekron cry out that it has been brought to kill them. They ask that it be sent back to its place, because deadly panic filled the whole city and the cry of the people went up to heaven.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The people of Ashdod rise early and find Dagon fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord. With no Israelite army anywhere near, Israel's God shows that the idol cannot stand in his presence.
On the second morning Dagon is not only fallen but without head or hands. A god with no head and no hands can neither think nor act; the text shows with irony the helplessness of idols.
The men of Ashdod conclude that the hand of the God of Israel is heavy on them and on Dagon. The Philistines themselves admit, almost against their will, that the Lord is stronger than their god.
The Philistine rulers ask that the ark be sent back to its place, because deadly panic filled the city. What looked like the Philistines' triumph has become a burden they cannot bear.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: In the temple of Dagon, beside the statue of their god. — 1 Samuel 5:2
Answer: Dagon fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. — 1 Samuel 5:3
Answer: He had fallen again, with his head and the palms of his hands cut off on the threshold. — 1 Samuel 5:4
Answer: The hand of the Lord, who afflicted them with tumors. — 1 Samuel 5:6
Answer: To Gath, where there was also panic and tumors. — 1 Samuel 5:8-9
Answer: That it be sent back to its own place so that it would not kill them and their people. — 1 Samuel 5:10-11
This chapter reminds us that God does not need us to defend him as if he were weak. Israel had treated the ark like a charm and lost; now the Lord defends himself. In a Sunday school class or small group, it helps to ask what we trust more than God himself: a position, a tradition, a religious habit.
It also invites us to look calmly at apparent defeats. When the church seems to lose ground, the Lord is still sovereign over the gods of every age, whether money, success or power. We can pray and serve with confidence, knowing the cause does not depend on our strength.
1 Samuel 5 ends with terrified Philistines and an ark that has become a burden they no longer want. In chapter 6 we will see how they decide to send it back to Israel and what happens when it arrives at Beth-shemesh.
Dagon was one of the main gods of the Philistines, who had temples to him in cities such as Ashdod. His worshipers credited him with the victory over Israel, which is why the chapter shows the ark of the Lord toppling that god in his own temple.
The text says that from then on neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone entering his temple steps on the threshold. It was a reminder of the spot where the statue fell and reflects the fear that lingered among them.