1 Samuel 5:3

1 Samuel 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
• New International Version (NIV)When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again.

Context of 1 Samuel 5:3

1Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left. 5For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

1 Samuel 5:3 word by word

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וְהִנֵּ֣ה דָג֗וֹן נֹפֵ֤ל לְפָנָיו֙ אַ֔רְצָה לִפְנֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־דָּג֔וֹן וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ אֹת֖וֹ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• When the Ashdoditesאַשְׁדּוֹדִי'ashdôdîy · AshdodH796
• gotשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
• the nextמׇחֳרָתmochŏrâth mochŏrâthâm · morrowH4283
• beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• Dagonדָּגוֹןdâgôn · DagonH1712
• had fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• on his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• to the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• So they tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• setשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• in his placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 5:3

• Exodus 12:12For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the Lord.
• Psalms 97:7May all those be ashamed who serve carved images, Who boast in idols; Worship Him, all you gods.
• Isaiah 19:1The pronouncement concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
• Isaiah 46:1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary animal.
• Zephaniah 2:11The Lord will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.
• Mark 3:11And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!”
• Luke 10:18And He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?
• Isaiah 40:20He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.
• Isaiah 41:7So the craftsman encourages the smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, “It is good”; And he fastens it with nails, So that it will not totter.
• Isaiah 44:17Yet the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
• Jeremiah 10:8But they are altogether stupid and foolish; The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They of Ashdod arose early on the morrow - Probably to perform some act of their superstition in the temple of their idol. Dagon was fallen upon his face - This was one proof, which they little expected, of the superiority of the God of Israel. Set him in his place again - Supposing his fall might have been merely accidental.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. they of Ashdod arose early--They were filled with consternation when they found the object of their stupid veneration prostrate before the symbol of the divine presence. Though set up, it fell again, and lay in a state of complete mutilation; its head and arms, severed from the trunk, were lying in distant and separate places, as if violently cast off, and only the fishy part remained. The degradation of their idol, though concealed by the priests on…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 5:3

• Idolatry
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Ashdod
• Ashdod, or Azotus
• Ashdod, Azotus
• Dagon
• Destruction
• Ground
• Samuel, Books of
• Ark of the Covenant
• Elijah
• God

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings