I Samuel

When the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.

The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon and they set it up beside Dagon.

Early the next day, the Ashdodites found Dagon lying face down on the ground in front of the Ark of GOD. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place;

but early the next morning, Dagon was again lying prone on the ground in front of the Ark of GOD. The head and both hands of Dagon were cut off, lying on the threshold; only Dagon’s trunk was left intact.aDagon’s trunk was left intact Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod.

GOD’s hand lay heavy upon the Ashdodites, wreaking havoc among them—striking Ashdod and its territorybAshdod and its territory Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Septuagint reads differently from our Heb. text; it also mentions mice swarming in the Philistine ships and invading their fields. Cf. the mention of “mice” in 6.4, 18; and the note at 6.1. with hemorrhoids.

When the people of Ashdodcthe people of Ashdod I.e., the leaders, on the townspeople’s behalf. saw how matters stood, they said, “The Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand has dealt harshly with us and with our god Dagon.”

They sent messengers and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the Ark of the God of Israel be removed to Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel [to Gath].

And after they had moved it, GOD’s hand came against the city, causing great panic—striking the inhabitants, young and old, so that hemorrhoids broke outdbroke out Meaning of Heb. uncertain. among them.

Then they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. But when the Ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, “They have moved the Ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our kindred.”

They too sent messengers and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, and let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our kindred.” For the panic of death pervaded the whole city, so heavily had the hand of God fallen there;

and those who did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids. The outcry of the city went up to heaven.